The school’s owners said that they need help covering their member’s competition costs
Siblings Chloe and Devon Hamilton, who have run Hamilton Acro and Dance school in Ballyphehane and Douglas since 2022, told The Corkman that 26 of their dancers will compete at the World Cup, which will be held at the Prague Congress Centre from Friday, June 28.
The Hamiltons said that 13 of their individual and group acts qualified for the contest after being asked to audition by a World Cup representative who saw them dance at an RDS show in February. However, even after parents have covered the travel and accommodation fees of their kids, the cost of uniforms and entrance and competition fees is close to €10,000.
Running for over a week, the competition will see the school have at least one of its members, aged from six to fifteen, performing each day.
“We want to cover all the kids expenses, as much as we can. Their uniforms are nearly two or three hundred euro a piece,” Chloe said.
“We have to cover their competition fees and their entrance fees. Uniforms and competition fees came to just under €10,000. When we got through we knew it wasn’t something we couldn’t pass up because it might be the dancers only opportunity.”
The dance school operators said that because dance is not as regulated as a sport like gymnastics, there is no grants they can avail of despite the fact that they will be representing Team Ireland.
The Hamiltons said the school has received some funding through an award from a local councillor and businesses while its members resourceful parents have held bake sales, table quizzes and other events to cover some of the costs they face.
Still, the school is scrambling for funding to ensure that its trip to Prague will be possible.
“We’re just hoping we can find the right person to help us get over the line,” Devon said.
“I think we’re maybe I think it’s around six or seven thousand off. I don’t know if we’ll get there,” Chloe added.
Despite the financial worries, Chloe and Devon said that their members are looking forward to dancing in front of the judges and many spectators in Prague, where they will compete against acts from all over the world.
“The dancers are very excited. I don’t think they know what’s coming because they are so new to it but they are all excited to represent Ireland.
“That’s the big thing of it, to represent their country. They are getting their uniforms, so it’s starting to hit them that they will be representing Team Ireland over there, which is an honour,” Devon said.
The dance school has so far raised €3,210 through a GoFundMe it has started, which can be visited here. Anybody who may be able to help the group raise funds can email Hamiltonacro@outlook.ie.