Young Stone ballet dancer Annabel Priest has secured her place as a member of the corps de ballet in a lavish new production of The Nutcracker.
The ballet is set to take place at The Regent Theatre in Hanley later this month. The English Youth Ballet production is touring the UK’s regional theatres with an impressive cast of six professional principal dancers in the leading roles, backed up by 100 young local talented dancers as soloists and corps de ballet.
Annabel, aged 13, a Grade 5 ballet pupil who trains at Stagecraft Dance School at Stone’s Rooftop Studios, has particular cause to be proud of her achievement due to her young age.
Her proud father said: “We’re so proud of Annabel, she went through the rigorous audition process with a real professionalism and was among the youngest selected, so it’s a testament to her talent and commitment.
“We can’t wait to see her on stage dancing alongside professionals – it’s going to be an amazing experience – but there’s a lot of hard work in the meantime, with a rigorous rehearsal schedule in place.”
Equally proud is Annabel’s ballet teacher at Rooftop Studios, head of ballet Sara Christie, who added: “We’re delighted, but certainly not surprised, by Annabel’s success in these auditions – she’s a beautiful dancer and has been a distinction pupil throughout her exam career.
“Annabel is definitely one to watch for the future – she’s passionate about her craft and works hard to be the very best she can. Such dedication is increasingly rare, but those who have it can go very far.”
You can catch Annabel in the English Youth Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at The Regent on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June – tickets are available from www.ambassadortickets.com/Regent-Theatre
Meanwhile, budding ballerinas who dream of following in Annabel’s footsteps can hone their skills at Rooftop Studios’ Stagecraft Dance School, which also offers disco, drama, hip hop, modern, tap and LAMDA classes, with the option to enjoy a free trial class before they sign up. Find out more at www.rooftopstudios.co.uk
