TWELVE young "Billy Elliots" come to the Arc in Stockton, Teesside, tonight for the premiere performance of the newly-formed Northern Youth Dance Company.
The company is about to embark on its first regional tour, after members completed a vigorous rehearsal schedule with some of the UK's top choreographers.
Cathy Marston, formerly of the Royal Ballet, and Darren Johnstone, from the Place Theatre, London, are among the high-profile choreographers who helped to put the show together.
It is the first time that young dancers in the North have had this kind of opportunity, which is being funded by arts foundations.
The company is made up of 12 talented dancers, who come from Eaglescliffe, Darlington, Sunderland, Crook, Middlesbrough, Peterlee and Newcastle. The tour will visit Darlington Arts Centre on January 26, Newcastle Playhouse on April 13, and the Customs House, in South Shields, on October 28.
Tonight's performance at the Arc, in Dovecot Street, Stockton, starts at 7.30pm.
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