Parents face ballet fees battle

The ballet school is charging fees of almost £7,000 a term Enlarge Image

The parents of a real-life Billy Elliot say they are prepared to sell their house after their son won a place at a prestigious dance school.

Lorry driver's son Dominic Handford, 11, from Carmarthenshire began ballet lessons at the age of eight.

His talents have earned him the chance to study at the £22,000-a-year Elmhurst School for Dance in Birmingham.

But with just two weeks to find the funds, his family say they will resort to selling their home if they have to.

Dominic first developed his passion for ballet at the age of six when he watched the cartoon Angelina Ballerina.

His father Jonathan at first hoped his son would grow out of it and switch to rugby.

For two years he continued to ask about ballet lessons so the family began to take his interest in dance seriously and at eight enrolled him in a class.

'Thrilled'

Mr Handford, 33, who drops off his son at ballet lessons in his 20-ton truck, said: "We live in a former mining village [Penygroes] where everyone is mad about rugby.

"But Dominic is a dancer and I'm thrilled to bits with that."

His mother Adele, 43, said: "Dominic is a real-life Billy Elliot - he's always dancing around the house and the ballet school says he's very talented.

"But the ballet school only has a few bursaries and they are all gone so we're having to think of ways to come up with the cash.

"It's too good an opportunity to miss for Dominic so we are prepared to sell our house to get him there."

It was when Dominic started attending a local class that the teacher spotted his potential and recommended him for an audition with the Royal Ballet.

Dominic says he would love to dance full time

After he was accepted, he was advised to try for the £6,754-a-term school in Birmingham, which trains ballet students from the age of 11.

His mother said: "As soon as he was accepted I thought that's it - he has to go. We will get him there.

"I'm a housewife and Jonathan drives lorries for a living so it was never going to be easy.

"But Dominic has set his heart on being a professional dancer and we will do everything to get him there."

Dominic, who said his favourite film is Billy Elliot, said: "I've always loved ballet and doing it full time would just be my dream."