A young girl from Grange Moor has taken the first dance steps to stardom.

Megan Stelfox, nine, has landed a role with the English Youth Ballet (EYB).

She was chosen from 160 young hopefuls to take a role in a production of Coppelia at the Grand Opera House in York, opening on June 7.

Megan, a pupil at Flockton First School, has been offered the role of a Night Hour Dancer. She has been dancing for only three years and attends the Adele Taylor School of Dance on Dundas Street, Huddersfield. The youngsters in the cast will perform alongside Australian principal dancers Amy Drew and Brenden Bratulic and will gain an insight into the life of a professional ballet dancer.

Megan is currently engaged with the youth ballet’s principal dancers in rehearsals at the Joseph Rowntree School in a 10-day intensive rehearsal process.

The rehearsals take place in three studios in the school and the dancers follow a complex timetable.

Each rehearsal day starts with a ballet class to warm-up and then different scenes of the ballet are rehearsed simultaneously in the studios.

The rehearsal day always finishes with the full cast in the biggest studio showing each other what has been learned that day.

Australian principal ballerina, Amy Drew, said: “The young dancers we are working with in York have great energy and attack.

“Working in a professional environment gives the students a unique insight into life in a ballet company.

“Megan is so lucky – I wish there had been something like EYB when I was training!

“I feel very privileged to be a principal with the EYB as I get to work with some of the UK’s most talented young dancers. I find them incredibly inspiring.”

Amy will play the leading female role of Swanhilda and Brenden will play the male lead, Franz.

Funds from the performances will be raised for York District Hospital’s Children’s Ward.

English Youth Ballet (EYB) is one of the UK’s largest ballet companies and previously won The Stage Award for special achievement in regional theatre.

The company is made up of seven professional principals and 100 dancers (aged 8 – 18) from Yorkshire.

The young dancers were selected for their talent and potential at a competitive audition in February this year.