Dance masterclass for sixth-formers

Bennet with students (from second left) James Kay, Nicola Newton, Kyle Lawson, Chelsie Ross, Becky Bowles, Gemma Lever and Stephanie Gunnery.

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A RISING dance star was put though his paces by the Royal Ballet’s Bennet Gartside.

James Kay was among the Oldham Sixth Form College students who took part in a masterclass with the company’s first soloist.

The talented 17-year-old had no formal dance training before joining the college. He is now its first student to be offered a place at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds, one of the country’s top dance conservatories.

Bennet comes from Lancaster and first trained with Sharon Bell (nee Harrison), the college’s course leader for dance, at the Sharon Harrison School of dance.

Like the character Billy Elliot, his ballet career started when he joined in one of his sister’s dance classes. He became a junior associate of the Royal Ballet School in 1987, joined the Royal Ballet in 1995 and progressed to first soloist in 2007.

Delighted Sharon said: “We’re all very grateful to Bennet for giving up his time to come into college. The opportunity to work with a dancer from such a prestigious company, and gain from his expertise, will be very beneficial to the group.”