Irish dancing: Meet the 13-year-old four-time world champion

What does it take to be a world champion at the age of 10, then stay at the top for four years? Irish dancer Tomi Elemide may have perfected the formula: No video games, no other sport, just dancing and practise - lots of practise. "When I would get back from school I would get changed and go straight to dance class every day and that would go on for about five days a week," he said. At two hours a day, plus potentially three or four hours at the weekend, that's up to 14 hours of jigs and reels a week. Fortunately, all that hard work has paid off. Tomi, from north Belfast, was the only boy to achieve a perfect score of 900 points at the world championships held in Schaumburg, Illinois last month. The competition is staged by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (the Commission of Irish Dancing), which is the biggest and oldest governing body of Irish dancing worldwide and showcases the best dancers from around the world. Tomi's dad said the focus on dance has been easy to support, even if it means he's on a different path from his friends. "He doesn't like going out to play just like every other kid his age, he just wants Irish dancing," Boye Elemide said. "That's his life - so it's easy

May 2, 2026 → May 2, 2026