A NUMBER of talented dance students from the Craven area have been recognised for their achievements.

Children attending Northern Dance Centre’s Skipton and Ilkley classes recently took part in the dance centre’s 70th anniversary show at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford.

Approximately 400 children aged two upwards performed.

“The children were amazing and surpassed all our expectations,” said a spokesman for Northern Dance Centre. “The show was the highlight of the year and a perfect way to celebrate Northern Dance Centre’s 70th birthday, and we were delighted to welcome back lots of old friends, families, teachers and students.”

Amongst the achievements by students from the Craven and Ilkley areas are:

• Hattie Stocks, 9, a pupil at Carleton Primary School, has been asked to join the junior associates of the Royal Ballet School.

• Erin Brailsford, 9, a pupil at Water Street Primary School in Skipton, is now a junior associate of the Royal Ballet School and a Cecchetti Associate.

• Harry Mitchell, 12, a pupil at Ermysteds Grammar School in Skipton, has been asked to join the associate programme at Northern Ballet in Leeds.

• Rosie Robinson, 13, a pupil at Skipton Girls’ High School, has been asked to join the senior associate programme at Northern Ballet in Leeds.

• Daisy Newton and Mabel Vincent, both aged 13 and pupils at Skipton Girls High School, have been asked to join the Centre for Advanced Training Programme at Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.

• Poppy Newton, 10, a pupil at Boyle and Petyt Primary School, is an associate of SLP Dance Studio in Leeds.

• Ruby Picken, 13, a pupil at Ilkley Grammar School, is an Associate of Northern Ballet in Leeds, and has been accepted for the second year running into the National Youth Ballet company, and will be dancing at Sadlers Wells in London in September.

• Verity Picken, 10, a pupil at Ghyll Royd School, has been accepted as an associate of Northern Ballet for the second year, and was the winner of the dance centre’s Ballet Scholarships this year.

The spokesman added: “Northern Dance Centre has always been known for its ‘family atmosphere’ and focus in our classes remains simply on enjoyment and building confidence, and this allows the children to have fun whilst achieving excellent results.”

The school has a three-week summer school in August, and in September it will introduce new Contemporary, Musical Theatre and Acrobatics exams.