Alice is on her way to becoming a ballet star

Alice Dealing , 16, has secured a place to study dance at Ballet Theatre UK in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

She will begin a three-year course there next month studying a higher national diploma (HND) in professional dance.

Proud mum Sue Dealing said: “She is very excited and a little bit nervous for a new start with different people.”

Alice, from Orrell, will spend around 16 hours per week dancing while at the school.

Mrs Dealing said: “It’s a ballet school so she will spend most of her time ballet dancing.

“There’s ballet, contemporary, jazz and commercial dance, with ballet being the main one.

“They do anatomy and injury prevention and stuff like that.”

Alice is a former pupil of Orrell Holgate Primary School and has been dancing since the age of four, when she joined Miss Sutcliffe Academy Of Dance in Pemberton.

When she was 11 she joined Tring Park School For The Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, where she studied for three years, before spending two years at The Hammond School in Chester.

Mrs Dealing said: “She has lived away from home since she was 11 and to do that is quite an achievement. You don’t do that if it’s not something you don’t want to do. She’s very dedicated to it.”

Alice hopes her hard work and commitment will lead to her becoming a professional dancer once she has completed her studies.

She has already performed with the English National Ballet several times, including as Clara in a production of The Nutcracker at the Coliseum in London during Christmas 2013.

Alice has also attended summer schools run by The Royal Ballet and National Youth Ballet.