Today rehearsals for Junior Eurovision 2023 kicked off in Nice. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Ukraine, North Macedonia, Germany, Estonia, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Malta, Portugal, Georgia and Armenia. The fifth country to rehearse today is United Kingdom’s STAND UNIQU3.
What did we learn about STAND UNIQU3’s staging?
Disclaimer: Please note that the EBU has not released footage from the first rehearsals, and that the description detailed in this article is mainly based from the pictures and if available footage from the delegations themselves.
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
STAND UNIQU3 have an electric staging, with each member standing on a platform framed in a triangle of light. Behind them is a cityscape that changes with the song, and they are supported by three backing dancers. The backdrop matches the energy of their entry, and the staging puts their dancing on display.
Electric, dynamic, modern
If you are interested in seeing more pictures from STAND UNIQU3’s first rehearsal today, you can look through them right here.
Who are STAND UNIQU3?
Maisie is the oldest member of the group, at age 13. She’s from Essex, and when she’s not performing, she’s shooting clay pigeons, collecting crystals, or showing off her double-jointed elbow at parties by twisting her arm all the way around.
Hayla from Liverpool has a Eurovision connection; her grandfather was a backup dancer for the United Kingdom’s 1987 entry “Only the Light”. Outside of music, Hayla plays football as a striker. She’s an avid fan of both Liverpool F.C. and Rihanna.
Yazmin is the dancer of the group, with experience in ballroom and Latin dancing. She also loves shopping, writing, and hanging out with her dog. Yazmin is twelve and lives in Newcastle.
Following an extensive audition process, Hayla, Maisie, and Yazmin were chosen to represent the United Kingdom as the country’s first group act at Junior Eurovision. Their song “Back to Life”, written by Sky Adams, Jakke Erixson, and Jack Hawitt.
The UK’s Junior Eurovision journey
The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to take part in the first edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003. Represented by Tom Morley and his song “My Song for the World”, the UK finished in 3rd place in Copenhagen. At the close of voting, Morley earned 118 points, only behind Spain and Croatia. The UK would compete a further two times, with their most successful attempt coming in 2004. In Lillehammer, Cory Spedding finished in second place with her song “The Best is Yet to Come”.
In 2022 the country returned to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after a 17 year absence. the United Kingdom was represented by Freya Skye with her song “Lose My Head”. Freya scored 146 points, placing her 5th. She recieved 66 points from the professional juries, and 80 from the online voting – which was the most a country received in 2022 from online voters.
What do you think about “Back to Life”? Are you excited for the United Kingdom’s entry? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Junior Eurovision 2023!
News Source: EBU
Photo Credit: Corine Cumming/EBU
