Dancing her way to success a 12-year-old girl from Great Dunmow has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet in August.

Rebecca Grymonprez won a roll in the production of Coppélia after being encouraged to audition by Graham School of Dance & Theatre Arts in Bishop Stortford.

Her mother, Charlotte Grymonprez, said: “It was very nerve wracking at the auditions but we are very proud. She is very, very excited.

“At the moment she attends seven hours of ballet classes a week. She really does love it; she started when she was four years old.”

More than 200 young hopefuls attended the auditions but only 95 made the final cut to perform in the show which tells the story of an inventor who makes a life size dancing doll which a young man, Franz, falls in love with.

Brenden Bratulic, one of English Youth Ballet’s principle dancers who plays Franz and who coaches the youngsters in rehearsals, said: “The young dancers are treated like professional during rehearsals. We work them hard but the results are fantastic! They learn what the life of a professional dancer is like. They are living their dream and they just love it!”

Rebecca will be performing as one of Coppélia’s friends at the Cliffs Pavilion in South End on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22, after ten days of intense rehearsals.