A TWINKLE-TOED young ballerina is pirouetting for joy after she landed a place at the most prestigious ballet school in the country.

Olivia Bayram, 11, of Rodbourne, beat out thousands of budding ballerinas to win one of just 12 places at the Royal Ballet School.

The talented youngster has been dancing since the age of three with her skills honed at Tanwood School for Performing Arts, West Swindon, under the tutelage of ballet teacher Denise Yates.

Olivia, who attends Even Swindon Primary School, will move to London in September to attend the renowned Royal Ballet School’s White Lodge centre in Richmond Park.

The future superstar, who says prima ballerina Darcey Bussell is her inspiration, was over the moon to find out she had been chosen for the Royal Ballet School.

“I was so excited when I found out that I screamed. I hugged my mum and she was really happy.

“I just want to go now. I am really excited.

“It makes me feel really happy when I dance, I get this tingly feeling and it is amazing.”

To be selected for the course, Olivia had to get through three gruelling auditions where thousands of hopefuls were whittled down to 64 for the final round.

Olivia has already taken to the stage in Tanwood’s production of West End musical Cats and will perform in the upcoming school production of Footloose.

She combines her studies and ballet practice during the week with extra weekend classes with acclaimed ballet schools such as Elmhurst School for Dance in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Pollyann Tanner, principal at Tanwood, said she was incredibly proud of Olivia’s achievements.

She said: “Olivia has always had a natural talent that was advanced beyond her years since she started.

“She has a natural and very beautiful stage presence and a very good body for ballet which nature has given her.

“She is very mature for her years and I cannot fault her dedication. She has literally been dancing every day for years and has been planning which ballet schools she wanted to apply for the past two years.

“We are so proud of her. To even get to the final auditions was amazing and to be selected is incredible and a credit to her talent and her parents who have supported her all the way.

“We will really miss her because she is an integral part of the school but we are delighted for her.” “The younger students look up to her and so do the older ones.”

Olivia’s delighted parents Caroline and James said they couldn’t be happier.

Caroline said: “We are so proud of her and everything she has achieved. We will really miss her when she starts but we are so happy she is following her dream.”