Helensburgh and Kilcreggan duo aiming to be ballet heroes

Turning Pointe Dance Academy, which has classes in Helensburgh and Garelochhead as well as the west end of Glasgow, was set up by ex-professional dancer Ashley Mason, who is now enrolling for the new term after a year of personal bests for a number of students.

Ten-year-old Hermitage Primary pupil Nathan Newman has completed two years as a Royal Ballet School Junior in Newcastle and will begin his third year in September. He was also recently selected from thousands of dancers from across the world to attend the Royal Ballet summer school in London.

Nathan will be joined by nine-year-old Marissa Morton from Kilcreggan as a Scottish Ballet junior associate and Ashley could not be prouder of the school’s top two stars.

She said: “We’ve been very successful this year.

“Hundreds of children from Scotland audition every year for Scottish Ballet associates and both Nathan and Marissa have been lucky enough to be offered a place.

“Nathan was also an associate of Ballet West last year and performed with their company in the Nutcracker.

“The school has gone from strength to strength with the kids taking part in their first competition this year, winning a place to take part in the grand final in Blackpool.

“Nathan also won the judges’ choice award for the entire competition and one of our senior pupils is heading down south to study a degree in dance.

“My daughter Kiara, who is 17, is also performing in the Edinburgh Fringe, playing the lead role of Alice in Alice in Wonderland, which is a fantastic opportunity for her.

“She dances with the school and sat her RAD advanced ballet exam gaining distinction which is a fantastic result for such a high standard of examination.

“I am very proud of every single child who attends my dance school, they are all such a joy to teach and we have had another successful year of RAD exams with a 100 per cent pass rate.”

For information on enrolment, call 07756 817159.