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Royal Ballet dancer returns to Airdrie in 'thank you' to home town

Reece Clarke explained how it was so special to dance in his home town

Royal Ballet dancer Reece Clarke has returned to his home town of Airdrie for a special performance as a thank you to the community where he grew up.

The 29-year-old followed in the footsteps of his three older brothers by taking up ballet as a boy at a dance school in the Lanarkshire town.

Two shows at Airdrie town hall on Saturday saw Clarke back on the stage where he first performed when he was four years old.

Clarke also visited Airdrie Academy, to talk about his career and offer pupils a ballet lesson.

Jamie Simpson Reece Clarke with arms folded leans against sandstone brick wallJamie Simpson
Reece Clarke is back at Airdrie town hall where he performed as a child

The young dancer left Scotland at 11 years old to train with his brothers at the Royal Ballet School in London.

It was the first time in the school's history that four boys from the same family trained there.

Just five years later he was named the young British dancer of the year

Clarke told BBC Scotland News: "The community in Airdrie were so supportive of myself and my brothers - this is a big thank you to them.

"The continued support is just incredible. I wouldn’t be here without it.

"I really feel dance is inside us all and it's about encouraging that and telling all these youngsters to go dance as well."

Reece Clarke teaching students ballet in a school hall
Clarke demonstrates ballet to pupils at Airdrie Academy

Clarke is now a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet.

He has performed around the world alongside acclaimed ballerinas, including Natalia Osipova, Marianela Nunez, Alina Cojocaru and Lauren Cuthbertson.

His appearances include Prince in The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty, and Polixenes and Antigonus in The Winter's Tale.

He returned to Airdrie for his show 'Homecoming' from the world ballet festival in Tokyo.

The Royal Ballet Reece Clarke performing in the NutcrackerThe Royal Ballet
Clarke performs with the Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker

Clarke performed excerpts from iconic ballets and new works with fellow Royal Ballet dancers in an afternoon matinee and evening show.

Alongside friends and family, his childhood dance teacher Janis Ridley was in the audience. The performances raised money for the Guide Dog charity.

The event was staged in a collaboration with North Lanarkshire council and Albert Bartlett - the Airdrie-based potato company.

North Lanarkshire provost Kenneth Duffy said: "The two events will mark the remarkable journey of the Airdrie-born Clarke brothers and their outstanding achievements with the Royal Ballet."