Bedford student wins place at English National Ballet’s Youth Company

"I am absolutely thrilled to have been offered a place," says pupil who has been dancing since the age of 11
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A Sharnbrook Academy student is celebrating after gaining a place at the prestigious English National Ballet’s Youth Company.

Will Heron successfully auditioned for a coveted place at the ballet company and is due to start training this month.

The Year 13 student showcased his talents last year when he represented Team England at the largest dance competition in the world - the Dance World Cup in Braga, Portugal - competing against teams from 65 countries.

Will HeronWill Heron
Will Heron

Will - who is currently studying for his A-levels at Sharnbrook Sixth Form, part of the Sharnbrook Academy Federation - gained automatic selection after being assessed by three international judges in the qualifiers and competing in a classical ballet solo.

Will said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been offered a place. I have been dancing since I was 11 and I’m so grateful for this exciting opportunity and this brings me one step closer to pursuing a professional career in dance. I can’t wait to start training alongside other like-minded dancers.”

Clare Ellis, Will’s dance teacher at Sharnbrook Sixth Form, said: “We are all so proud of Will and all that he has achieved. He is such a dedicated and committed student who brings so much to the dance department here at Sharnbrook.

"Will really deserves this amazing opportunity and will most certainly thrive from such a fantastic experience. It is really exciting to see Will beginning these first steps towards the professional world and we really look forward to seeing where this takes him in the future.”

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