BALLERINA Olivia Bayram has beaten the nation’s finest dancers to land a scholarship and part with English Youth Ballet for their Swan Lake performance next spring.

The nine-year-old Even Swindon Primary School pupil has been dancing since the age of three, when she first enrolled with Tanwood School for Performing Arts.

Since then she has practised her plié and polished her pirouette to such a level her parents have stepped up their own sacrifices.

Caroline Bayram, Olivia’s mum and owner of Caroline’s Tailoring in Rodbourne Road, spends her weekends taxiing her dancer up and down motorways to classes in Birmingham and Hertfordshire.

It was through Olivia’s classes at Elmhurst School for Dance in Edgbaston she caught wind of the Swan Lake auditions being held in Aylesbury on Tuesday.

Competing with 78 other eight to 12-year-olds, Olivia was put through her paces on stage with several routines, before being called out with seven other contestants.

“Out of 79, 35 would go through and take part in Swan Lake, but after a while they called eight numbers back on stage and I assumed that was an elimination round,” said Caroline, of Guppy Street.

“And then somebody told me they were for the scholarships and a harder routine. Out of those eight, three would get scholarships.

“It’s a fantastic experience for her to go and do a ballet. I was just watching, seeing her enjoy it.

“There was a smile on her face the whole time.”

Olivia’s scholarship will pay for half of the fees attached with the performance, which will take to the stage across April 24 and 25 at Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury.

Olivia said: “I felt really pleased because I didn’t think I would get that far. I never thought I would get a scholarship, I didn’t think I was that good.

“I am really happy and excited for the show.

“I like it because we learn different dances. I like learning new things.”

Olivia said she wanted to be like Darcey Bussell in later life.

English Youth Ballet presents full-length classical ballets in the regional theatres of England, Scotland and Wales.

It aims to bring opportunities to young dancers outside London aged eight to 18 years to perform within a professional setting.

Each year the professional principal dancers are joined by 100 young dancers to present eight productions in cities and regional areas throughout the UK.