"The eight strong dance group call themselves DanceXtreme and their ages range between twelve and twenty-one years, all living in or around the Llandrindod area.

The members are: Jenna Crockett, Kelly Helliwell, Jodie Ramplee, Amy and Natasha Livingstone-Lawn, Amy Hill and Stacey Robinson. The girls are all members of Powys County Council's (PCC) youth provision in Llandrindod Wells. The girls are led by Keelie Parker, herself a talented dancer, who has worked with them in the last six months improving their skills and choreographing their routine.

The girls will be escorted on the trip by Pam Parker and Della Bufton both PCC youth workers.

The Grand Prix is an annual event and is into its seventh year this year. Last year it attracted 1100 dancers from all over the World, dancing a variety of forms of dance.

Last years winners included dancers from as far afield as USA, Mexico and South Africa. The girls will be showcasing their street/hip hop routine. The competition takes the form of a showcase of dance, which is judged by an international jury and there are twelve categories to be judged as well as five special prizes.

The event is run over four days and will involve a challenging schedule of rehearsal and performance. There is one day out though, where the girls will have the opportunity to sample the Italian culture with a visit to either Rome, Venice or Florence.

The present members of DanceXtreme came together 6 months ago, to train and take part in the National Youth Events Wales competitions, run every year for youth groups across Wales. They did very well, winning their categories in the local and county rounds of the competition, winning their place to represent Powys in the national finals in April where they performed well.

The group are led by Keelie Parker a student of University of Wales Lampeter, studying Film. Keelie is a keen dancer and has had her share of successes.

She was asked by the girls to help them and gives her time to work with the group, helping helping them to improve their knowledge and working on choreography. It was through Keelie's involvement in dance that this opportunity has come about.

The cost of the trip has been met through fund-raising and donations and a big thank you goes out to Llandrindod Town council for their financial support, to Ian Minifey, who worked hard on helping choose and mix the music, and to PCC youth services and Llandrindod High School without whose support, trip wouldn't have been possible.

I am so proud of each member of the group. They have worked so hard to make sure they are prepared and ready to go. It hasn't been easy but this is a wonderful opportunity and for four of the group, the first time they've been abroad.

The chance to visit such a wonderful country as Italy, with its diverse culture, and take part in such a huge event is still difficult to take on board. Everyone is so excited; it will be a fantastic experience."

Article by Pam Parker, Senior Area Youth Worker.