![Reading Festival has laid out its Look Out For The Planet pledge ahead of its return next week, bringing measures set to promote sustainability. Picture: Luke Dyson [LukeDyson.com]](https://wokingham.today/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Img1871502-360x180.jpg)
A YOUNG ballet dancer from Wokingham has been accepted into a world-renowned dance school in London.
Eleven-year-old Sophia Hannaford will begin at The Royal Ballet School in September, where she will train full-time taking one of only 12 places.
The talented youngster was chosen out of more than 700 who auditioned, after an extensive audition process consisting of ballet classes, interviews, and an academic class.
Sophia recently made it to the finals for the top three vocational ballet schools in England.
Her love of ballet began when she saw a performance of The Nutcracker in London when she was three.
She then started classes at the Allied School of Dance, where her teacher Melanie Dudman invited her to attend extra coaching for talented students.
Ms Dudman saw promise in Sophia and encouraged her to audition for The Royal Ballet School’s Junior Associate programme.
Two years ago, when she was eight, she was accepted onto this and has trained once a week there ever since. She was one of just over 100 girls from around 1,000 who auditioned.
In addition, Sophia also trains four to five times a week, taught by Olga Semenova at the Masters of Ballet Academy in Chiswick, where she began in 2018.
As well as her training, Sophia has won several festivals, and qualified with two of her solos for the All England National final in the summer of 2017.
She has since danced at Vaganova Ballet Academy in St Petersburg and at the Youth America Grand Prix competition in Paris. She was also selected from hundreds for the squad team to represent England at the Dance World Cup in Italy later this year.
Sophia’s mother, Marina Hannaford, says finding out her daughter had been offered a place at the Royal Ballet was a very special moment:
“You should have been there,” she said. “We were driving on the M4, she was sitting next to me, she had the phone in her hand and you know when you get an email it makes that sound. She read it and she screamed, she said “I got in”.
“There was screaming, shouting, laughing, crying. She’s been on a ballet journey. She’s ecstatic, so excited, she can’t wait.”
Sophia, currently at St Paul’s Church of England Junior School in Wokingham, will go into Year 7 and begin boarding at the Royal Ballet lower school, White Lodge in Richmond this September. Alongside her academic classes and dance training, she will have the opportunity to perform in productions at the Royal Opera House, such as The Nutcracker, alongside principal dancers from the ballet company. The Royal Ballet School is the most prestigious vocational ballet school in the UK and one of the top three in the world.
Mrs Hannaford expressed her pride at Sophia’s achievements:
“We will miss her like hell, we’ll only see her on weekends. But I’m so proud of her, it’s been such hard work and she’s sacrificed so much. Training five days a week, she’s missed birthday parties and other things.
“I’m just so happy for her. This has been a dream since the first time she put ballet shoes on at the age of three.”
The youngster said that her biggest inspirations are Darcey Bussell and Marianela Núñez, who joined the school when she was 16 and is now a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet.
When Sophia’s not dancing, her Mother says she enjoys staying active:
“She loves athletics and swimming and does piano once a week. She was selected for the athletics team at St Paul’s and the swim squad at Carnival Pool.
“At the moment, when she’s done with her homework in the morning she’ll play with her Lego. Her and her younger brother love their Lego.”
Sophia was due to attend one week of training at the Royal Ballet School’s Spring Intensive training programme. Unfortunately due to the coronavirus this was cancelled, but she is looking forward to the Summer Intensive.
