Megan dances to the top

Apr 26 2007 By Catherine Lillington, Birmingham Mail

TALENTED teenage dancing queen Megan Kerrigan has been crowned the winner of the World Irish Dancing Championships.

The 15-year-old, from Hollywood, near Redditch, wiped the floor with opposition from Ireland, America, Canada, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Scotland and Wales.

Megan, who is a pupil at St Peter's School, in Solihull, has practised six times a week for hours at a time in her bid to lift the title.

Her friends and family went to cheer her on her way to victory against 179 others in the under-15 age group in the competition, held in Glasgow.

Megan, who has been Irish dancing since she was seven years old, said: "It's amazing to have won the championship, it was worth all the hard work.

"My Irish grandparents are really proud of me.

"I want to continue to dance and hopefully get into a show one day."

Megan, who dances at the Kenny Academy in Digbeth, also won the British National championship in September and the Great Britain championship in October.

Proud mum Maria said: "Megan is so dedicated and committed to her dancing.

"She was overcome when she found out she'd won and it was very emotional for everybody who had gone along to support her."