Hexham dance student chosen for scholarship in Liverpool

Kieran Maclaren, 25, was selected for a scholarship at the musical theatre and dance school, which only issues one scholarship a year.

Kay Sams, owner and teacher at Studio K Dance, said: "Being that little bit older, he has that extra drive and maturity to knuckle down."

Kieran, from Hexham, has attended Studio K Dance for five years, and has a Bachelors Degree in Acting and Performance Practice from Newcastle University.

PERFORM: Kieran Maclaren. Image: Studio K Dance

Kay said: "I'm ecstatic and so happy for him. It's something he's wanted for so long and he more than deserves it." The scholarship will cover course tuition fees but not living costs.

Kieran auditioned on Saturday, May 14 and found out he had been accepted on Tuesday, May 17.

Kieran's younger brother and previous student at Studio K, Cameron Elliot, 18, is already a student in his first year at Jelli Studios on a half scholarship.

"I think having seen Cameron do it and succeed there gave Kieran the confidence that he could do vocational training," Kay said.

SCHOLARSHIP: Kieran Maclaren. Image: Studio K Dance

For the audition, Kieran had to take part in a ballet bar class, jazz technique, commercial and freestyle dance, and had the choice to prepare either a monologue or song, or both.

Kay said Kieran is not limited to one form of creative expression. "He's a bit of a quadruple threat is Kieran - he sings, he dances, he acts, and he's also a musician."

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The scholarship will open doors for Kieran, Kay said. "A school like Jelli has the best training you can possibly get. After your training there, it opens so many doors to jobs and auditions you wouldn't normally get."

"He's a natural talent and he's born to perform, I hate to see wasted talent. He does utilise it but not to the extent he could, and this sort of training could put him in that direction."

The scholarship will start in September and last for a year before being reviewed.

Once he finishes, Kieran may get picked up by an agency or be scouted for a job. "Quite often, a lot of movie and television roles are just from scouts going into these schools and sending them straight to an audition," Kay said.

"Ideally, you'd want to continue your training and get as much out of the school as you can, but if an amazing opportunity came up and often it does, you'd be silly not to take it."