Ballet dancer living out National Theatre dream

A young dancer has described her role in the National Theatre's production of Ballet Shoes as "a dream come true".

Daisy Sequerra stars as Posy Fossil in the stage production of Noel Streatfeild's novel about three orphaned sisters.

The 21-year-old, who began her training aged three at the Sheffield Performing Arts group, said: "I loved the story growing up. I always related to Posy as I have two older sisters myself."

And, according to her first tutor Cops Copley "she always had star quality".

"It was the way she held her skirt out and stretched her feet out with her head held high," Ms Copley said.

"I looked at my mum, who was doing the music, and we both raised our eyebrows.

"You cant take your eyes off her."

Sally Sequerra, Daisy's mum, puts her daughter's drive down to the competition with older sisters Lottie, 23, and Millie, 25.

"She was too young at first but she watched Lottie in class through the window and was desperate to get involved," she said.

Despite her early promise, the former High Storrs pupils said she had resisted the "traditional routes" to the West End.

Instead she trained with the Sheffield Performing Arts group until she was 18, and took classes at the Northern Ballet in Leeds.

"There are amazing dancing colleges in London but they never felt right for me," she said.

"All of my training in Sheffield opened the doors I needed. I still live between Sheffield and London."

Daisy has also featured in the in the UK tour of Annie at the Sheffield Lyceum and appeared as Veruca Salt in the West End production of Warner Bros' Musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Ms Sequerra said her daughter's success was a continued "shock and joy".

"It's not a career I understand, and managing the downside is really important, but she works really hard and she's always had the mindset."

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