TWO girls who attend a Chippenham dance class have pirouetted their way to success after being taken on by the prestigious Royal Ballet School.

Eight-year-old Ellie Young and nine-year-old Rose Hoadley both attend Chippenham’s Dancing Academy and beat off hundreds of other applicants for the coveted places at the Royal Ballet School, based in London.

Managing director of Dancing Academy, Samantha Reed, said: “It’s my job to inspire all of the students in my dance school to achieve their own personal goals whether that’s giving them the courage to stand up in school assembly, dance in church or audition for the Royal Ballet School.

“The students I teach are like an extended family, so each achievement is personal to me. I love seeing the students enjoy what they do.

“Dance is tough, has its ups and downs but ultimately we do it for the love of dancing.

“Rose and Ellie both have a fantastic work ethic and this will really help them. They attend classes several times a week and are doing many different styles of dance to help achieve well rounded dance training.

“There’s a theory that 10,000 hours of practicing a skill can make you an expert. Well these girls are quickly totting up the hours and it is a pleasure to see this level of enthusiasm in these excited young students.”

Rose started dancing after joining school and recently performed in Giselle at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon.

“It was her first public performance, and she absolutely loved it,” said her mum, Mary.

“It really inspired her ballet and she came back full of determination. When she heard she had a place on the associate programme the look on her face was unbelievable. She couldn’t stop jumping up and down.”

Ellie, who has been dancing since she was three-years-old, also successfully auditioned for a place at Tring Park Classical Ballet Academy and is the youngest child there and recently qualified for the All England semi-finals in ballet.

Her mother, Beccy, said: “She was over the moon and didn’t expect it. Dancing for Ellie is a hobby but one she’s very good at.”