FOUR schools from Dorset have made it through to the regional finals of a national dancing competition.

Oak Academy LeAF Campus in Bournemouth, Corfe Hills School and Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne and The Gryphon School in Sherborne have made it through to the southern finals of the Be Your Best Rock Challenge 2016.

Both The Gryphon School and Queen Elizabeth’s School will be facing teams from Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, London, Sussex, Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight in their attempts to become Southern Open Champions on June 20 and 21.

A few days later, Oak Academy LeAF Campus will be fighting to retain their status as Southern Premier Champions, while Corfe Hills School and many others from across the south will be attempting to knock them off the top spot on June 25.

Sophia Campbell, events and marketing manager for Rock Challenge, said: “Up to 20,000 young people from over 310 schools have been involved and four schools from the local area have successfully qualified through to the southern finals.

“Dorset will be represented across three of the five southern finals as four local schools compete against the top teams from across the south of the UK at Portsmouth Guildhall.

“The teams have spent the last few weeks finalising their performances since their regional heat and will spend the day at the venue rehearsing, watching and supporting all the other schools before competing in a spectacular evening show.”

Teams as small as 20 and as large as 135 students collaborate with teachers, parents and their wider communities to prepare an eight-minute performance set to a theme of their choice.

Back in March, pupils from across Dorset and Hampshire performed their best moves at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth in front of an audience of 900 of their friends and families.

Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, attended the event and presented the prize for first place which went to Queen Elizabeth School.