Dancing for joy at scholarships (From Penarth Times)

Dancing for joy at scholarships

THREE Penarth dancers have been celebrating, after they successfully gained scholarships for top dance and drama colleges in London.

The girls are pupils of Jane Clarke, and have all obtained full scholarships to attend the college of their choice.

Clare Rickard, 19, of Paget Terrace will be going to Bird College; Elizabeth Christensen, 18, has a place at Mountview, and Charlotte Price, 16, plans to attend Central Ballet School.

Clare will be taking part in this year's Youth Dance Summer School which is run by the New Theatre in partnership with Diversions, the Dance Company of Wales, and which takes place from Monday 12- Saturday 17 August.

All participants are aged between 14-25, and have been selected on their dance experience and enthusiasm.

Clare has taken part in every summer school since it began, and is also an associate of Diversions.

She will be joining many others on the New Theatre stage in Summer Moves, a unique dance performance on Saturday, August 17 at 7.30pm.

The dedicated dancers will be spending an intensive week with Diversions, developing their dance skills and techniques, as well as rehearsing their own dance routine, which they will perform as a finale to the show.

Clare told the Times she is looking forward to going to college in September to study towards a BA in Musical Theatre. She referred to the "rigorous audition" that she had to under-go before being selected for one of only 15 places. Clare has been dancing since she was two, and started with tap, ballet and modern jazz. She has also done many solos at the Sherman Theatre.

Her ambition is to star in a West End musical, or on Broadway . She said: "Dancing requires a lot of strength and dedication", and added: "I try to practice 2-3 hours a day".

Summer Moves is at the New Theatre, Cardiff for one night only. Tickets are available from the box office on 029 20878889.