Whitworth dancer’s college dreams come true

Dancer Jasmine Somerwill has landed a place at Shockout Arts Limited in Manchester.

The Whitworth Community High School Year 11 student was thrilled to be selected from the hundreds of hopefuls who auditioned over two weeks and will now be applying for a gifted and talented scholarship to help cover costs.

She said: “I have been dancing since I was three and for the last two years, I have been having lessons at Dansworks Dance Academy in Bacup.

“When I started at Dansworks I was a gold star four in street dance and good at disco but not particularly good at ballet.

“The Principal Karen Roe put me in for my Grade 5 ballet and I passed with distinction.

“To be a dancer I have learned that you need to have good technique.”

At Shockout, Jasmine will be studying a BTEC in Musical Theatre involving singing, dancing and acting and she hopes to go on to the university at Shockout to complete her degree.

She said: “My course will begin in September and I will be doing different dance styles, tap, ballet, jazz, street and contemporary.

“My plan is to dance around the world, and I would love to perform on cruise ships because it would be really fun, and I am not seasick.”

Jasmine said her parents Ben and Anita and sister Georgina are really excited for her and have always been very supportive.

She said: “Dancing makes me feel happy and it changes everyone around you. I know that my dancing can affect other people.

“When my great-grandma was terminally ill she was in hospital and I went to see her, and I was dancing for her. The lady in the bed next to her had stopped eating and didn’t want to carry on, but after she saw me dance, she told staff she wanted to eat again. Dancing can affect people so much.”

Anita said: “Jasmine and Georgina went to see my grandma in hospital in London and they put their costumes on and danced for the ladies on the ward.

“The lady in the bed next door was starving herself and the girls cheered her up and she ate for the first time in weeks.

“We are so proud of everything Jasmine has achieved.”

Jasmine said she wanted to thank everyone at Dansworks for helping her to achieve her goal especially her teacher Karen and her husband Dale Connearn and teacher Gemma Nuttall.