Dancer's dream comes true

Emma Jones (17), a former pupil at Glasgow Academy, has moved to Warrington to study at Kate Simmons Dance Ltd.

She won a place on the school’s National Diploma in Professional Dance course, which is validated by Trinity College London.

Emma will study many forms of dance while she is there, including ballet, pointe, pas de deux, jazz, tap, modern, Spanish, contemporary and repertoire.

Emma trained at the Linda Lowry School of Ballet in Bearsden for 14 years, passing exams from pre-primary to Grade 8 and Advanced 1, as well as dancing in their annual performances and at the Go Dance Festival at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal.

Emma, who lives in Bearsden with her parents and younger sister, has also competed at various festivals throughout Scotland where she was crowned Senior Scottish Ballet Champion and Senior Central Scotland Ballet Champion.

She has also been lucky enough to spend her summers training at some of the UK’s most prestigious summer schools - the English National Ballet in London and Northern Ballet in Leeds.

Mrs Lowry is delighted with Emma’s success.

She said: “Emma is intelligent and very hard working and has dedicated many years in pursuit of her dream to become a professional dancer, attending classes five days a week.

“A place on this prestigious course is just reward for the many hours of training and commitment both for Emma and our teachers.

“I know the whole school is very proud of her and, while we will miss her, we wish her every success for the future and we will follow her career with interest.”

The Linda Lowry School of Ballet is 31 years old and is based in Bearsden, with lessons also available in Glasgow’s West End.

The girls are now all busy preparing for examinations and a performance in the Theatre Royal at the Go Dance Festival on March 2.

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