Fleetwood girls in debut with English Ballet

latest production Giselle.

Eva Burrows, who is 12, and nine-year-old Tillie-Ann Davenport, will be taking part in the ballet this weekend at the Charter Theatre in Preston.

They are two of 21 dancers from the Fylde Coast and have been tirelessly rehearsing ahead of the two performances on Friday and Saturday.

Cardinal Allen High School pupil Eva attends Starlight Stage School in Thornton and it was the first big audition she had done.

She said: “I started dancing at a very young age – which was about two or three and I just carried on dancing. Ballet is my favourite kind of dancing.

“All my dance teachers really inspire me because they are really good at what they do.

“I am looking forward to the costumes at English Youth Ballet and it all being finished.

“In the future I would like to carry on dancing and I think I would like to do ballet.”

Mum Lindsay added: “It was her first big audition and she was ecstatic to get through.

“It has been a fabulous experience, working with professional dancers and has been a real eye opener.

“She has done it all herself really, we are very proud of her and looking forward to the opening night.”

For Tillie Ann, a pupil at St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School, its a dream come true.

Proud mum Rebecca said: “She put herself forward for it, she really wanted to take part.

“She dances every day and has been inspired by Amy, one of the professional dancers at EYB. She just wants to be like her.

“It’s so different being involved with a professional company, everything is strict and the dancers are perfect, they don’t put a foot wrong.”

EYB has helped many of the UK’s top talent springboard their careers into some of the world’s greatest ballet companies – including the Royal Ballet Company and English National Ballet.

The young cast have rehearsed in groups for just ten days.

At the end of each rehearsal day the whole cast comes together in the largest space to share what has been learnt that day so that the young dancers see the production taking shape like a big jigsaw.

Giselle is at the Charter Theatre, Preston, from March 4 to 5, with performances at 7.30pm both evenings and at 2.30pm on the second day.

For tickets, call 01772 804444 or visit www.prestonguildhall.com.