Girl wins chance to study in footsteps of stars
whole world
THE PRESTIGIOUS Royal Ballet School is where greats such as Margot Fonteyn and Darcey Bussell trained as young dancers.
Now an 11-year-old from North Yorkshire has the chance to grace the classrooms after being chosen as one of only 15 girls and 15 boys from 1,000 applicants.
Selby schoolgirl Rose Milner, who started dancing at the age of two, will join the world-famous White Lodge this September. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of her own teacher Gemma Fisher, who attended the school 25 years ago.
The young dancer’s intense 15-hour weekly training schedule paid off as she auditioned for the three top ballet schools in the country and got into them all.
Rose’s mother, Tanya Milner, said: “We are so proud of Rose’s achievement, which is all down to her determination and hard work. She has a quiet resolve which helped her cope
She has a quiet resolve which helped her cope with the pressure
Gifted dance student Rose Milner’s mother, Tanya
with the pressure of auditions better than I did. Rose can’t wait for September to come even though this means staying away from home, with an even more demanding schedule than she has followed till now. Her enthusiasm has never wavered.”
The institution in London has been attended by many of the world’s most famous ballet dancers. “Rose got a boost from that feeling in the auditions,” Mrs Milner added.
Now the family is appealing for help to pay the £35,000 annual fees. The fees are means tested and partly met by the Department for Education, though this does not include costly items like ballet shoes and uniforms. Mrs Milner, who runs a dog boarding service, and Rose’s father, Nick, a specialist forestry contractor, have been hit particularly hard by the economic effects of lockdown.