COMMUNITY facilities within the Shire of Mundaring continue to play an essential role in the lives of two young dancers.

State and national juvenile Latin, ballroom, and new vogue champion, Hugo Crisp Crow (12), from Parkerville, and up and coming dancer Saoirse Farrell (15), from Swan View meet once a week at the Brown Park Community Centre.

They use the centre to practice fiery Latin routines so Saoirse can compete in DanceSport competitions with a partner across the Perth metro area.

There is a lack of boys in DanceSport and often girls have to dance with available coaches if they don’t have a regular partner.

Happily, these childhood friends, who met at Kindy Dance Time in Darlington as very young children, decided they would not let a lack of partner get in Saoirse’s way of continuing her career.

It has paid off, with Saoirse’s medal wins stacking up and Hugo’s experience as a professional partner ever growing.

Hugo, who started dancing at seven-years-old, is the current reigning juvenile state champion in all three styles said he appreciated the Brown Park facility.

“My mum and I spend so much time in the car driving out to Vic Park, Hamilton Hill and Myaree for me to dance, it’s so much easier for Saoirse and me to meet up and work on her routines just down the road.

“This opportunity has really given me the motivation to continue with my dance career beyond just winning competitions for myself.

“That’s still super important to me and in December I will fly to Melbourne as the WA DanceSport representative to compete in my last year of juvenile at the national championships with my dance partner, Joanna.

“We’re really lucky we get to do this together. She’s already taller than me but I hope she will keep me around when she goes up to under 21 next year, I will really have to be on my A-game! And hopefully I will keep getting taller!”

Saoirse, who is a dedicated and talented dancer and ice skater, said having access to a dance studio just down the road had helped her improve her dance skills faster than she could have imagined.

“I am so grateful to the shire for the services they have provided and how supportive they have been of Hugo and I dancing together.

“We have had so much fun learning new routines and the extra practice time has been crucial to being able to do so well in our competitions,” she said.