A 13-year-old ballet dancer from Seven Kings has been plucked from over 200 hopefuls to star in a professional production of Swan Lake.

Elizabeth Tsareva is a pupil at the Wenn Stage School, Seven Kings Road, which counts Brit Award winner Jessie J among its former pupils. Elizabeth is set to appear in the English Youth Ballet’s (EYB) production at the 920-seat Orchard Theatre, Dartford, next month, playing one of the swans.

She will feature in three performances alongside the company’s principal artists and is currently getting a taste of a professional ballet dancer’s life, with an intensive 13 day rehearsal process.

The talented dancer, who lived in Audley Gardens, Seven Kings, with her family for eight years until recently moving to Hackney, said:

“I am really excited to be in Swan Lake and I am so happy I was offered the part.

“Performing with the professional dancers is amazing and it makes me practice more so that hopefully one day I will be as good as them.”

Her mother Elena Tsareva said:

“I’m so excited, it’s her first professional performance with professional dancers.

“It’s going to be so challenging for us both because I’ll be so nervous watching her.

“I’ve told all my friends and I’ll be showing off my little dancer. I’m really proud.

“I’ve put a lot of resources in to her dancing but I don’t regret the experience because she has the chance to be on the stage.”

Company manager, Ben Garner, says: “Working with EYB will be one of the highlights of these talented young dancer’s careers, to date.”

The performances will be from March 23 to March 24.

For tickets call 01322 22000 or visit www.orchardtheatre.co.uk.