A BALLET dancer will take his most impressive step yet when he joins the prestigious Royal Ballet School.

Brave Paul Oliver from Croft will leave his girlfriend, family and friends behind when he moves to London in September to pursue his dream.

But the 11-year-old Culcheth High School pupil is determined to become a success and follow in the globe-trotting footsteps of his idol, legendary ballet dancer Carlos Costa.

"It's a big deal moving to London," said Paul, who lives with his parents, Gordon and Susan, and his two brothers and two sisters in Heath Lane, Croft.

"I can't wait in some ways and then sometimes I can wait, but I'm looking forward to it."

Paul will board at the school, which is based in Richmond Park, in the capital, full time and fit his other studies around morning and evening ballet classes.

He won his place after his teacher at the Marenne School of Dance in Croft recognised his talent and encouraged him to take part in the Royal's outreach and mid-associate programmes.

After they went well, Paul, who started ballet aged three because a physiotherapist recommended he do it because he had flat feet, applied for the only full time place for year eights and got in following several gruelling auditions.

"There were five or six boys at my audition and it was nerve wracking because there were 11 examiners and they always had their eyes on you," he said.

"I then had to wait a while for them to write to me and I knew that if it was an A4 letter I was in and if it was A5 I wasn't so I was always looking out for the post!

"When it came my mum was so pleased she was crying!"

Paul, whose twin brother Phillip is a keen swimmer, says he will miss his girlfriend Alice who he met through ballet but hopes she will get a place at the Royal next year.

In the meantime he is looking forward to seeing Carlos at the Lowry in Manchester next week to pick up some tips!

nick.lakeman@guardiangrp.co.uk