A WILTSHIRE performing arts school has been selected to perform at Dance Proms 2016, the biggest national youth dance celebration in the UK.

The ten talented dancers from Wootton Bassett School of Dance (WBSD) are aged between 17 and 21 years old and study everything from modern, tap, national and Cecchetti ballet to acrobatics. On the night they will perform an original choreographed Georgian dance when the troupe are set to make their Dance Proms debut on the iconic Royal Albert Hall Stage on October 30.

Dance groups from around the world and the UK submitted a video of an original dance for the chance to secure a place in the running order of just 22 dances. The group will perform to an audience of dance lovers, talent spotters and celebrity patrons including Darcey Bussell CBE, Matt Flint and Arlene Phillips CBE.

The students will be joined by young groups from as far afield as Vietnam and Italy, performing in a range of other genres such as Latin American, Hip Hop and Classical Greek.

Kathryn Lawrence, principal of WBSD, said: “We are all are enormously grateful for this wonderful opportunity to perform at this prestigious event for the first time. We feel truly honoured and the students cannot wait to take to the iconic Royal Albert Hall stage. Our dance is based in traditional Georgian style. The dancers will look as though they are gliding across the floor in their long dresses – a technique we have spent many hours trying to achieve.”

Darcey Bussell CBE, celebrity patron of Dance Proms, said: “I attend the Dance Proms every year, and the sheer scale and spectacle of the event never fails to impress me.

"It is a delight to see so many aspiring young dancers come together from all over the UK, Europe and even further afield to celebrate dance on the iconic Royal Albert Hall stage. My advice to every young dancer involved in Dance Proms is to enjoy every moment - I can’t wait to see what each performance has in store.”

Dance Proms offers a platform for aspiring young dancers to perform on an international level at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall along with star guest performers.

This annual celebration of talent, choreography, passion and determination is made up of over 500 young dancers selected by a panel of experts, including artistic directors and senior examiners from the world of dance.

To qualify for Dance Proms, dance teachers submitted online videos of a short dance piece featuring original choreography in any genre and performed as a solo, couple, trio or group.