Young dancer overwhelmed to bag prestigious school place
ATALENTED dancer has taken a huge leap towards his dream career after being accepted into a prestigious dance school.
Jaydan Hanson-Beech, a Whitworth Community High School pupil, dreams of emulating the backing dancers who bring to life the performances of X Factor singers or appearing in music videos.
The 15-year-old has been dancing since the age of four when he first tried street dance at the Dansworks Dance Academy and took up ballet five years ago.
He has now been accepted into Manchester’s Northern Ballet School.
Jaydan said: “I was so overwhelmed and emotional. I was just over the moon.
“My dad was at home and he gave me a big hug, when my mum found out she was also delighted.”
At the auditions he met students from Wales and Ireland who were learning at the prestigious school.
He then had a six-day wait until the letter arrived informing him that he had been accepted.
Jaydan said: “At the audition the first lesson was ballet and there were only three boys in a class of girls and I felt a bit like Billy Elliot.
“After the ballet we could choose our own class and I went for contemporary.
“The lessons lasted about 45 minutes and it was different having another dance teacher give me instructions, you had to follow what was asked and they were checking how you performed.
“It was really scary being in a group of girls when there were only three boys.”
Jaydan is hoping to secure a DaDA (Dance and Drama Award) to help him towards the school fees and is seeking other grants to help with the course.
If successful then he aims to start in September after completing his GCSEs.
Jaydan said: “I have a lot of people to thank for helping me to get where I am.
“My dance teachers at Dansworks, without whose guidance I would never be anywhere near the standard I am, my parents for all their support, my best friends Anita Somerwill, her daughter Jasmine and Carmel Sweeney.
“I am really grateful for all the support I have had off everybody.”
Karen Roe, principal of Dansworks in Bacup, said she was ‘ecstatic’ to learn Jaydan had been accepted into the school.