Michelle McClintock and Saniya Thompson, from South Pole Dance Studio, won the top award in the group category at Miss Lyra New Zealand 2022 in Christchurch with their duo act on aerial hoops.
They were proud of their achievement as this was the most important competition in the country for their performing art.
‘We’ve been working on our routine for probably a year because they cancelled last year [due to Covid-19 pandemic]," Mrs McClintock said.
"We were very happy to get first place in the group section which was really exciting."
Ms Thompson agreed.
"It makes me very proud be able to take that trophy back to my home studio and I think for a number of different reasons.
"First of all we put Southland on the map of aerial arts."
She said the region previously did not have much representation on the national scene, but she felt this could motivate people to experience the art and join the club.
"The fact that we [were] starting to sort of raise our heads a little bit is really exciting and I think this can be very inspiring for our students."
She encouraged anyone who was interested in hoops or pole dancing to attend the annual student showcase on October 14-15 at Repertory House in Invercargill to get a taste of the talent from people across the region.
