Two young dancers from Cyprus have brought home a distinction that speaks to years of quiet, daily dedication. Antonela Ioannidis and Nefeli Kyriakidi claimed second place at the Dance Waves European Championship in Belgium on 5 July 2026, performing a choreography by Andria Michaelidou.

A journey that began at two and a half

Both girls took their very first steps at Outplay Dance Space at just two and a half years old, and it was clear from early on that dance would never be simply a hobby. Their training has been a daily commitment, built on countless hours of hard work across ballet, contemporary, hip hop and dancehall.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Outplay Dance Space (@outplaydancespace)

Members of the 3533 Dance Company since the age of nine, the pair have performed in countless events, taken on leading roles in productions, and competed both in Cyprus and abroad. In ballet, they have progressed from pre-primary through to Intermediate level, earning high marks in their Royal Academy of Dance examinations.

A string of distinctions

Their recent record reads like a steady climb. In April 2025, they took first prize at the Nationals Dance Competition Greece & Cyprus, a distinction that earned them an invitation to perform at the competition's Gala in November 2025.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Outplay Dance Space (@outplaydancespace)

The same achievement also secured them a scholarship to the International Sibiu Dance Competition in Romania in October 2025, where they placed sixth among accomplished dancers from conservatories in Romania and Portugal, as well as participants from Greece and other countries.

Then, in March 2026, came the breakthrough: first place at the Dance Waves Competition in the Netherlands, the result that punched their ticket to the European Championship in Belgium, where they went on to claim silver.

About the championship

Dance Waves Competition is the largest dance competition in Europe held in theatre venues, staged with professional lighting, jury panels and photographers, and open to dancers of all levels and ages in modern, contemporary, jazz, classical ballet and streetdance. Around 100 qualifying competitions take place across Europe each season, with dancers earning points towards their national championships and the chance to be selected for the European Championships.

For Antonela and Nefeli, second place in Europe is not an ending but a milestone, and one that Cyprus can be genuinely proud of. Given where they started, in a dance studio at two and a half years old, it is hard not to wonder just how far these two will go.

Dance #