A TALENTED 12-year-old has been selected to represent Team GB and travel to the Czech Republic to compete in the World Tap Dance championships.

Ellie-May O’Shea has been training at the Elite Dance Centre, based at the Laindon Community Centre, since she was just two-years-old and dreams of turning her love for the sport into a professional career.

The youngster has been hailed as a “tap prodigy” by her coaches and will travel to Prague to compete against the best in the world at the end of this month.

Owner of the Elite Dance Centre, Jemma Wallace, said this is a huge honour for both Ellie-May and the whole community.

She said: “Her incredible dedication and passion for dance have propelled her to reach this prestigious level at such a young age.

“Being chosen to compete on the world stage is a remarkable achievement, and we are so proud of her hard work and talent.

“This is a huge honour not just for Ellie-May, but also for our local community, as she will be showcasing her skills and representing our country among the best dancers in the world.”

The IDO World Tap Dance Championship 2024 will take place between 23 October and 27 October, 2024.

This is not the first time Ellie-May has been selected as she attended the event last year, representing GB in a team, where they came second.

This year she will be going it alone as she competes in the individual competition.

Ellie-May has also been attending Tap Attack, one of the world’s most renowned tap dance specialists.

Jemma added: “Ellie-May has been training with us since she was two-years-old and is truly a tap prodigy.

“She has had an amazing couple of years as part of Team GB where she has made some friends for life, gets to travel abroad doing something she loves and competes against some amazing talent from across the globe.

“Ellie-May is just a natural born performer, and such a hard worker. I am bursting with pride.”