Awsworth girl ready to shine on Nottingham stage in classic ballet Swan Lake

Madelyn Johnson, aged 11, who attends Grange Primary School in Long Eaton, trains at Rhythm Nation Studios in Sherwood.

In April, she successfully earned a place in the prestigious English Youth Ballet (EYB) production of Swan Lake, joining an elite cast of 98 dancers after highly competitive auditions.

Nearly 200 young dancers auditioned at Royal Concert Hall in April, where parents looked on as the hopefuls took part in a full ballet class.

Madelyn and the other selected dancers have since been experiencing life as a professional dancer, undergoing an intensive rehearsal period, training for 60 hours across 10 rehearsal days.

Madelyn said "I started dancing at four years-old because I saw a ballerina on TV and watching her inspired me to become a dancer.

"There is no better feeling than dancing on stage, it feels free, lively and natural.

“I'm looking forward to enjoying the experience and teamwork of dancing with EYB.

"I'm also hoping to learn more ballet skills to help me become a better dancer and performer."

Rehearsals are structured to mirror the professional dance environment, including daily company warm-up classes and a dynamic, rotating schedule across three large studios.

Each rehearsal day culminates in a full company run-through to consolidate learning and performance skills.

Ann Wall, EYB principal dancer, who will be starring as Odette (The White Swan) in the production, said: “Being part of EYB is an amazing experience for any young dancer.

"I feel privileged to be a principal dancer with the company.

"I enjoy teaching and coaching all the young dancers and I see some of the most talented young dancers in the country.

"I feel honoured to be a role model to the dancers and help give them an insight into the world of professional ballet.

"Dancing with EYB is an experience that will stay with the young dancers forever.”

Janet Lewis, EYB director, added: “EYB’s aim is to provide performance experience to aspiring young dancers in beautiful venues close to where they live.

"The young dancers get to experience what life is like in a professional ballet company.

"They learn about developing their artistic and performance skills as well as improving their technique. I am always amazed at how quickly the young dancers progress and how positive they are when presented with new challenges.”

Excitement is now building for this weekend’s performances, which are on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18.

Visit trch.co.uk/whats-on/english-youth-ballet-swan-lake-j6ry or call 0115 9895555 for tickets.