A PAIR of North Berwick sisters have been selected to dance for Scotland at the Dance World Cup.

Maisie Belle Black, 14, and Kitty Rose, 12, were initially due to go to the competition in Rome this summer, having qualified for the team through their dance school, Velasco Walker School of Dance, in Corstorphine, Edinburgh.

Coronavirus has meant the competition is postponed until next year but the girl’s places on the team have been held.

Next year’s Dance World Cup will be held in Europe, though the country has not yet been confirmed.

The girls, who spent lockdown in Corstorphine alongside mum Pauline, but moved back to Westerdunes in North Berwick two weeks ago, are due to perform 11 dances in total, across contemporary, ballet and jazz styles.

Kitty, a former Dirleton Primary School pupil, said: “I was astonished. I didn’t think I was going to get any dances in so to get eight is amazing.

“It’s disappointing that we are not going this year but I am looking forward to when we are able to go.”

Maisie, a student at Mary Erskine School, added: “I was so excited to find out that my team and I had been selected in so many dances for the Dance World Cup.

“We were all looking forward to competing and visiting Rome and were working so hard to polish our performances.

“It was extremely disappointing, although totally understandable, to find out it had to be cancelled.

“The Dance World Cup officials have stated that any dancers selected this year can compete in 2021.

“I was ecstatic on hearing this.

“I have three fantastic new solos in contemporary, ballet and jazz.

“I am going to work hard as I would like to enter these, in the hope that I can compete in one of these solos next year.”

Pauline called the news “brilliant” and “very exciting”, adding that not going to Rome was “a pity as we were looking forward to it”.

Maisie and Kitty, who both used to train at Dunbar School of Dance, are in one group dance together and are excited to perform alongside one another.

While coronavirus has put a stop to dance classes in their respective schools, the girls are still regularly training online through Zoom.

Maisie currently trains with Edinburgh Festival Ballet five days a week.

Kitty, who is hoping to start at the same school in August, trains with Scottish Ballet.