Dancers vie for places at world event

Leah Winters of the Mt Eden Ballet Academy.

More than 500 dancers descended on the North Shore yesterday for the inaugural DanceBrandz Nationals competition.

Competitors as young as 4 wowed a 1200-strong crowd at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna.

Leah Winters (pictured) of the Mt Eden Ballet Academy took to the stage to try to impress the judges, performing in the senior lyrical session.

Competition founder Kimberley Ramsey said the turnout for the day had been great.

"It's been amazing and we've had such a great response from dance mums and dance teachers."

It was the first competition to offer New Zealanders a chance to perform at the Dance World Championships. Four teams were chosen to attend next year's world championships, due to be held in May at Disney World in Florida.

Dancers from the Neverland Dance School and the Mt Eden Ballet Academy team One Night Only were selected for the championships, after winning the open jazz category.

The Inception Dance crew, as winners of the open hip-hop category, also earned a spot, and Norris Studios will attend for winning the under-14 section.