The lord and lady of the dance

12:53pm Friday 30th November 2001

TWO 15-year-olds from Biggin Hill are quickstepping up the ladder of success after becoming England's top junior ballroom dancers.

Charles Darwin Secondary School pupils Danny Stowell and Holly Woolcott have been waltzing partners since they were five years old and started dancing at the Shirley Cox School of Dancing, Aperfield Road, Biggin Hill.

They represented England at the world championships in Italy last month and won the accolade of best ballroom dancers in the country at a contest in Blackpool last week.

They hope to go on to become world amateur champions.

Danny's mum Pauline drives hundreds of miles every week to make sure he and Holly stay at the top. Holly and Danny combine about eight hours practice each week and weekend competitions with the pressure of impending GCSEs.

Both families also feel the pressure, as the costumes, training and competitions cost them each about £14,000 a year.

Dee Woolcott, Holly's mum, said: “I'm very proud of Holly, and I don't worry too much about her having to juggle her time, as she's very conscientious.”

“I hope she carries on dancing for as long as she enjoys it.”

Holly says she is still unsure about whether she wants to dance professionally but she is determined she and Danny will become the best amateur dancers in the world.

She said: “It's hard to fit in all the practice with schoolwork and I don't go out and have fun very often but my friends understand that for me, dancing is fun.

“The funniest thing is, people often think that me and Danny are an item but we're just the best of friends and I hope we'll be dancing together for a long time.”