A REAL life "Billy Elliot" has danced his way into a production by one of the country's top performance companies.

Partington teenager Stephen Adeniji will play the part of a Dove in the National Youth Ballet's adaptation of the classic children's fairytale Hansel and Gretel.

The 14 year old, who won a place at the Hertfordshire based Tring Arts Educational School three years ago, got the part after attending one of a number of tough auditions involving 700 hopefuls from across the country.

"He was very excited when he got the part", says mum Christina.

He started dance classes when he was eight, attending the Gywneth Hare school in Urmston when Christina promised to buy her son, who loved martial arts and football, tap dancing lessons. But dance schools expect their pupils to be versatile and to learn all aspects of the art form, including ballet.

Christina says the thought of learning ballet didn't appeal to her son at first but he decided to give it a try.

"But he said he would go and just see what it was like. He thought it was great and that was it".

His peers didn't give the former Central Road Primary School pupil a hard time when he started dancing because of the pastimes he was already involved in.

Although the tour will give Stephen the chance to dance at Sadler's Wells in Covent Garden, he won't be able to perform in his native north west.

The NYB came to The Lowry last year but the furthest north they'll be coming with this current tour will be Stoke-on-Trent.