'It's my dream to be a dancer' - teenager lands spot at top ballet school (From Times Series)

'It's my dream to be a dancer' - Friern Barnet teenager lands spot at top ballet school

9:00am Saturday 16th February 2013 in News By Natalie O'Neill

A ballet dancer from Friern Barnet is dreaming of life on the stage after winning a place at a top dance school.

Following an intense audition process Kai Tomioka, 17, has been chosen as one of just 39 pupils to study a three-year degree course at the Central School of Ballet in Camden. 

The school holds auditions every year in London, Glasgow, Leeds, Italy and Japan before selecting its candidates. 

Kai, who has been dancing since he was 12-years-old, said: “Dancing is what I want to be doing for the rest of my working career, so I feel so privileged to be able to have this opportunity.

“It sounds a bit of a cliché, but dancing allows you to be in complete control of your body and to release it in a way that has the biggest rewards imaginable.

"It can be difficult, but when I’ve had a good class or done something well the rewards are huge.”

The former Ashmole Academy student will study professional dance and performance, focusing on classical ballet and contemporary dance.

He added: “You have to be dedicated to make it to the top of this profession, but it's my dream to be a dancer at one of the leading ballet companies when I graduate. 

"The training is very challenging, similar to the training of the best athletes, but we are all motivated by the rewards of performing."