BALLET dancers from Southampton took to the stage for a Cinderella in Hollywood showcase.

The nine young performers starred in the two-day show alongside professional dancers at The Kings Theatre, Portsmouth, after eleven days of training in rehearsals.

Set in the era of Hollywood in the fifties, the production drew its inspiration from the film star Grace Kelly who met Prince Rainier of Monaco at a press party and later married him.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary year, English Youth Ballet (EYB) held a huge audition for the ballet in June this year.

Dancer Lucas Southall, 10, from Whiteley, is one of the young stars who pointed his toes for the show.

Ahead of the show, he said: “I started dancing when I was 3 years old. I started because my mum asked me where I’d like to go and I said I’d like to go dancing. I walked in and thought it was amazing."

He is a pupil at Whiteley Primary School and is training at N B Dance Academy.

Lucas added: "I’m looking forward to dancing with English Youth Ballet for the build-up to the shows and the actual shows. In the future, I’d love to become an actor and a dancer on the West End.”

Principal dancer Samantha Camejo danced the lead role of Cinderella and trained the young cast in rehearsals.

She said: “The young dancers are treated just like the professionals in the rehearsals with EYB. They discover what having a dance career might be like - both in the studio and on the stage. It is an amazing experience for them.

“I enjoy meeting all the talented young dancers up and down the UK. I try to mentor and inspire the young dancers and help inform them about the profession.”

The new ballet show starred international principal dancers Samantha Camejo, Monica Tapiador, Clair Corruble, Philip Tunstall, Julianne Rice-Oxley, Oliver Speers, Steven Wheeler and Brenden Bratulic.

All dancers, who are between eight and 18, were from Hampshire and its surrounding areas.