Rory O'Shea and fellow pupils performing at the Dance Domain school ahead of his participation in the 'Got to Dance' final

by Chris Price

Schoolboy Rory O'Shea missed out on winning this year's final of Got to Dance last night.

The talented 11-year-old Canterbury pupil was the youngest contestant left in the Sky1 competition.

But Canadian-born dancer Lukas McFarlane, from London, took the £250,000 prize.

Rory had been practising hard at Dance Domain in Herne Bay, with cameras following his every move in the build-up to the talent show final at Olympia, Earls Court.

Speaking before the final, the Canterbury Academy pupil, of Tradewinds, Whitstable, said: "My family have been really supportive and really hard on me to make sure I am practising all the time. I don't mind that, though. The support has been really huge."

Rory in action ahead of the final

Rory honed his skills under the tutorship of Dance Domain teacher Glenn Fisher, who can still remember his first class.

Dad-of-two Glenn, 44, of Woodrow Chase, Herne said: "He came along on a Saturday morning and I didn't think much of him.

"The next week he came back and he had practised what he had learned so much that he had perfected it.

"That was when I thought 'Wow, this boy means business'. He carried on working in that manner, listening to what he was told.

"He has learned more than the routines because he is a showman as well."

"it would be a dream come true if i won. i cannot believe i am there at all" – rory, in the final of got to dance

Last year, Glenn's daughter Belle became the only solo female street dance act to make it to the live shows of Got to Dance.

She made it to the semi-finals and with Rory having gone one better, Glenn is daring to dream.

He said: "He is a young lad who is amazing at what he does. He has the whole package."