A young dancer has landed a top role in a hit West End musical which starts its British and European tour tomorrow.
Talented 21-year-old Courtney George, of Shepley, is one of the 10 dancers who will wow the crowds in the Michael Jackson tribute show Thriller Live.
But it will be a bitter-sweet moment for Courtney, who will perform her first ever professional show at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre.
Click below to watch the Thriller Live trailer
The curtain-up coincides with the second anniversary of the sudden death of her mum and popular dance teacher Donna George.
Donna tragically died from a suspected brain haemorrhage aged just 48.
Courtney was long said by her mum to be destined for a “bright career” as a dancer and has been rehearsing for 12 hours a day from Monday to Saturday in London to get ready for her debut.
In the show she will perform spectacular routines to some of the King of Pop’s most famous songs.
Her dad, Ken George, a filmmaker who has documented Courtney’s dancing journey, will travel to Blackpool with Courtney’s brother, Elliot, a 23-year-old engineer at David Brown’s.
Ken said: “Donna always believed that Courtney would go all the way and she’s proved her right. Courtney has always been a performer since she started going Donna’s dance school, the Georgie School of Theatre Arts in Shelley, since she was two and a half.
“It’s sad that Donna will never see her perform professionally but Courtney said that her mum would’ve wanted her to do it.
“She and I can imagine her mum smiling down on her and beaming with pride.
“It’s going to be an overwhelmingly positive experience for her. She’s just born to dance and she loves musical theatre. This is her dream job.”
After performing shows in Blackpool Courtney will travel with Thriller Live to Aylesbury, Hull then Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany, where she may be for Christmas.
“She has always been incredibly dedicated to her dancing and when she was younger trained four week nights then all day Saturday and all day Sunday once a month,” said Ken.
“Each summer she undertook courses at prestigious London dance schools Urdang Academy, Bird College and Laine Theatre Academy, where she gained her degree. We never pushed her, she is just in her element.”
All her training led to stages across the UK.
Ken said: “She was in many shows when she was young and when she was eight she received a scholarship to train with the Northern Ballet and performed in the Nutcracker in Sheffield and Manchester.
“She won young dancer at an annual Clothes Show Live and was also runner up in Miss Dance UK, while she loves performing in pantomimes, most recently she did Peter Pan in Southend-on-Sea starring David Hasselhoff.
“Courtney also loves acting and was in a short film with actor Ben Kingsley called 1001 Inventions.”
Ken said Courtney has big hopes for the future and Thriller could be her big break.
“We’re all so proud of her,” he added.
