Lou Weijia, a seven-year-old girl danced her way to winning the cha-cha and rumba titles in the women's singles at the Blackpool Dance Festival China held in Shanghai in August.
The Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous international ballroom dance competition, usually held at the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England since 1920.
It is first time that the prestigious dance event has been held in China.
Lou Weijia began to learn how to dance at the age of three. Since then, she has spent all of her free time twirling and tapping her toes to the beat.
When asked if she'd ever consider giving up, she gave a firm reply. "The reason I first started dancing was to lose weight, but after just half a year I was in love," Lou said.
Lou's father attributes all her accomplishments to her perseverance.
"I remember she once fell down the stairs and bruised her knees while practicing," he said. "But she dusted herself off and was back dancing the following day."
Every competition that Lou enters is a test not just of her skill but also her endurance, requiring her to dance for hours at a time.
In addition to the perseverance, Lou also has a strong desire to win.
"If I win any title, I will try to defend it ever after. If I didn't, I will endeavor to grab it next time," Lou said.
Wangzhuang Experimental Primary School where Lou studies has a strong dance-learning atmosphere, with the school's Nan Nan Dance Team winning gold at a national dancing competition in 2012.
