A WEST End star is lending his support to a nine-year-old girl as she prepares to represent England at one of the world’s biggest dance competitions.
Anya Laidler, from Durham, will represent England in the finals of the Dance World Cup – an all-genre dance contest at which 120,000 children and young adults from 62 countries will compete this summer.
And the youngster can count a famous performer among her supporters after Layton Williams agreed to become her sponsor for the event.
Anya started dancing when she was just three-years-old with The Polka School of Dance, in Durham, and she also gets elite training as a junior associate of both the Elmhurst Young Dancers and The Royal Ballet School.
During a break between coronavirus lockdowns last year, her family and dance teacher Stephanie recorded video auditions for both the ballet and acrobatics classes at this year’s Dance World Cup and submitted them online.
Dance teacher Stephanie Matthews said: “Anya studies all styles of dance but has a particular love of ballet and acrobatics.
“We casually entered a video for the Dance World Cup because we thought it looked like a nice opportunity to challenge Anya, who likes to have something to work towards.
“We were astounded to hear Anya was selected to represent England in acrobatics and she is due to perform a solo routine.
“We are so thrilled for her, she loves a challenge and pushing herself.
“She is very talented and hardworking, so really deserves it.”
Dance teacher Stephanie Matthews with Toby Horton, 11, who has a place at the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge London, and Anya Laidler, nine, who is competing for England in the Dance World Cup Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT
Whilst dancers from some countries will have to enter by submitting videos of their routines, because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Anya expects to travel to the Telford International Centre for the finals in August.
Sponsor Layton Williams, whose television roles have included Stephen in Bad Education, is a friend of the dance school and Mrs Matthews and wanted to support Anya in the competition.
The star of West End show Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, said: “It was the least we can do, we have got to support each other.
“Stephanie genuinely cares about her pupils and I love that.”
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