A teenager from Weymouth danced her way to the final of a national competition.

Emily McKay, 16, who is a member of Quay Theatre Arts took part in the final of the Janet Cram Awards which took place in London.

The Janet Cram Awards is a prestigious dance competition, where young dancers aged between eight and 16 years olds compete against each other. Prior to the final, heats were held in five different regions across the UK.

The competition is based on a demonstration of several exercises from the ISTD Modern Theatre Syllabus and a solo performance. It takes place in front of an audience and is judged by highly regarded professionals from the performing arts industry.

Emily first competed in Cheltenham where the South West heat was held. She danced against 26 other competitors at the event then was selected to compete in the finals, which took place last month at the Greenwood Theatre..

Emily said: “It was an incredible experience and a goal I've always wanted to achieve since I was young. Being able to dance amongst some of the best dancers my age was extremely inspiring. It was one of the toughest classes I've participated in and it was a tiring couple of hours. But so rewarding knowing I got the most out of it, while giving me something valuable that I'll take throughout my career."

Emily’s mum Carolyne said: “I was absolutely in awe of Emily and all the dancers. It was an extremely tough competition and I am immensely proud of her.”

Emily currently dances with the Quay Theatre Arts dance school which is based in Weymouth.

Alison Harmon-Beglan, the owner of the dance school, said: “We’re very proud of how well Emily has done. She did really well to get through her heat to the finals in London. It’s quite an achievement for somebody down here and we are very proud of her.”