Three 16-year-old dance students from an Argyll dance school have qualified to take part in a prestigious national competition.
The girls from Ballet West, at Taynuilt, near Oban, will compete for a Phyllis Bedells Bursary on Sunday March 22 at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in London.
The three HND students at the dance school in the Highlands are Onix Melbourne-Skeech, from Rainhill, Merseyside, Emma Thomas, from Earley, Reading, and Sophie Morris from Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Sara-Maria Barton, principal dancer and assistant artistic director, Ballet West said: “To qualify for this important competition, dancers under the age of 17 must obtain a distinction mark in their Advanced 1 exam. This is a significant achievement for these three very talented young students, who have shown considerable potential and commendable dedication to their training.”
The Phyllis Bedells Bursary is named in honour of a founder member and vice-president of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD).
It is awarded annually and has a value of up to £1,000, to be used to further the winner’s training.
Ballet West is based in Taynuilt, near Oban, and was established in 1991 by Gillian Barton, a Royal Academy of Dance-trained dancer, choreographer and teacher.
Ballet West also delivers a degree programme, BA (Hons) Dance, under a franchise agreement with Northumbria University. In addition the school delivers outreach courses for aspiring professionals in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth, and school holiday courses in Taynuilt.