Nine-year-old Burgess Hill Girls student wins National Bharatanatyam Dance Competition with her team of five

Nine-year-old Sanaya Mohandas has been practising Bharatanatyam since she was six, which is one of the most widely recognized Indian classical dance forms.

It aims to communicate religious and spiritual themes of Shaivism and Hinduism.

Sanaya was thrilled to win first prize with her team, saying: “I really enjoy dancing. We worked so hard, but it was worth it.”

She has weekly lessons and before competitions Sanaya trains for an hour every day on top of regular team training sessions.

Heather Cavanagh, head of Burgess Hill Girls Prep, said: “Sanaya is immensely dedicated in everything she does, so I was not surprised to hear her team came first. She is a wonderful example to all our students in what can be achieved when you put your mind to something.”

This was the first time Sanaya and her team participated in the competition. They won the regional competition in Croydon before claiming first prize at the national competition in Cheltenham. People can watch the team's winning performance on YouTube.

The Union of United Kingdom Malayalee Associations (UUKMA) organised the contest. The UUKMA put on Arts and Literary competitions at regional and national levels each year with more than 200 participants. The competition is judged by artists from the community and looks at technical elements, presentation and the artistic beauty of the performance.

People can find out more about Burgess Hill Girls at the schools website at burgesshillgirls.com.