BALLERINA Rosanna Ely has achieved her long-held dream by dancing all the way from Milnthorpe's ballet school's barre to Birmingham Royal Ballet.
After almost eight years of intense training at the prestigious Elmhurst School for Dance, Rosanna is delighted to have secured a contract with the ballet company, whose patron is Her Majesty The Queen.
Back in 2007, the Gazette reported that 11-year-old Rosanna was saying goodbye to her friends at Heversham Primary School after gaining a full-time scholarship at the internationally acclaimed Elmhurst school. The youngster was pictured in a blue leotard and pink satin shoes at the barre of Rigney Bank, the Milnthorpe ballet school where her mother, Sonia, teaches adult dance classes.
During her eight years at Elmhurst, Rosanna made regular visits home to take part in Rigney Bank's ballet shows, inspiring younger dancers with her talent and success.
Rosanna's father, Peter, said she had just completed a run of The Nutcracker at Birmingham's Hippodrome as an artist of the royal ballet company, and she was now rehearsing for Coppélia. The classic ballet about a doll is to run at the Hippodrome from February 24 to 28; and at The Lowry, Salford, from March 4 to 7.
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