Bedfordshire dancers selected to perform with English Youth Ballet

Three Bedfordshire girls are currently rehearsing for their first English Youth Ballet production.

The Youth Ballet held an audition last year, where almost 200 young dancers turned up hoping for a chance to dance in the Double Bill of Nutcracker Suite & Ballet Études at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

Director and founder Janet Lewis said: “EYB is all about providing extra performance experience to young dancers. We saw a very pleasing standard at the audition today and it was lovely to see lots of enthusiasm.”

Bedfordshire girls Molly, 12, Maddie, 9, and Tilly, 10, made the cut and are now readying for the show on March 24 and 25.

Rehearsals for the ballet are currently taking place at Aylesbury Grammar School.

Oliver Speers is one of EYB’s principal dancers – he previously danced with the Royal Ballet Company and Ballet Capitole du Toulouse, coaches the young dancers in rehearsals.

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

“They learn what the life of a professional dancer is like. They are living their dream and they just love it.”

The young local cast, from Bedford Modern School, Robert Bloomfield Academy and Holywell School, will rehearse for just 10 days for the production.