Talented 12-year-old wins place at top dance school

Monday, 14 July 2025 21:53

By David Murphy

A young dancer has been chosen for an elite training programme after impressing judges with her creative moves.

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Zampach has been picked to join a top dance training scheme at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. She was one of the youngest selected for the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT), a programme that supports young people who want a career in dance.

Charlotte has been dancing since she was four and trains at Dansworks Dance Academy. She has a natural talent for contemporary dance, which focuses on expression and imagination rather than strict technique.

At the audition, dancers had to perform movements inspired by famous paintings. Charlotte stood out by interpreting a surreal artwork by Salvador Dali, using sharp and flowing movements to show its melting shapes.

“I like contemporary because you can imagine things and move with the music,” Charlotte said. “The judges said they were looking for how we interpret dance, not just tricky moves.”

She will attend weekly sessions at The Lowry starting in September, on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. She will also continue training at her local dance school and is excited to join a planned trip to Malta next year.

Karen Roe-Connearn, Principal at Dansworks, said: “Charlotte has always had natural ability. She’s great at improvising and we’ve helped her build on that over the years.”

Dance teacher Jordan Carter added: “Charlotte works really hard and has a real passion for dance. We’re all very proud of her.”

The CAT programme is part-funded by the Department for Education and offers grants to help with costs. It gives young people high-quality training and support, opening the door to future careers in dance.