Eight talented dancers from Bucks will join one of the UK’s largest ballet companies for a spectacular production of Coppélia. 

The youngsters fought off competition from more than 140 other dancers to win a place in the English Youth Ballet’s professional production, which will delight audiences at the Rickmansworth Watersmeet on March 2 and 3. 

The ballet will star international principal dancers Samantha Camejo, Monica Tapiador, Caroline Cabot, Phillip Tunstall, Phillip Bollev and Trevor Wood.

Brazilian principal dancer Samantha will be dancing the leading role of Swanhilda and she is training the young cast in rehearsals. 

Marcus Barratt, 11, Amelia Benton, 10, Lara Campbell, 14, Elizabeth Cottrell, 16, Tayia Fernandes, 11, Carolyn Gordon, 16, Megan Owen, nine and Neha Parmar, 10, all young Bucks dancers, will star in the performance.

Marcus, who lives in High Wycombe and goes to St Michael’s Catholic School, said: “I started dancing when I was about 5 years old.

“When I first tried dancing I felt – wow, I’m really good at this. I am looking forward to dancing with English Youth Ballet to extract more knowledge about the ballet world and learning new stuff – like ballet moves and techniques.

"In the future I would like to be either an actor or a dancer – maybe in the West End.”

  • For tickets call 01923 711063 or visit www.watersmeet.co.uk.