A CARLISLE teenager who studied in Brampton has been offered a place at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, one of the most prestigious school in the country, where dancers are usually enrolled at 18 and awarded with a degree.

Sophie Marsh, 15, will take it up in September, moving to London to live in a house-share with other students.

Sophie’s love of dance began at the age of five, when she joined a ballet class in Brampton because her best friend was going.

At 12, she won a funded place at the Centre for Advanced Training in Dance (CAT), based at The Lowry arts centre in Greater Manchester; it was there while training twice a week at The Lowry, and at the scheme's Cumbria satellite at Newbiggin Hall, near Penrith, that Sophie discovered contemporary dance.

She will now study both ballet and contemporary and says that once she graduates, she just wants to perform ‘anywhere and everywhere’.

She said the audition process was made even more nerve-wracking due to Covid: “There was a whole morning of socially distanced auditions and I had to wait for the results of a Covid test before I could perform, my mum wasn’t allowed anywhere near the building and I had to say goodbye to her in the street.

“I did feel nervous, but I was able to channel the nerves into concentration and putting on the best performance I could.”

The former William Howard School student says she has mixed feelings about graduating early from the Lowry CAT scheme, which usually supports young dancers until they reach 18.

She said: “I am sad to leave my friends behind but over the moon about moving to London to start at Rambert.

“The Lowry CAT scheme has been amazing. It taught me a lot about the discipline needed to be a dancer and what it means to dance professionally. My technique has improved so much since I started on the programme.

“The scheme also allowed me to be around lots of other people who are passionate about dance."

Anyone wanting to try out for a September place on the Lowry CAT scheme can pick up an application form at the open day or download one from the website, ahead of auditions on Sunday, June 27.