It was a day of celebration for a local dance school as four entries became national champions at the National Grand Finals for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Disco, Freestyle and Rock n Roll faculty.

After competing at up to six regional qualifying competitions, 38 dancers from AK Academy of Dancing assembled at the Guildford Spectrum ready to take on some of the best dancers from across the country.

They competed in four categories: set dance, rock n roll, solo and duo. In each section, competitors danced in heats, with some getting knocked out in each round until about six finalists remain.

National champions are named in the set dance and rock n roll categories, with four coming from the school:

Cassie Cole – under 14 set dance

Emilia Paynter and Lilly Reynolds – under 12 rock n roll

Avalon Epapara and Ella Norton – under 14 rock n roll

Eleanor Kay and Emily Jee – under 16 rock n roll

Ella Norton also placed first in solo, and Holly Bunter and Josie Carswell placed first in duo.

In addition, the school had five second places and two third places and other finalists throughout the day.

Principal Anna Knowles said: “The overall standard was so high and it gets harder every year. However, all the dancers shone and we are so proud not only of the standard of our students’ dancing but also the discipline they all had in terms of presentation on and off the floor, and during presentations, and the team encouragement for one another.

“A huge well done to every single one who danced at the finals, you were amazing and a massive congratulations to our new national champions.”