Among the industrial warehouses of eastern Glasgow, a big gold banner with the words “Team Sharkie Dance” in glitter lettering certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. As soon as you step through the door, a wave of energy and a mix of friendly Scottish accents overwhelm the ambience. 6,7,8 GO! GO! GO! Danielle’s loud voice bursts out of the dance studio, while a group of mums brush their kids’ hair into perfect buns, waiting for their turn to start the class. It’s Danielle’s and her mother Margo’s dance school, Sharkstars, an oasis of colour within the grey outskirt of the Scottish city. Recently featured on a BBC documentary, Team Sharkie is an institution within the UK disco freestyle scene and a second home for most of the girls who spend more time here than at home. The mind-blowing dance style, pioneered by Anna Jones in the early 1980s from the ashes of disco, is nowadays very popular within Scandinavian and eastern European countries, as well as in the UK and Ireland. It consists of a hyper-fast mix of acrobatic moves, jumps, splits, backflips and dance steps, with everything condensed to the rhythm of heart battering and fast-paced music. During competitions, the dancers, whose ages vary from three years old to early 20s, have only up to 50 seconds to prove their ability in front of the judges; they do so by launching themselves into mini-routines all together on the same big dancefloor. Given the limited time they have to impress the judges, sass, confidence and exaggerated colourful costumes play undoubtedly a big part. The bigger the hair, the more glitz and glam, the better. Competitors are divided by age and by level. Categories start from U6 years old and build up to U8, U10, U12 and so on until adulthood. Each year slot has level categories, too, going from starters tobeginners, intermediate, champion and premium champion. Competitions can be done solo or in pairs, and dancers can compete for fast and slow dancing. Daisy is competing as premium champ in the category U12. However, freestyle isn’t just about appearance and impressive outfits. The discipline requires solid preparation, constant physical rehearsing, concentration, and self-confidence, which is one of the reasons it has had a good impact on many girls’ self-esteem. Many parents, speaking of the benefits of freestyle, often talk about how the disciplinehas helped their children to overcome social anxiety and insecurities and made them come out of their shell. Also, because of the constant training and dedication involved, another aspect of freestyle praised by parents is the chance it gives children who live in more deprived areas of big cities to stay out of trouble and off the street. Team Sharkie and their mums always show up to support their daughters and team members, whether they’re competing in a big festival or local competition and even when two dancers of the same school compete under the same category. “Most of the girls have been dancing with Danielle and Margo since they were three years old. On the dancefloor, whatever happens, happens. There might be a few tears but then once it’s finished, they’re all friends again,” said Lorrain, Cerys’s mother. I can’t help but join the cheering: Go Team Sharkie! Show us what it means to be a sassy lassy and a disco diva of the scene.