Elsie Kitney
Let’s hear from Elsie’s mum about Elsie’s passion for dance and how Swale Youth Development Fund has helped her on her journey so far…
“Elsie, aged just 8 years old, applied to the SYDF back in March 2023. Elsie was dancing before she could even walk. She used to bop away to music and, as the time went along, we could see Elsie had a great ear for music. Elsie, when she was just turned 7, joined a Latin & Ballroom Dance School called Dance Envy, and here her passion began. She was asked to join the Under-8 formation team and placed in the top 8 when they danced in the UK & World Championships in the famous Blackpool Tower.
When we applied for the fund Elsie had only just started to compete on the Open Circuit as a soloist dancer and this type of dancing requires specialist one-to-one tuition, which is very costly. The SYDF fund that was awarded to Elsie helped her so much to achieve her goals of competing solo and seeking extra tuition from UK Champions in Ballroom & Latin.”
“Elsie also was in need of a new dance dress for competitions, and shoes, which the SYDF fund paid for. Elsie is still aiming high within her solo career of dancing and is now starting to compete on a national level with UK Blackpool Championships within her sights again next year. Elsie's dream is to become the top 10 within her age category. Elsie's favourite competition of the year is Oti Mabuse's.
In her spare time, Elsie just loves to use her passion to help people feel great and she often takes time to dance within care homes for the elderly with dementia - this brings her so much joy.
We are hoping to be able to apply for Elsie again next April. To compete nationally requires a higher level of training, which for us means more money to spend on lessons.”
