Young dancers will be shining in Giselle at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

There will be three performances at the Lichfield Street theatre on September 6 and 7.

She will be joined on stage by talented young dancers from across the region including the Black country boroughs, Shropshire, and Staffordshire.

Among them will be Luke Harris, aged 18, from Wolverhampton, said: “I started dancing when I was 13 years old on the ballroom and Latin circuit and then when I started studying dance at Halesowen College I found love for ballet.

"Dancing for me feels like an escape from reality because I forget all the negativity and I find the inner strength and confidence which helps me to believe in my own abilities."

"No two words ever created could truly portray how I feel about dance and ballet. For me, it covers such a wide range of emotions since the enjoyment and passion I have for dance can never be truly described.

"Being a male dancer I am always overlooked and stereotyped within all dance genres, so having overcome that all my life is the reason I auditioned to the English Youth Ballet to prove people wrong.

"Getting a character role within the English Youth Ballet is already an achievement within itself.

"Since Ballet was never my main strength or dance style I'm really looking to gain confidence within my own ability and to improve my technique since I started at a late age and to inspire more boys to go into ballet."

Anneli Holt, aged eight, also from Wolverhampton, said: “I started dancing at Carol Suttie’s School of Dance when I was three-years-old because I thought dancing was fun and I wanted to perform on the stage.

"Dancing makes me feel excited and confident."

The story of Giselle is set in the Edwardian era on a country estate and has a ‘Downton Abbey’ flavour.

Olivia Richards says: “I was lucky to be able to dance with the youth ballet in Cardiff when I was a young dancer.

“The dancers learn so much about performance skills and the artistry of ballet. I love now working as a principal dancer - because I get to dance challenging and iconic roles and I also teach the young dancers and see them progress.

“The sets and costumes in the production are superb and the whole experience is one the young dancers - and the audiences – will never forget!”

Before joining the English Youth Ballet she trained with the Royal Ballet Associates and Central School of Ballet.

She will be leading an impressive cast of international principal dancers and 100 young dancers from the region.

Tickets can be bought at the box office 01902 429212 or online at grandtheatre.co.uk