NORTHERN Dance Centre children from Ilkley and Skipton are flying high with their recent outstanding exam results.

Not only have they all gained Distinction, but they all received amazing marks between 91 and 98 per cent.

Two of the highest marks were Georgina Hughes with 97 per cent and Kitty Picken 98 per cent for their Grade Two modern exam, both at the age of eight. Both girls attend Ghyll Royd School in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

In R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance) Ballet every single child entered for Intermediate at the latest exam session also gained Distinction, which is an unprecedented achievement. These exams are notoriously difficult to pass and these children are aged only 13 to14 years old.

Principal Amy Addison said: “We have lots of extraordinarily talented children in the School who work extremely hard, and with the support of their parents and our gifted and dedicated teachers encouraging them, they always achieve their absolute best; these are highly sought after and wonderful results for the children to get, I am extremely proud of them all.”

Further recent successes at Northern Dance Centre and Ilkley Dance Centre include:

• Evie White, aged eight years old, has been asked to join the Royal Ballet Junior Associates.

• 18 year old Head Girl Imogen McCabe, also Head Girl at Settle College, is looking forward to taking up her full-time place on the Musical Theatre degree course at the Hammond School in Chester.

• 14 year olds Ruby Picken and Rosie Robinson are now Senior Associates at Northern Ballet, and 13 year old Harry Mitchell and 12 year old Verity Picken are Intermediate Associates.

• Ruby, who attends Ilkley Grammar School, will be joining the prestigious National Youth Ballet for the third consecutive year this summer.

• Hattie Stocks, aged ten begins full-time training at the Royal Ballet School (White Lodge) in September.

• 10 year old Erin Brailsford has auditioned successfully for the C.A.T. (Centre for Advanced Training) scheme at Northern Ballet and continues as a Junior Associate of the Royal Ballet.

• 13 year olds Maggie Hudson, Lilia Harris and Lilyana Dhillon-Downey have auditioned successfully for the C.A.T. scheme at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds.

Children and students are in the middle of a busy summer term with further I.S.T.D. and R.A.D. Ballet exams, plus Modern, Tap, Jazz, Folk Dance, L.A.M.D.A. Drama and Musical Theatre Exams, Outdoor Performances at charity events and a July Show before a three week International Summer School.

See website for full details of all classes in Ilkley and Skipton www.northerndancecentre.com