Smartly dressed in black trousers, brightly coloured shirts and flamboyant waistcoats, they took to the stage to give a stomping performance against the green and gold backdrop.

They bounded confidently around the expansive stage as the judges watched on just a few feet away, carefully scrutinising their every move.

An excited crowd watched, giving the boys rapturous applause on what was the fifth day of the competition. The boys' dancing had an air of danger about it is as they tapped within inches of the stage edge and high-kicked as the pairs flew past each other.

Coming just off the stage, David Chapman from Chippenham, said: "I think I've done good and the rest of my team seems to have done well so far but I'll have to wait till this evening for the results.

"I'm really happy to be here, Belfast is a nice city to come to and I've been here all four years the World Championships have been held at the Waterfront."

As the boys were on stage the girls were endlessly dancing their routines in the halls, trying to get some last-minute practice in the hope of perfecting their performances.

Every available space was filled with anxious contestants who were just minutes away from entering the auditorium with the shouts of teachers' instructions echoing through the corridors.

The air was charged with a mixture of emotions as some contestants laughed with friends, confident they had given their best performance while others, disappointed in what they had done, were comforted by consoling parents. In the main foyer, the girls from Ceim Oir dancing school in London were relaxing.

Danielle Mahon in the under-12 category said: "I've been dancing for about seven years and I really enjoy it, it's loads of fun getting to hang out with all your friends."

Her team mate Grainne Cunningham is equally passionate about the sport: " I like it because it's different from other types of dancing and it's a lot harder than people think. When I'm older I would like to be in one of the shows like Riverdance."

Their teacher, Hilary Joyce Owens, said: "We have been to every championship in Belfast. The Waterfront is a fabulous venue and the girls just love coming to Belfast. Irish dancing is a great experience for them, they get to travel the world, learn about life and how to win and lose gracefully."