Hartlepool dancer to ExCel on the big London stage

Talented dancer Bethany Young is competing in London this weekend.

The talented 13-year-old and members of the town’s Nadine Academy of Dance are due to perform in front of thousands of people at Move It at London’s prestigious Excel venue which starts today.

More than 24,000 dancers are expected to perform over the event’s three days.

Bethany said: “We will be in a troupe, dancing on a main stage in front of loads of people. There will be loads of dance workshops to go to too.

“You had to audition to get into Move It and we will be going down there, it should be a fantastic experience.”

Move It is billed as a celebration of all forms of dance and the performing arts and will feature breath-taking performances, dance classes and the chance to find out about career opportunities.

Bethany has followed up winning the All England Junior Tap Championship in Manchester last year

Bethany Young celebrates an earlier success.

She came first in the 10-14 age group by beating competition from 70 other dancers and getting through four rounds in the same day.

“When I came off I was really proud of myself,” said Bethany. “My mam, Claire, was buzzing.”

Bethany has also enjoyed a successful start to 2017 too.

The Dyke House Sports and Technology College student became the North of England ballet champion last month and then became Durham tap number one as well as being third in her modern.

Bethany, who used to go to Holy Trinity Primary School hopes to return to the capital in the not-too-distant future to study after leaving Dyke House’s Elite Dance squad.

She added: “I want to be a dance teacher. I want to go to one of the colleges in London and come back and be a dance teacher,” said the teenager.

“There are a couple of schools I am looking at, like Laine Theatre Arts or Performers College. I’d love that and then I’d love to teach after that. I want to keep dancing.”

Dyke House’s dance coordinator Lisa Wilson said: “Bethany has a fantastic ability in all genres of dance and demonstrates high levels of musicality when performing, she has a natural flair for dance coupled with a determined attitude. Her enthusiasm for dance is evident in every performance.”

Bethany started to dance aged just two and originally danced with Val Armstrong’s School of Performing Arts before joining Nadine’s.