Kempton 5-year-old dances herself to two world championship titles
Madison was the youngest South African participant to go to the world championships.
The World Championship for Freestyle Dancing crowned Kempton Park’s Madison Donegan (5) twice in Blackpool in the United Kingdom.
On June 22, Madison was announced the new world champion for slow dancing freestyle. The next day she was honoured a second time as the new world champion for fast dancing freestyle.
She and her mother Melanie visited the UK for three days in which multiple heats were hosted on the days of competing. Madison participated alongside roughly 55 other dancers from all over the world in her age group. All participants in the age group competed simultaneously and elimination took place as the heats progressed for each division.
“Madison was the youngest South African participant to go to the world championships and was accompanied by 43 other South African dancers,” her mother told Express. She was the first five-year-old to go abroad for this competition and was part of the biggest group South Africa had ever sent overseas.
The tiny girl is barely ever seen walking as she twirls and prances wherever she goes. She started her journey in ballet when she was two-and-a-half years old, and switched to freestyle dancing when she was only four. In the SA competitions, Madison has to compete in the under-seven division as there aren’t credible divisions for her age group.
Melanie said: “After doing freestyle dancing for only six months, she got an invite to compete in the world championships.”
She is also involved in swimming and tumbling. In addition, Madison enjoys running and already started training with the athletics squad alongside her brother.
“Even though she’s too young to compete in running, we try to feed all the avenues of her early development,” said Melanie.
Not only is Madison hyper physical, but she is a smart girl as she also enjoys mathematics.
When asked what her favourite part of touring the UK was, Madison said she enjoyed seeing the Royal Castle of Queen Elizabeth II.
Express asked her what her dreams for the future were and little Madison responded: “I want to be everything.”
