AFTER months of rehearsal hundreds of Hampshire youngsters are now battling to be crowned queens and kings of the dance floor.

Mums, dads, grannies and grandads packed the O2 Guildhall Southampton yesterday, for the second night of this year’s Rock Challenge.

Eight schools from across Hampshire and one Island school competed and showcased their work in a five to eight-minute performance.

Students were judged on their performance, production, design and drama skills.

Regents Park Community College from Southampton came first and picked up an array of Awards of Excellence for choreography, performance skill, stage use, concept, and drama.

Hounsdown School from Southampton came second followed by The King's School from Eastleigh, while the Winchester-based Peter Symonds College came fourth.

The Mayor of Southampton, Cllr Cathie McEwing, was the first place prize presenter and said: “I’ve had a wonderful evening here at Rock Challenge. The young people have been amazing: the music, the scenes, the discipline, and the costumes, just absolutely fantastic! Well done to all those young people and everyone involved with them.”

The Daily Echo’s website will be up to date with pictures of the performance and each night a special souvenir copy of the Daily Echo will be on sale at the Guildhall featuring the local Rock Challenge teams participating that night.

Eight more schools will perform tonight including the Southampton-based Sholing Technology College, Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, Redbridge Community School and St Anne’s Catholic Schools.

Along with them students from the Hamble School, Perins School in Alresford, St Joseph’s Catholic School in Salisbury and John Mansfield High School and Sixth Form in Ledbury will show their skills.

Winners from each night will perform again at the Southern finals at Portsmouth Guildhall next April, when Rock Challenge’s champions will be named.