Courtney bids for TV stardom

Courtney bids for TV stardom

7 May 2014

BRITAIN’S Got Talent has produced a host of household names over the years. The ITV series has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2007, with dance groups regularly featuring among the many winners.

Diversity, Spelbound and Attraction have wowed the judges to win the talent competition alongside opera singing star Paul Potts. And while Susan Boyle only finished second, she has carved out a major international singing career for herself.

Last Saturday night, another dance group featuring Assumption Grammar School student, Courtney McAlister, wowed the judges with a spellbinding performance of contemporary Irish dancing.

The 15 year-old from Newcastle is a member of the Portstewart-based Innova Irish Dance Company which has progressed to the next round of the competition.

The Northern Ireland dancers have featured on ITV’s This Morning, UTV’s The Magazine, with members also being interviewed on local radio. And the YouTube clip of their weekend television performance is racing towards an incredible one million hits.

Courtney said the dance group has been “blown away” by the reaction to their performance which was recorded earlier this year at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

Dedicated and enthusiastically passionate about Irish dancing, Courtney travels from her home every Friday to spend the weekend in Portstewart with the other members of her troupe.

The fifth year student at the Assumption Grammar is hoping that Innova, which has secured a place at the Britain’s Got Talent Boot Camp, can progress to the live semi-finals scheduled to be broadcast later this month.

“We are all keeping our fingers crossed that we will get through to the live semis. We put a lot of hard work into our routine which paid off,” Courtney continued. “If we make it to the live semis we will change our routine and hopefully we we will get a similar reaction.”

The Newcastle teenager believes the success of the Innova Irish Dance Company will help continue keeping Irish dancing firmly in the spotlight.

“People are aware of the success of Riverdance for example, but what we do is different in that we add a contemporary twist.”

One of the highlights for the local girl was meeting Britain’s Got Talent hosts Ant and Dec and ITV’s Stephen Mulhern who is also associated with the show.

“Ant and Dec come across exactly as you see them on television. They are just so nice. It was great to meet them,” she said.

Courtney added: “With our place at Boot Camp secured, we are all now keeping our fingers crossed that we can make it to the live semi-finals.”