Jersey's young dancers have once again demonstrated the Island's incredible talent on the international stage, returning from the 2026 Dance World Cup Finals in Dublin, Ireland, with outstanding performances, impressive scores and a bronze medal.
A total of 171 performances from five local dance schools represented Jersey at one of the world's largest dance competitions after qualifying earlier this year. More than 11,500 dancers from 74 countries took part in the prestigious event.
The Island was represented by Essential Dance, Étoile Studios, Jersey Academy of Dancing, JM Dance Studios and Silhouette Studios, with dancers competing across Mini, Children's, Junior and Senior age categories.
Bronze medal success
The highlight of the championships came courtesy of Essential Dance's Siobhan Misumi, who claimed a bronze medal in the Children's Street Dance category with her solo 'Pon De Replay'. Her achievement earned Jersey a place on the podium at one of the biggest dance competitions in the world.
Several other Jersey dancers came agonisingly close to medal positions, underlining the exceptional standard of talent across the Island.
Strong performances across both weeks
During the opening week of competition, Jersey's Mini and Children's dancers produced a string of high-scoring performances.
Étoile Studios' Aria Elliott achieved Jersey's highest Mini solo score with 89.1 for her lyrical routine 'Ave Maria', while Silhouette Studios' 'Goodship Lollipop' secured Jersey's highest Mini Group score.
The Children's categories also saw impressive results. Essential Dance's Megan secured Jersey's highest Children's Small Group score, while Silhouette Studios achieved some of the Island's strongest group performances. Lyrical Group's 'Heart of Stone' recorded the highest Junior Small Group score of 86.
Week two saw the Junior and Senior dancers take to the stage, with more standout performances.
Mary Wild topped Jersey's Junior solo rankings with a score of 88.2 for her lyrical performance before partnering with Darcey Cronin to achieve Jersey's highest Junior Duo/Trio score in the jazz routine 'Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries'.
Essential Dance's 'Heart of Stone' was once again among the Island's highest-scoring Junior groups, while the studio's Essentials Dance troupe led Jersey's Junior Large Group results.
In the Senior categories, Olivia Rose Raphael achieved Jersey's highest Senior solo score for her Street Dance routine, and Essential Dance's Vanguard Crew finished as the Island's top Senior group.
A celebration of Jersey dance
Alongside the results, team managers praised not only the performances but also the spirit shown throughout the championships. They highlighted the camaraderie between the five Jersey schools, describing how dancers supported one another throughout the competition regardless of which school they represented.
The shared support and encouragement between competitors was recognised as one of the defining memories of the trip, reflecting the strength of Jersey's dance community both on and off the stage.
With medal success, personal bests and numerous high-scoring performances across every age group, Jersey once again proved that its dancers can compete with the very best in the world.
