One of our Sixth Form students, Bethan Nelson has earned a place at the prestigious academy at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, LIPA.
It was while she was attending an intensive summer school at LIPA that tutors suggested she apply for the 4-19 Academy.
Bethan has been dancing since she was five and took up singing and acting in BYTES, Bacup Royal Court Theatre’s youth section when she was 8.
She has also been a member of Dansworks Dance Academy in Bacup since 2014.
Bethan said: “I do tap, ballet, street, musical theatre, jazz, drama and point class at Dansworks. I am working towards grade 5 ballet and tap; I have a gold standard 2 in street and stage 6 in musical theatre and intermediate jazz.
“My mum got the email and when she came home from work she said she had some bad news for me. She said I would no longer be able to go to BYTES on a Saturday or Dansworks because I had got into the academy.
“I felt really happy and really proud of myself. At LIPA I will be doing an hour of dance, drama and singing every Saturday until I am 19.
“What I have been doing so far has been a little step towards my goal, but landing this place is a massive step towards what I want to do.”
Bethan’s goal is a career in musical theatre and she already has her sights set on two schools – the SLP Drama School in Leeds and the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow.
She took dance and drama at GCSE and is now studying both subjects at A level in our Sixth Form, along with Religious Studies and Psychology.
Principal at Dansworks Karen Roe said: “Bethan has worked extremely hard in the time that she has been with us and we have been trying to help her to reach her potential.
“We encourage students to look for opportunities over the summer. We are pleased that Bethan is still going to be at Dansworks through the week and we hope to see her on the big stage in the future.”
Bethan has also landed a place in the chorus at Bacup Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. She added: “My dream role would be to play Elphaba in Wicked.”