Johnstone dance school pupil lands Nutcracker star role

Ava Morrison from Gillian Whyte's Dans-Scene Company is taking on the role of Clara in the festive family favourite which started its run at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow in December.

Ava Morrison, right, in the Nutcracker (Image: Sourced) The 10-year-old is one of two pupils from the Johnstone-based studio featuring in the production, which will also be staged in Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Newcastle in 2025.

Fellow Dans-Scene dancer and Scottish Ballet Junior Associate Millie McFarlane, 10, is performing, too, and both have been working hard in rehearsals in the run-up to the show starting.

Millie McFarlane (Image: Sourced) Gillian Whyte told the Gazette: “It’s amazing to have one child in the national company’s ballet production but to have two is outstanding and then to have Ava chosen to play the lead – we are just so completely overwhelmed and proud.

“I did the production myself as a child and I remember the feeling of being in the production so vividly because it was such a poignant moment as a young dancer and being amazed at these professional ballet dancers.

“It’s going to be such an amazing experience, they’ll love it and they’ll remember it for the rest of their life.”

Ava Morrison (Image: Sourced) It is the latest success for the school which also runs satellite classes in Ingliston and Kilbarchan.

They recently also saw two of its senior dancers reach the final of the TCDI World Performer contest.

Sixteen-year-olds Krista McSwegan (musical theatre song and dance) and Grace Oliver (modern) qualified for the event out of many talented dancers from across the UK.

Krista McSwegan (Image: Sourced) “We’ve had quite a few kids qualify for significant moments in the dance industry,” added Gillian.

“We had two of our senior girls qualify for world performer. The final was down in Blackpool.

"It's great to have one pupil achieve that, but to have two was incredible.

Grace Oliver (Image: Sourced) “Grace got down to the top 10 out of 90 dancers, so that was quite a significant moment for us," she explained.

“I’m delighted. It’s great to have one going down but to have the two girls going down together it was such a lovely moment for them and such a lovely moment for the school.

“As a school we are just so proud of them. We have lots of success stories and the children work so hard.

“This is our 25th year and it feels like we are getting lots of lovely surprises back on our silver anniversary.”