THREE West Devon aspiring dancers are busy in rehearsals for a professional production of the ballet Coppélia.

Sisters Rosie and Millie Parker, nine and 13, from Southcott, and 14-year-old Evie Woods, from Broadbury, were among more than 150 hopeful dancers who attended the English Youth Ballet (EYB) auditions in Torquay in November. The girls were among the 80 from Devon selected to be part of the award-winning company for the production in Bradford.

Director and founder of EYB Miss Janet Lewis said: ‘EYB is all about providing extra performance experience to young dancers. We saw a very pleasing standard at the auditions and it was lovely to see lots of enthusiasm.’

EYB as helped many of the UK’s top talent springboard their training progress and careers into some of the world’s greatest ballet companies, including the Royal Ballet Company and English National Ballet.

The three girls are currently in rehearsals at Spires College. Amy Drew is one of EYB’s ballerinas who will be dancing the leading role of Swanhilda. She coaches the young dancers in rehearsals.

She said: ‘The young dancers are treated like professional dancers during rehearsals — we work them hard but the results are fantastic! They learn what the life of a professional dancer is like. They are living their dream and they just love it!’

The young cast will rehearse for just 10 days for the production. During those days EYB take over three of the biggest rooms in the school and run rehearsals simultaneously in each room. At the end of each rehearsal day, the whole cast gets together in the largest space to share what has been learned that day. The young dancers see the production taking shape like a big jigsaw.

Amy added: ‘Rehearsals for Coppélia are going very well in Torquay. I enjoy getting to know the young dancers. It is wonderful having such talented young people all in the same place and working together. I think that there is a unique and wonderful synergy that takes place because all the dancers learn so much from watching each other and from watching the professionals too.’

l Pictured above left, left to right during rehearsals are Millie Parker, Rosie Parker and Evie Woods and right, in costume.