A ballet dancer from Swaffham Prior is celebrating after winning a part in a major touring production.

Lydia Ward, 7, will play the part of Gretel in the nationwide tour of the Sound Of Music – which begins in August.

The primary school pupil is a member of the Samara Ballet School and practises three times a week at schools in Burwell, Wicken and Downham Market.

She went through six intensive rounds of auditions in just a month before being offered the six-month contract with the production.

After rehearsals in July, Lydia will be joining the show when it starts the next leg of the UK tour in Ireland in August and will then continue in various theatres around the UK until January.

Samara’s principal, Michelle Rasdall, said: “We are so proud of what Lydia has achieved for one so young. She is a very talented singer and dancer who started dancing with us before she was two. Lydia is part of the schools very successful competition team and has won numerous medals over the past year but this is the next step up for her and we are all delighted.”

Further details of Samara Ballet School classes can be found at www.samaraballet.co.uk