Teenager to dance with Bolshoi ballet

Tala,16, will make history in Sepember when she embarks on a four year training programme in Moscow, one of only a handful of British dancers to make the journey in the Bolshoi's 236 year history. While she is there Tala, who started dancing when she was four, will have to learn Russian to help her settle in the country and to continue the rest of her academic studies. She will be among an elite group, only the ninth British dancer ever to have been offered a place at the prestigious ballet company since it was founded in 1776. Tala began dancing at a local dancing school at the age of four when she was still at infants school and her talent was quickly spotted by her teachers who advised her mother to apply for scholarships. She attended programmes at the Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and the Yorkshire Ballet Scholarship Centre and for the last five years Tala has been a boarder at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, after winning a coveted Music and Dance Scheme scholarship. But Tala has not forgotten her Yorkshire roots, she has deliberately clung onto her Barnsley accent and comes home every weekend to see her mother Sara Turton in Wombwell. She has been personally coached by the Bristol Russian Ballet School, which is where she discovered her love for the Russian method of training and has also performed with both English National Ballet and American Ballet Theatre at the Coliseum in London in performances of Nutcracker and Le Corsaire. Although Tala, an only child, received a scholarship to attend Tring Sara will have to find around £80,000 for the four years at the Bolshoi and is trying to raise £60,000 through sponsorship and donations. " Tala's dance teachers spotted her talent when she was about seven and she began attending training sessions with the Royal Ballet, Yorkshire Ballet and Northern Ballet," said Sara,43, a training consultant. " I used to take her to Leeds and York, it was bit hectic at times because of schoolwork but we fitted it in.Tala was dedicated and determined. She began winning competitions and was offered a scholarship at Tring, those scholarships are like gold dust. " She is also strong academically and is predicted to get 8 A star GCSEs. Tala is a homely girl and loves coming back to Barnsley. She has a strong accent and it's become stronger since she went to Tring because she says she is proud to be a Yorkshire girl and doesn't want to lose her accent. " She struggled when she first went there and was homesick but she persevered because she is determined to be a professional ballet dancer. " We were advised to send DVDs of Tala's dancing to the Bolshoi and the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC and she was accepted for both but without hesitation she chose the Bolshoi. "Its the ultimate award for all the hard work she has put in for so many years and and it's an incredible achievement. I am very proud of her." Added Sara:" I am hoping to find 25 per cent of the £80,000 which includes, fees, medical insurance and airfare home because Tala will be coming back to Barnsley around three times a year. There are no scholarships with the Bolshoi. " She is a Yorkshire girl and she is proud of her roots. I am hoping there are businesses locally or elsewhere who have an interest in the arts, who are willing to fund her, or even private donors to help Tala. " She will be starting her training in Moscow in September come what may. I am determined she will not miss the chance to achieve her ambition to be a professional ballet dancer." Said Tala: " When I was at Bristol I realised that I loved the Russian style of dancing." It's expressive, free, dancey and it's different from the English style " I'm a bit apprehensive about going to Russia but at the same time I'm excited and looking forward to going, I've researched the Russian culture and I'm looking forward to embracing it and learning a new language and a new way of life. " It's a dream come true. I think if you want to achieve something you will get out what you put in. If you want it that much and you work hard enough the chances are you'll get there. That's what's happened to me and it's the best advice I can give." Added Chika Temma and Yury Demakov, of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, said: "We are delighted that Tala has been offered a place at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy to be able to continue the Russian method of ballet training. "Tala works extremely hard and we are very confident that this opportunity will help Tala to become a professional ballet dancer. We enjoy teaching Tala. She is very controlled, physically and mentally, and is a very intelligent and talented young girl."