TALENTED young dancers from Haslemere, Dockenfield and Grayswood beat off stiff competition to win parts in a major ballet Cinderella in Hollywood.

The English Youth Ballet production takes to the stage at The Kings Theatre in Portsmouth tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.

Professional principal dancers have joined the production from some of the world’s most renowned ballet companies – Royal Ballet, La Scala and Ballet de Toulouse.

All the soloist and corps de ballet roles in the production will be performed by 100 of the finest dancers aged eight to 18 from Hampshire and surrounding counties.

English Youth Ballet held an audition for the production in June and the lucky dancers heard they had been accepted on the day.

Director Janet Lewis said: “English Youth Ballet is all about providing extra performance experience to young dancers.

“We saw a very pleasing standard at the audition and it was lovely to see lots of enthusiasm.”

Two of the young dancers who will be appearing – Benjamin Dillsworth and Athena Gooding – are 12 year-old students from The Royal School in Haslemere.

They will join 12-year-old Midhurst Rother College student Amy Oliver and nine-year-old Amesbury School pupil Ella Richardson.