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A nine-year-old girl from Burgess Hill will perform alongside international professional dancers in the English Youth Ballet’s (EYB) Swan Lake after being cast out of 180 young hopefuls who auditioned.

Mirabelle Hogan will finally take to the stage as a Mariinsky dancer and cygnet on Saturday, August 28, and Sunday, August 29, after the show was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

She will be one of 64 dancers from the South East and Kent to perform in the production at Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

The Burgess Hill Girls pupil said: “It has been so much fun dancing with EYB.

Mirabelle Hogan, nine, from Burgess Hill will be performing in the English Youth Ballet s (EYB s) Swan Lake SUS-210408-090516001

“I just can’t wait to get on stage and perform as it has been three years now since I got to as our dance show was cancelled. The teachers are all amazing and I’ve made some really nice new friends.

“I’m so excited to be a cygnet and dance to the famous music.”

Mirabelle will perform in the lavish production – which was originally due to take place in August 2020 – alongside six international principal dancers and together the cast will put on four productions of Swan Lake.

Mirabelle said: “I started dancing at the Rennie Dance Academy in Uckfield when I was three-years-old. I had been watching my big sister dance and really wanted to join in and have a go.

Mirabelle Hogan, nine, from Burgess Hill (bottom left) with some of the other dancers who will perform in the English Youth Ballet’s (EYB’s) Swan Lake SUS-210728-144700001

“I love how happy dancing makes me feel. I really focus on what I’m doing and nothing else matters. I love the feeling of working really hard to learn something and then realising that I can do it really well.

“I also love the sensation of spinning in pirouettes and jumping high in the air.”

As part of the cast, Mirabelle has been rehearsing at Cleeve Park School in Sidcup for 60 hours over ten days at weekends.

The young dancers have been rehearsing in bubble groups and have been following Covid safety protocols while still getting to experience the working life of a professional dancer.

EYB director, Janet Lewis MBE, said: “The cast have shown great enthusiasm and excitement in their Swan Lake rehearsals.

“The children are obviously so pleased to be back dancing again and taking part in a ballet that they love.

“Since the past year of lockdowns with the many restrictions, they are displaying a sense of freedom that is boosting their self-confidence and wellbeing.

“The cast are working hard not only on their ballet technique but on their performance quality that expresses the part they are dancing. The incentive is to be back performing again in the theatre.”

Tickets for the show can be bought at the Box Office on 020 3285 6000 or at www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

9-year-old Burgess Hill girl cast in Swan Lake production alongside professional dancers