Dance academy in Ashton to jet off to Florida for World Championships

MCR Dance & Cheer Academy in Ashton are setting the standard for dance groups across Tameside and beyond.

Despite only being founded 18 months ago, the group have achieved so much in this short space of time.

MCR Dance & Cheer Academy was opened by head coach Miah on her 19th birthday in July 2022.

One of the youngest head coaches in England, she has been training from the age of three. 

The former gymnast has won two gold and one silver medal at the ICU Cheer and Dance World Championships. 

One of her proudest achievements was being awarded the Martin Hett trophy for her services to the Tameside community.

Miah is joined at the academy by her mum Caroline Maddock-Hodgins, a qualified English teacher and dad, Richard Hodgins, a senior mental health practitioner with the NHS.

Together, they make a fantastic team and are committed to nurturing the next generation of dancing superstars.

The academy were recognised for their fantastic commitment to the community late last year when they were runners-up at the Pride of Tameside Sports Awards.

They were recognised for their charitable efforts throughout 2023, a year in which they raised over £17,000 for charity through various means, including a 12-hour ‘danceathon’ to help raise money for the Greater Manchester-based charity, Cash for Kids.

Following the award, Caroline from MCR Dance and Cheer Academy said:

“Winning a Pride of Tameside Award was more than just an accolade; it was a testament to our commitment to excellence and innovation.

“Thanks to the prize money from Davies, we were able to buy equipment to enhance our SEND classes. It's not just about dance and cheer; it's about empowerment and inclusion.

“We are proud to bring something unique to Tameside and as we continue to go from strength to strength, our mantra remains unchanged: 'We are MCR, we do things differently,' and that's what sets us apart.”

Arguably their proudest achievement came last August when MCR qualified for the prestigious All Star World Championships in Florida, which will take place in early April.

Three teams from the academy have qualified for the tournament, and each will be looking to bring home some silverware.

Ahead of the World Championships, the academy are looking for some much-needed funding to take the pressure off the parents of those who are competing.

The team at MCR are looking for sponsorship to cover the cost of travel, accommodation and entry fees, which are quite significant.

Regarding this, head coach Miah said: “We have an amazing group of dancers who have worked so hard to qualify for the World Championships, and we don’t want money to be the thing that stops us from competing. “We’re asking for any support people can give, whether a small donation or a larger sponsorship, every little bit helps.”

If you would like to donate, just search ‘MCR Dance and Cheer Academy Worlds’ on the GoFundMe website.

Another huge achievement for the academy was when they took three teams to compete at JamFest Northern in Blackpool earlier this month.

Their Mini, Youth, and Junior Hip Hop teams all secured first prize against strong opposition.

The Junior Hip Hop team then not only won Grand Champions of the day, but they were also awarded the highest score of the whole competition.

Following that, all three of MCR’s teams were awarded bids to compete at the Summit World Championships in Orlando in 2025, a fantastic achievement.

If this wasn’t enough, head coach Miah was also awarded the highly regarded ‘Best Choreography Award’.

Later this month, the academy also attended the ICE competition in Stoke, winning ten first-place trophies across all age categories and styles.

As well as taking first place, MCR were awarded three special recognition awards, with their Adults' Hip Hop team winning Best Performance, their Junior Hip Hop winning the Judges' Choice Award, and their Senior CoEd Hip Hope side winning the highest overall score of the competition.

Following this, MCR have announced they have been awarded a further two bids to compete in Florida, meaning they will now have five teams going over to the US in 2025.

In addition to this, back in February, MCR sent 17 teams to Future Cheer’s ‘Heart of England’ competition, ranging from age three to adults.

Multiple first-place trophies were won across various age groups and dance disciplines.

Their Junior Hip Hop team ‘SHADOW’ were crowned the grand champions with the highest score of the day.

As well as making waves in the world of dance, the academy also have a number of cheerleading teams.

Having originally started out as a dance only academy, they decided to open up a new studio dedicated to cheer, last October.

If you would like to learn more about the academy and the many opportunities they have on offer, visit their Facebook page: MCR Dance Academy, or email mcrdanceacademy@gmail.com