Adam's giant leap; Young dancer clinches place at top school.

Byline: Joanne Butcher

TWINKLETOES Adam Park is set for stardom after being accepted to one of the world's most exclusive dance schools.

Adam, 18, of Jesmond, has been selected to join the Rambert Dance School, based in Richmond, London.

The school was founded in 1920 by dancer Marie Rambert. Deliberately small and exclusive, it has trained greats such as choreographers Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor and Christopher Bruce.

The Rambert Dance Company, Britain's leading contemporary dance company whose new collection of works are wowing audiences at the Theatre Royal this week, also grew out of the school.

Young dancer Adam beat off competition from hundreds of others who auditioned in the UK and abroad to bag a place. At the school, he will face a gruelling regime every day, training in ballet and contemporary dance.

Adam said: "I am so excited about going, I can't wait - though it will be pretty tough.

"I'm knackered after one lesson of dance - but at the school I'll only have a five-minute break before we start again.

"I was really pleased to be accepted. I've only been dancing for a couple of years - before that I was more interested in drama."

He currently trains at his school, Dame Allan's, and at Dance City in Newcastle. He has taken GCSEs and A-levels in dance and drama. He said his sister Emma, who graduates with a history degree from Leeds University this year, was the one who first got him hooked on dance when she took it up as a hobby.

But despite growing up in the North, Adam's story hasn't been a Billy Elliot-style battle to enjoy his hobby.

"My mum is a nurse and my dad is a policeman, so I don't know where I got dancing and drama from," he laughed.

"But I'm really lucky that my parents have encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do, and I've also had some great teachers."

Adam hopes that after three years of training at the school he will be accepted into a professional dance company. He would also like to explore dance teaching and choreography in the future.

Rambert Dance Company's new show, Eternal Light, opened at Newcastle's Theatre Royal on Wednesday - and Adam was at the rehearsals to see the performers in action.

The show features live music from Tees Valley Youth Choir and a score penned by British composer Howard Goodall - best known for his much-loved TV themes including Blackadder, Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley.

The performance also includes two other sensational works; the revival premiere of renowned choreographer Christopher Bruce's Hush, and the Carnival of the Animals by Siobhan Davies, set to Saint-Saens' score of the same name.

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TAKING OFF Eighteen-year-old Adam Park has just secured a place with the Rambert Dance School in London. Picture: Leanne Holcroft www.journallive.co.uk/buyaphoto ref: 01227417