A MANOR CE Academy pupil has been awarded a place on one of the UK’s most prestigious dance schemes.

Lucas Wells, 14, has been accepted into the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) Yorkshire Young Dancers course and will start in September, after he only starting dancing four years ago.

He has performed as a dancer at the Grand Opera House in York and done various other shows with theatre companies around the city including York Light Opera, York Light Youth and York Stage Musicals.

After being spotted at a class held by the nationally-renowned NSCD dance school, Lucas was invited to an open day along with around 700 young dance stars from all across Yorkshire.

He was told at the end of the open day he had reached the last 90 for a place on the course, and was asked to attend an audition day in June during which Lucas choreographed his own one minute dance piece and performed it in front of a panel. He was also interviewed and took part in a number of dance classes.

Jamie Wells, Lucas’ father, said: “It’s hard to put into words really. We’re just very proud, he’s had no formal training and no one in the family has done anything like it.”

The Yorkshire Young Dancers, Centre for Advanced Training helps talented young dancers across the region realise their creative and expressive potential and helps them get ready for professional dance training or higher education.