TWO dancers from Wallasey are a step closer to achieving their dream of becoming professional performers after dancing their way onto an elite professional training programme at Liverpool Theatre School.

Former Weatherhead High School students Anais Randles and Molly Laidlaw secured a place at the prestigious stage school by impressing the audition panel with a series of exceptional performances, each designed to showcase the breadth of their skill and technical ability.

Liverpool Theatre School, whose patrons include dance legend, Wayne Sleep OBE, and West End theatre producer, Bill Kenwright, accepts only the most talented students on its professional training programmes in dance, musical theatre and acting.

Anais, 16, has been dancing since she was three years old. She trained at Hylton Bromley School of Theatre and Dance in Wallasey before landing a place at Liverpool Theatre School.

She said: "Dancing is my passion and I'm so excited about starting my new journey at Liverpool Theatre School.

"My dream is to perform on the West End, and maybe one day open my own dance school, so having the chance to train professionally is just incredible."

Molly, 18, who has performed in Las Vegas and competed in the World Dance Championship, has sights set on becoming a professional dancer. She trained with the Anamal Dance Company in Hoylake after discovering her passion for performing at the age of five.

Speaking on her success, she said: “Dancing professionally is all I’ve ever wanted to do and I feel so lucky to be able to train at Liverpool Theatre School. I was over the moon when I found out I’d passed the audition and I’m really excited about making the most of this fantastic opportunity.”

Liverpool Theatre School boasts a long list of success stories, with graduates going on to appear in shows such as Wicked, Les Miserables, Frozen the Musical, The Book of Mormon, Tenors of Rock and Blood Brothers.

Speaking on the dancing duo’s impressive performances during the auditions for Liverpool Theatre School, Principal, Maxine Ellis, said: “Both Anais and Molly dance exceptionally well. They clearly have heaps of natural talent and we were absolutely blown away by their brilliant performances during the auditions.

“We’re very much looking forward to preparing the girls for an exciting career in the industry as they take their next steps towards achieving their ambition of performing at a professional level. They’re both extremely well deserving of a place on our elite dance training programme and I’m sure they will enjoy the opportunity to hone their skills at Liverpool Theatre School.”

Liverpool Theatre School’s elite training programmes are designed to give young people the skills they need to pursue professional careers in the performing arts industry. The theatre school, which is rated outstanding in all areas by Ofsted, is the only place in the country to be validated by Trinity College London across all three disciplines of dance, musical theatre and acting.

Liverpool Theatre School also provides a number of fully-funded places and bursaries including the DaDAs (Dance and Drama Awards), which enable talented students who lack financial support to access professional training opportunities.