Dancegang - The Geraldine Fox Theatre Arts Academy

TWO YOUNGSTERS from a Tonbridge dance school shared the stage with professionals last week during a performance of a classic ballet.

Charlotte Foad and Charlotte Timbers, both aged nine, from the Geraldine Fox School of Dancing, took part in three National Youth Ballet performances of Giselle, with the finale on Wednesday last week.

"It was really lovely," said Diana Gibb, a dance instructor at the Lyons Crescent school. "They were superb. They both kept their characters up right through the ballet."

Mrs Gibb said the pair had worked hard in the run up to the performance at Hastings' White Rock Theatre, which saw only four adults joining a cast of eight to 18-year-olds.

"They were so bubbly before they did it," she said. "They were absolutely on cloud nine."

Heidi Foad, Charlotte's mother, said the girls had spent every day of half term practising.

"They did six hours of training a day over the entire half-term," she said, adding they had received professional tuition.

Mrs Gibb added the dancers' classmates had been very encouraging.

"The nice thing is the rest of the class are all very keen to hear about it," she said.

The girls will next be performing at the dance school's annual show in January