AN AMBITIOUS school ballet production believed to be the first of its kind in the country has won top praise from the Government.

Queen Elizabeth School at Kirkby Lonsdale’s production of The Nutcracker is thought to be the only time a state school has tackled a full length ballet for its annual Christmas show.

The two-hour performance with 51 dancers and a 25 piece orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s original score, included cast members as young as 11.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Teachers and pupils should be immensely proud of going beyond the realms of a ‘normal’ school production.

“We very much hope this trend will continue in the school and will inspire other local schools as well.”

Duets between characters Clara and the Nutcracker included dramatic lifts and spins and were boldly performed by Olivia Pewset and Lucas Button, 16, and understudies Francesca Ely and Callum Leech, 15.

And familiar scenes of orphans opening gifts and the Sugar Plum Fairy were updated to fit in with head of dance Jasper Marriott’s decision to set the ballet in war-torn Eastern Europe.

Head of theatre at the school Lee Fleming said the performance’s success had been down to Mr Marriott’s creativity, head of music Gareth Leather’s orchestral work and the school’s luck to have a ‘golden generation of dancers’.

Mr Fleming said: “We teach dance at QES but a lot has got to be said for the incredible local dance schools that have been teaching some of our pupils from as young as three-years-old.

“We thought we had a golden generation of dancers and knew that our students could pull off something this good.”

He also paid credit to head teacher Chris Clarke for giving the theatre arts department the budget and freedom to put on a production of this scale.

Boys also made up more than a third of the cast and while some performers were experienced in dance, many had only picked it up at school.

Lucas, the Nutcracker, said: “I had never danced and then I tried it in a lesson at school and I’ve kept it up and auditioned for the lead part.

“I’ve loved being in the Nutcracker and I want to go and have a career in the performing arts.”

Performing arts is taught for one hour a week as part of the curriculum and pupils can take dance at GCSE and A-level as well as join a number of dance classes during and after school.

Mr Fleming said: “The kids are slowly starting to realise what they have achieved and the enormity of it all.

“It is so incredibly rare for a secondary school to put on a ballet and when you think that an 11-year-old in the orchestra managed to play Tchaikovsky for 45 minute acts without a break – it’s incredible to think just how much we’ve raised the bar.”