Francesca Scholes, a Year 7 student at Carleton High School, part of Pontefract Academies Trust, has landed a role in The Nothern Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at Leeds Grand this winter. The production is on from the 20th November to 7th January.
Francesca started dancing at the age of 14 months old. She learned to dance at the same time as she started to walk. The passion has been passed down from her Mum, who used to be a freestyle dancer.
Francesca trains 6 days a week, her training consists of sessions for the Nothern Ballet, sessions for her ballroom and latin dancing classes and sessions for her modern, tap, modern, jazz, and contemporary dancing. The opportunity to be part of the production of The Nutcracker came from her ballet teacher. She was among a group of dancers who were assessed and then chosen to perform.
Francesca said: “I’m so excited to be part of the production and it’s such a fantastic opportunity. When I’m older I’d love to do shows and tours. I also hope to be able to teach dance in the future. I’m currently juggling school work and my dance commitments but my school are being really supportive to ensure I can do both.”
Mrs Shariff, Headteacher at Carleton High School said: “I’m a huge advocate for students having hobbies and passions outside of the school setting and we will always do whatever we can to support them, as we know how much it encourages our students to become well-rounded people. As a school, we are so proud of Francesca. To be chosen to dance in this performance is phenomenal.”
This isn’t Francesca’s only success. She recently competed in the Blackpool finals and will be competing at the Ballroom early next year. She also came 7th in the nationwide finals for classical dance and 10th for modern. Francesca is also performing in Dick Whittington at Pontefract Town Hall in the new year.