A Cumbrian dance tutor has called being able to choreograph the opening ceremony of the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League Final 'amazing'.

Kelly McClelland, from Penrith-based Eden Dance, travelled to Bilbao in Spain to compose the opening ceremony of the European final between FC Barcelona Femeni and Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. 

News and Star: On the pitch, goals from The Best FIFA Women's Player 2023 Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas fired Jonatan Giráldez's side to European glory at the Estadio de San Mamés. 

Off the pitch and in the days since the final, Kelly reflected on being part of her second consecutive UEFA Women's Champions League Final.

She said: "This year was so different, I don't know what it was. It must have been the Barcelona fans and just being in Spain but I can't even describe how loud it was.

"The energy in the stadium was ridiculous and it was amazing.

News and Star: "We spent three days on a training pitch outside the stadium getting the dancers ready for the atmosphere but you just couldn't explain what it was like properly.

"They performed the opening ceremony beautifully and it honestly brought tears to my eyes."

To bring the opening ceremony to life Kelly worked with 44 students from the Bilbao-based dance school Escuela de Ballet Roser Carres and she was keen to express how proud she was of everyone who took part. 

She said: "They are a community dance school like you find in Cumbria.

News and Star:  "They had never done anything like this before but they were fully up for it and I was so proud once they had done it.

"I wanted them to take in the scale of what they were doing. It was not just a performance in front of thousands of people, it was broadcast to millions watching on TV and I think that they loved it and were crying tears of joy."