STREET-DANCING youngsters made Oxford and England proud by winning 21 prizes at an international competition.

A team of 36 dancers from the Messy Jam dance school in Blackbird Leys and Barton performed at the European Street Dance Championships at Disneyland Paris last weekend.

Their haul included five first-place trophies.

The dancers, aged between seven and 18, were competing in France against performers from 13 other countries.

The trip cost more than £9,000 but parents chipped in and the school also did fundraising shows.

Dance teacher Ellisha Peart said: “We want to say a huge thank you and congratulations to our children, their parents and those who have supported us.

“It was massive task for us to go over to Paris. Some of the kids had never been abroad before.”

With only two other dance groups from the UK, Messy Jam represented the country as well as Oxford.

She said: “They represented the UK so well.

“We have done Oxford and the school very proud. It was a huge achievement. Messy Jam is on the map now.”

She added: “It was an opportunity of a lifetime and it paid off.”

She also thanked Headington Community Association, which helped with hall hire and securing passports for some of the dancers to travel to France Zoe Morton’s son Bradley Morton was among the prize winners.

The 26-year-old from Barton said: “We’re all amazed. They all did so well.

“They have made everyone proud. They were best at the competition by far.”

Messy Jam started with just six dancers in 2004. It now has more than 150.

Last weekend’s contest was the school’s eighth and its first abroad.