TWO young dancers from St Helens are set to share the stage with popular showstopper Wayne Sleep for a command performance in London to mark his 50th birthday.

Nine-year-olds Danielle Woodward from Ruskin Drive and her best friend Jennifer Lonsdale, from Hard Lane, took part in a workshop given by the popular dancer, who was so impressed by their precocious talent that he signed them up on the spot to appear in his one-off show, '50 Winks', at Her Majesty's Theatre in July.

The pair, who both attend the Elizabeth Hill School of Dance in Greenfield Road, recently saw Wayne dance live at our very own Theatre Royal and spotted an advertisement for the workshop after the show. No strangers to appearing on stage - they have appeared on the Liverpool Empire with the 'Michelle and Friends' show, and at the Theatre Royal in 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' panto last year - this is, nonetheless, their biggest show yet.

Danielle's mum Susan told the Star: "They are both over the moon about it and its quite satisfying that out of hundreds of girls who attended the workshop from all over the North West, the only two to be chosen are from St Helens.

"They will be dancing a number called 'Uptown Girl' which is the same song Wayne danced to with Diana, Princess of Wales at a charity ball and we will be travelling down to London a few days before the show to start rehearsing with Wayne and the other dancers."

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