TWO hip-hop dancers have been selected to represent the country after years of hard work.

Alicejane Evans, from Britannia, Bacup, and Saffron Neal, from Accrington, have been passionate dancers since a young age and have now been selected to represent England.

The 19-year-olds previously competed at European champions as part of their team FLM Tenacity, based in Rawtnestall.

After being encouraged by their coach to attend trials they managed to clinch two of just six new spots available on the team.

They will now be part of the team which competes at the world championships in Florida next year.

Miss Neal, from South Street, said: “It’s going to be absolutely amazing.

“Just to be able to go abroad to Florida is fantastic, but to be representing the country is something else.

“I’ve been dancing since I was little, since I can remember.

“It is just the biggest thing for me.

“I can’t wait, it’s going to be amazing.”

The women have to balance university schedules and coming home with travelling to Essex for training with national team coaches.

Miss Neal is studying psychology at Newcastle University, while Miss Evans is about to go into the second year of her Geography degree at the university of Liverpool.

They have previously won national tournaments and came second at the European championships in Slovenia last year.

They also help to teach younger students as part of their FLM Tenacity team and work to choreograph new dances.

The hip-hop cheer dancing the pair do involves a variety of fast-paced group routines, including flips, which are scored by judges.

Miss Evans said: “I feel really excited and quite proud.

“After competing at national and European level the next step is world level, so I’m really looking forward to that.

“It was a hard process to get here and there was a lot of competition.

“It’s quite hardcore the routines, they are exhausting.

“It’s absolutely amazing to be able to represent my country doing something I love.

“To do it with Saffron is even better because she’s my best friend.”

The Team England hip-hop dance group is made up of a total of 16 people aged from 14 onwards of both genders.

The team is coached by Matt Jones, who runs the Oblivion All Stars team in Essex, who the national team train with.

Miss Neal’s mum Jane said she was ‘very proud’ to see both selected to represent their country.

The South Street resident said: “They have been done so well. Since secondary school they have been dancing together.

"It’s been their dream.”