Dancer Amy Longstaff has landed a place at Shockout Arts

Talented dancer Amy Longstaff has secured a place at a dance school in Manchester after a whirlwind year.

Amy, 15, has been dancing since she was four and had lessons from the age of seven.

She currently dances six days a week at McLaren Dance School in Rawtenstall, where she also helps to teach young dancers.

The Year 11 student at Whitworth Community High School auditioned at Jelli Studios in Liverpool and Shockout Arts Limited in Manchester.

She said: “At Shockout I have been put on the gifted and talented programme which means my tuition, qualifications, extra classes and trips will all be free.

“In my second year, I will also get the chance to dance in either New York or Los Angeles.

“I will be studying a two-year BTEC in Musical Theatre and I will be acting, singing and dancing.

“I will be learning all different types of dance, but I particularly like modern and commercial.”

Amy, who is taking GCSE performing arts and drama, will begin the course in September and will be commuting to Manchester.

She enjoyed a hectic weekend in London with her mum Natalie when she took part in nine classes at the Move It - Dance and Performing Arts Show at ExCeL in London.

Amy said: “There were different dance classes that we could take part in and we got to meet with industry professionals and speak to different colleges. There were thousands of people there.

“While I was doing one class I was scouted and offered a scholarship of $500 for a week’s dance tuition in Los Angeles, but I am not sure if I will be taking that up.

“I got selected in all of the other classes I attended to do extra dancing at the end and I was scouted by Jelli, but I had already attended an audition with them.

“I also got selected to join Insane Dancewear as an ambassador at a photo shoot.”

Amy would love to be a professional dancer and is considering a role on the stage or working on cruise ships.

She has previously danced in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty in Oldham, in Giselle in Bradford, been on stage at a dance school show at The Palace in Manchester and at Disney Paris with her former dance school.

Amy was a runner up in the 2017 Junior Miss Lancashire competition.

She added: “This year has been very exciting; it is mad to think I will be leaving school soon.”