YEARS of hard work are paying off for Swindon dancer Jacob O’Connell, who will be performing with Rambert in Bath this month.

The 19-year-old from Covingham will be taking part in a programme of three powerful new works that Britain’s national dance company will be taking to the Theatre Royal.

And sitting in the audience will be his proud mum and dad, Clare O’Connell and Hurin Morgan, who have watched their son’s stellar progress and sheer determination to succeed after taking up jazz, hip hop, ballet and tap when he was seven.

They were also on hand to provide emotional support when he fell prey to bullies.

“I experienced a lot of bullying and cyber bullying before I left Swindon when I was 16,” Jacob says.

“I wanted to pursue a career in contemporary dance and be with individuals who danced and understood why I was doing it. While being bullied made me feel disheartened, it also egged me on and pushed me to strive to move on. My parents provided me with a lot of emotional support. They understood how hard and tough it was.”

Jacob, a former student at Dorcan Technology College, now the Dorcan Academy, honed his skills at Swindon Dance, a Centre for Advanced Training. Every day after school he would catch the bus to the town centre and go on to do three and a half hours of ballet practice before getting home at around 8pm.

“It was a rigorous training scheme; there were more than 30 students who wanted to try for places at schools and conservatoires in England and Europe,” he says.

“ When I was seven I was quite interested in musical theatre but during my teenage years I became interested in contemporary dance.”

Jacob won a place at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London, from which he graduated this summer with a BA Hons degree, and was taken on as an apprentice with the company in January.

“Getting into the Rambert was a big accomplishment,” he says. “I was offered places at two conservatoire schools: The English National Ballet and Rambert.

“I decided on Rambert because the head of musical studies Barry Ganberg is a big influence for me.

“I’m half way through my first year as an apprentice – the scheme lasts for two years.

“Being part of Rambert is what I have always wanted to do and I feel proud that I have achieved that goal."

Jacob is looking forward to performing in Bath, especially as his parents will be in the audience.

“They’re coming to watch and I am quite excited,” he says.

Jacob is performing in ‘Tomorrow’, a Macbeth-inspired piece produced by Lucy Guerin, and ‘Flight’ - Malgorata Dzierzon’s topical exploration of migration - just a year after being awarded the BBC Young Dancer title in the contemporary category, for which he performed two solos by Amanda Britton and Alexander Whitley.

During his time with the Rambert School he toured with Moving Vision Company under the direction of Dr Ross Mckim, and internationally with INALA, choreographed by Mark Baldwin and featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

He has also created and collaborated on choreographic works that have been showcased at Cloud Dance Festival and Sadler’s Wells for Mr Wonderful – a celebration of Jonathan Ollivier’s life in dance.

• RAMBERT: Tomorrow and Other Works will be at the Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday October 27 to Saturday 29. Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk