A YOUNGSTER is keeping up a family tradition spanning four generations by becoming a champion dancer.

Kay McEnaney may only be 11 years old, but she is already making a name for herself in national dance circles.

She recently won the Lancashire and Cheshire Slow Dance Championships, despite competing with girls two years older, as well as the Latin Championships.

The achievements were especially remarkable as, several years before, her mother Karen Stewart - who runs the Karen Stewart Dance and Performing Arts Academy - had carried off the same titles.

In fact, Kay is the fourth generation of a family of successful dancers.

Her grandmother Pauline Stewart said: "My grandmother, May Roberts, had a theatre school in Leeds, and my mother Ana Roberts did ballet. I did stage and ballroom and helped Karen out with her dance school."

As well as being the latest in a line of dancers, Kay, who lives next door to her grandmother at Broadoak Drive, Lanchester, is also the latest of only four girls to be born to the family.

Her mother Karen, 36, an international coach for the Norwegian World Dance Team and dancing examiner for the UK Alliance, said it seemed destined that they should all love dancing.

"It's really strange, and I hope no-one breaks the tradition," she said.

"I knew from an early age that dance was what I wanted to do, but Kay also likes drama and is very musical.

"Since being very little, she's asked what I won trophies for and now she's winning the same ones. She's obviously going to overtake me."