Local dancers travelling to Ireland for Dance World Cup

Four dancers from Chatham-Kent to Windsor-Essex are preparing to represent the region on the international stage.

Training at the Pure Dance Academy in Tecumseh, the dancers will be part of the Canadian contingent taking part in the 2026 Dance World Cup in Dublin, Ireland, beginning on July 8.

Lauren Murphy and Mattia Klinger of Lakeshore, Finley Stedman of Tecumseh, and Gabriella Hesse of Chatham-Kent are all set to make the trip in about two weeks’ time.

“We all got selected at a competition that we competed at,” Klinger explained about the selection process.

“Then we were all interested, so we all went to the auditions and tried out.”

The competition will feature more than 11,000 dancers from over 50 countries, performing different disciplines.

Since the fall, the ladies have been making monthly trips to Toronto to train on top of their regular work at Pure Academy.

“It’s really exciting because when we get to Ireland, we’re going to get to see like so many different dances and like countries from all over the world,” Stedman said.

To prepare for an international trip, they’ve held regular fundraisers, including raffles and dinners, to help cover the costs.

The $5,000 raised will go towards costumes, flights, hotel stays and other travel-related expenses.

On Tuesday night, a fundraiser and final send-off was held at a restaurant in Tecumseh.

While admittedly anxious to take the stage, they’re understanding of the size of the moment, and appreciative to have a supportive team behind them.

“This is like the second biggest stage other than like the Olympics, so very nerve-wracking but very exciting, it’s going to be a great opportunity,” added Hesse.

The Dance World Cup is about 10 days long.