A LITTLE dancing star can dream of becoming the next Darcey Bussell after winning a select place at a Royal Ballet training school.

Twinkle-toed Leona Lawrenson, of Larch Close, Feniscowles, is one of only 20 candidates picked nation-wide to feature in the junior academy for ballet's hottest young talents.

And Leona, who attends The Dance Factory, near her home, is one of the first eight-year-olds to be selected for such a distinction, after ballet impresarios lowered the age qualification for the academy recently.

She pipped around 150 dancers at auditions in Manchester to secure the prize assignment.

Her CV already boasts an appearance with the English Youth Ballet, in a production of Coppelia at Preston's Charter Theatre, but the Royal Ballet selection tops even that.

Proud mum Rachel Welsh said: "It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportun-ity for Leona and we are really made up for her.

"She has been chosen from quite a number of other girls, some of whom were older than her, to get there too.

"Leona's been dancing since she was around four years old but she has only been doing ballet for around the last two or three years."

Ahead of Feniscowles Primary pupil Leona now is a 15-month series of classes, with Royal Ballet instructors, at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester.

Only after working with her over that period will experts know if she is ready to audition for the prestigious company's full academy, when she turns 11.

Her dance teacher Joy Wareing, 41, added: "She has done extremely well because it was only this year that the Royal Ballet started to allow eight-year-olds to audition.

"Ultimately she could very well become a classical dancer but she is also very gifted at jazz and musical theatre."

Another of Joy's pupils, fellow eight-year-old Maiah Greaves, also from Feniscowles, has made it on to the reserve list for the Royal Ballet academy.