Dance crown for talented teens; Pals end their partnership with junior title victory.

Byline: By HELEN ANDREW

A TEENAGE dancing duo came top-of-the-class in a national competition.

Friends Sophie Chilton, 15, and Sophie Mackay, 14, were crowned winners at the British Junior Championship Dancing Competition.

In a week-long event staged at Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the pair fought-off 29 couples in the category for junior all-girl dance.

The British Junior Championship was organised by the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival, which has been running for more than 60 years with talented youngsters from all over the world travelling to compete.

Sophie Mackay, of Walkerville, Newcastle, said: "It's really good to have won the championship. It's amazing.

"We've been working so hard and it was our last major competition together as a pair.

"I love everything about dancing and you get to meet lots of people, too. My teachers and parents have been great. I want to thank all of them."

And Sophie Chilton, of High Heaton, Newcastle, said: "Dancing is something I've always been into and I never want to give it up.

"My parents have always supported me. The dresses were great too but, on the day I preferred the black one."

The girls wore two outfits, one black and one white, and both were diamante-covered. They were designed by Linda Worell, of Cheshire.

When Miss Chilton turns 16 in June the pair can no longer compete together as she will then have to start entering the amateur competitions.

The pair have been dancing since they were six and seven-years-old and they attend the Campbell Dance Centre in Walkergate, run by Sophie's mum, Gail Mackay.

Every three weeks they also travel to Barnsley for more practise with dancers Tony and Denise Dyer.

Proud mum Gail, 46, said: "They have achieved everything they wanted to do and more and I am so proud of them both.

"They've reached the top now, there's nowhere else for them to go."

Fellow mum Susan Chilton, 39, a sales assistant, said: "The girls are the best of friends.

"They have worked very hard and travelled all over the country together to compete.

"My daughter is starting her GCSE exams in May too so she has worked extremely hard.

"Both dads have been very instrumental in all of this and made sure that they never missed an opportunity to compete."

The girls have won many competitions in the past, including the Sequence Dance Festival at Blackpool Wintergardens in March.

They also won the Northern Counties Dance Teachers' Association Competition held at Memorial Hall, Wallsend, in October 2007.

On that occasion they came first in the classical, modern, ballroom and Latin sequence championships.

CAPTION(S):

MOVERS: Dancers Sophie Chilton and Sophie Mackay; WINNERS: Dancers Sophie Chilton and Sophie Mackay