Dancers living the dream

Four talented young ballet dancers from Ashfield and Ravenshead are living their dream in a professional ballet production.
Young dancers Toni Cairns, Toby Williamson, Emma Hayes, Peter Hill rehearsing for a production of Giselle with the English Youth Ballet.Young dancers Toni Cairns, Toby Williamson, Emma Hayes, Peter Hill rehearsing for a production of Giselle with the English Youth Ballet.
Young dancers Toni Cairns, Toby Williamson, Emma Hayes, Peter Hill rehearsing for a production of Giselle with the English Youth Ballet.

Toni Cairns 13 from Kirkby’s Christine March School of Dance, Emma Hayes, 18 of Dancemania, West Nottinghamshire College, Sutton Peter Hill 15, of the AJ School of Dance Ravenshead, Toby Williamson, 11 of The Julie Shacklock School of Dance, Selston are having a great time in rehearsals for a professional production of Giselle with the English Youth Ballet (EYB).

Emma who started dancing aged just three, is skilled in ballet disco and Street dance. she said: “I’m not sure why I started, I think my mum just took me along with my friends.

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“I am looking forward to dancing with everyone at EYB and dancing on the big stage with the big audience in Nottingham.

“When I am older I would like to become a dancer.

“I have been accepted into a Jelli Studios in Liverpool for a year so I am looking forward to that.

“I’ll be learning all types of dancing there.”

Giselle, a romantic ballet, will be presented by English Youth Ballet at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham from July 22-23.

The company held a big audition for the ballet in April, where 300 young hopefuls dancers took part .

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Director and founder of EYB – Janet Lewis MBE – was on the lookout for the hottest young dance talent to join her award-winning company for the production in Nottingham.

The lucky dancers heard they had been accepted on the day. Janet said: “The atmosphere, the nerves and the excitement were all electric. EYB is all about providing extra performance experience to young dancers. We saw a very pleasing standard at the auditions and it was lovely to see lots of enthusiasm.”

EYB has helped many of the UK’s top talent springboard their training progress and careers into some of the world’s greatest ballet companies – including the Royal Ballet Company and English National Ballet.

Amy Drew, one of EYB’s principal dancers coaches the young dancers in rehearsals.

She said: “the young dancers are treated like professional dancers during rehearsals – we work them hard but the results are fantastic.”