A talented dancer, who mentors and inspires younger students, has secured a place at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester. Eva Midgley, a Year 13 student at Richmond Sixth Form College, is passionate about dance and her multiple exam successes and teaching qualifications have led her to inspire hundreds of other students and pursue her childhood dream of being a dancer.
Eva is a key member and leader of the school’s Evolution Dance Company and along with fellow Year 13 students, Sophie Wright and Izzy Walton, she teaches the younger students, choreographing a range of dance routines. She is also a huge inspiration to the students at the Janet Seymour School of Theatre Dance where she has trained since she was three years old.
Eva’s dance credentials are impressive. She has attained the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance Advanced 2 tap (highest level) and will be taking the Royal Academy of Dance Grade 8 ballet (also the highest level), in March and is working towards the Advanced Modern qualification. Eva has performed in numerous shows and productions, locally in a host of settings, including Tennants and The Georgian Theatre, as well as further afield at venues such as The Sage.
Janet Seymour, Principal of the Janet Seymour School of Theatre Dance, said: “I am overjoyed for Eva. Dancing often four times a week, ballet, tap and modern theatre, Eva has shown immense commitment and talent from the day she started dancing with me, aged three! She has been an absolute joy to teach over the years and I am grateful to have been part of this journey. This is her first choice vocational college and one of the best in the country. I wish her every success.”
Eva has studied dance at Richmond School since Year 7 and, over the years, she has become a real asset to the Dance department. After achieving a grade 8 at GCSE level, she went on to pursue her studies with the Level 3 CTEC in Performing Arts. Danni Fox, Lead Teacher for Dance, commented: “Eva continues to thrive in both her dance training and theoretical work; both of which are focused around preparing students for further training and work in the industry. Eva has adapted to a diverse range of contemporary dance techniques such as Graham, Humphrey, Cunningham and Release, and has developed a unique sense of style in her own choreography. We are so proud of Eva’s achievements and the way she inspires many younger students in the school. I have no doubt that she will go on to have a successful career in the dance industry.”
Eva’s three-year course at the Northern Ballet School will lead to a level-6 Diploma in Dance and she is aiming to pursue a career in musical theatre and the ballet. Eva concluded: ”I have wanted to be a dancer for as long as I can remember and I am really excited to have achieved my place at the prestigious Northern Ballet School. The course offers a broad range of disciplines so is a great springboard to prepare myself for work in musical theatre.”