11-year-old Sienna Hodgson, a Year 7 student at Westholme in Lancashire, has achieved international recognition after being crowned World Champion at the prestigious Dance World Cup 2025 in Burgos, Spain.
Sienna, who lives in Rishton and trains at Vale Studios in Stockport, competed as a Team England finalist at this year’s global event which featured dancers from 76 countries.
The Dance World Cup is one of the largest international dance competitions in the world, bringing together thousands of young dancers to compete across a wide range of styles and age categories.
After qualifying earlier this year with four solo routines, she was selected to perform three – jazz, lyrical and contemporary – in line with England’s 2025 competition rules. Each of Sienna’s performances were choreographed by Emily Charlton, Principal at Vale Studios.
In a remarkable display of talent and dedication to her skills, Sienna secured the gold medal in the Children’s Jazz category, earning the title of World Champion in this field. She also achieved a bronze medal for her lyrical solo and placed 7th globally in the contemporary dance category.
“It has been an honour to represent my country, and I was so shocked at being awarded World Champion – so much so that I cried on stage when it was announced,” said Sienna. “I have enjoyed every second of it.”
Her journey to the top began with strong performances in the national qualifiers, where she also received the Head Judge’s Award – granting her access to exclusive masterclasses during the international competition.
Sienna’s mother, Rebecca Hodgson, said: “I am so proud of her; this is such an incredible achievement for at just 11 years old. She is very dedicated to dance and works very hard, but she is so humble and doesn’t realise how talented she is.”
In recognition of her success, Sienna has now been awarded a Golden Ticket – a scholarship-style invitation to attend an elite dance masterclass weekend in Spain, later this year.
Amy Holland, Director of Performing Arts at Westholme, added: “We are immensely proud of Sienna. She is a very talented young dancer with a very bright future and we could not be happier for her with her latest success.”