A BARNOLDSWICK student has won a place for professional dance training at a prestigious London dance school.

Rebecca Stead has been accepted for professional dance training at one of Europe’s premier schools for professional dance training and education, Central School of Ballet in London.

Rebecca, 18, has been dancing since she was three years old and is close to completing her first year at Central.

Selected from 400 applicants, Rebecca was one of only 38 pupils to secure a place on this three year degree course, a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Performance (accredited by the University of Kent).

Central is the only dance school in England to offer this unique ballet-focused qualification.

Being accepted by Central School of Ballet is determine through auditions held between October and March each year in London, Glasgow, Leeds, Italy and Japan.

The process involves performing for the school’s teaching staff, all of whom are ex-professional dancers themselves.

The main focus of the course is Classical Ballet supported by Contemporary Dance as an additional subject, and also includes tuition in Choreography, Spanish Dance, Pilates, Jazz Dance, Drama, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Singing and Contextual Studies.

Before joining Central on the degree course Rebecca was a student at Skipton Girls High School where she gained 16 GCSEs and 5 AS Levels.

She studied dance at the Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds.

Rebecca said: “I am really enjoying my first year at Central School of Ballet - it's been hard work but fun too.

“We train at least six hours a day during the week and take classes on Saturday morning as well.

“You have to be dedicated to make it to the top of this profession and it's my dream to be a dancer at one of the world’s leading dance companies when I graduate.

“The training is very challenging, similar to the training of the best athletes, but we are all motivated by the rewards of performing."

Heidi Hall, director of Central and herself an alumna of the school, explains the competition for places at a dance school at this level: “Students typically join us aged 16 after GCSE. By this stage many of them will have been dancing since primary school. Only the most talented and dedicated students are accepted and must be determined to succeed.”

During her final year Rebecca will join the school's touring company Ballet Central.

Ballet Central’s 2017 annual nationwide tour commenced in March and will visit 21 cities around the country, stretching from Penzance in Cornwall to Dumfries in Scotland.