Freya earns place at Royal Ballet

A young ballerina who attends a town dance school is celebrating a great achievement. Eight-year-old Freya Edmondson from the Stamford Welland School of Dancing in Broad Street has been accepted into the Royal Ballet School Junior Associate programme in London, after auditioning against thousands of hopefuls throughout the UK. Freya starts her training at the Royal Opera House in London this month (September), and it will continue each weekend.

She is following in her aunty Caroline's footsteps, who was also a Welland pupil who trained at the Royal Ballet school when she was a girl. Freya said: “I was quite nervous when I got to London for the Royal Ballet audition but I really enjoyed the class and the teachers seemed very kind. “I didn’t know whether I would get accepted, but when I found out I had, I was so surprised and happy.



“I am really excited to start as a Junior Associate because I love ballet. It is one of my favourite things to do since I started classes at Welland School of Dancing and I am really grateful to my teachers.” The Welland School of Dancing celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, and continues to train children and adults in ballet, contemporary, acro, street dance, hip hop, tap, modern and performing arts.

A new principal has been appointed at the school, Ms Vikki Norton, who is happy to chat with anyone thinking of taking up dance..