A TALENTED schoolgirl has been cast from hundreds of children to star in The Nutcracker at the iconic Royal Albert Hall.

Emily Teixeira, aged 11, was one of just eight girls from across the country to be chosen for the Birmingham Royal Ballet's production over the festive season.

The young dancer, who trains at the Janet Lomas School of Dancing in Bury, has been helping audiences to relive the magic of Christmas during seven performances, culminating with the show's finale today.

Emily has been dancing to the Tchaikovsky score alongside professionals at the famous London venue, accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

Emily said: “Performing in The Nutcracker has always been my dream and I am very honoured to be cast in this production."

Her selection followed an audition in October, at which she participated in a ballet class before learning choreography from The Nutcracker in front of a panel of judges from Birmingham Royal Ballet.

A few days later, the young ballerina received the news that she had been successfully cast in the critically-acclaimed production, which premiered on Saturday, December 28.

Ahead of the show, Emily, from Salford, had to attend regular rehearsals in Birmingham.

Emily began ballet classes a few weeks before her seventh birthday and trains multiple times each week at the Janet Lomas School of Dancing in Manchester Road.

She said: "I love my ballet classes. I am very passionate about ballet and inspired by great ballet dancers such as Misty Copeland and Yasmine Naghdi."

In just four-and-a-half years, Emily has developed from beginner to gaining high distinctions in her Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Imperial Classical Ballet exams.

Her ballet teacher Johanna Hadley said: “Emily has always had such focus and drive, which was apparent from her very first ballet classes. I’m absolutely thrilled for her."

Aged eight, Emily was also selected as a junior associate of Elmhurst Ballet School, in Birmingham. She also frequently models for international dance clothing company, Dancewear Central, in their catalogues and online content.

Emily's dancing expertise run in the family, with her brother Denis, a former pupil at Janet Lomas School of Dancing, being cast in The Nutcracker two years ago. Denis, aged 13, now studies ballet full time at Elmhurst Ballet School.