Sheffield ballet: Logan Rodgers, Southey's answer to Billy Elliot, wins Royal Ballet place

Logan Rodgers, who attends Parson Cross CE Primary School, beat over 1000 other students at auditions to get a place on the specialist programme in Leeds.

Only around 10 per cent of applicants across the country get accepted to the classes every year. At the auditions in early May, Logan said he was “really nervous but really excited at the same time.”

The young performer trains six days a week at SteelPointe Theatre Arts in Sheffield, where he has been going since he was just three-years-old.

Nikki Furness, Logan’s dance teacher and owner of the performing arts school, described him as “an absolute joy to teach”.

She said: “His talent was evident from the word go, and really started to emerge as a prodigious talent a couple of years ago.

“He started to improve to a standard far beyond his years and I realised he needed a greater challenge. That’s when I introduced the idea of auditioning.”

The Royal Ballet Associates will give him weekly classes with some of the best teachers in the world, and help prepare him for a career in ballet or performing arts if that’s what he decides to do, she said.

Logan said the actor and dancer Tom Holland, who played Billy Elliot on stage as a child, is one of his inspirations.

He said: “I’d like to be a performer and dance on stage when I’m older. I love everything about it.”

Logan’s mum, Jennifer Brownhill, is now appealing for any local businesses or individuals to sponsor Logan to help cover the costs of the classes which will take place at Yorkshire Dance, Leeds.

The family will have to pay £1122 for the 32 weeks of training, plus £300 for uniforms and further costs for travel every Saturday.

While the Royal Ballet School does offer some bursaries which Ms Brownhill has applied for, they may not cover the full cost.

She said: “I’m very proud. I’ve never known anybody so dedicated and it’s all paid off.” If you would like to help fund Logan’s ballet journey you can contact Ms Brownhill at [email protected].