TWO county dancers are leaping for joy after winning the opportunity to study at leading London schools.

Grace Bowen, aged 18, is to study for a BA (Hons) degree at the London Contemporary Dance School, while Matt Hooper, also 18, will be going to Bird College for a year-long musical theatre course, which he hopes to follow up with a three-year National Diploma course.

The pair were members of Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society Youth Section (WODYS).

Grace, of Malvern, received her training at the Cecelia Hall Dance Centre in the town and has danced in pantomimes at the Malvern Theatres, more recently as a principal dancer. She was a pupil at The Chase Technology College, Malvern, and later gained a National Diploma in Dance while at Kidderminster College. She sang in the choir when the UK tour of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat visited Malvern.

Matt, of Claines, near Worcester, was a pupil at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College and he trained at Harlequin Stage School, Perdiswell.

Matt, who studied for a BTEC National Diploma in Dance at Kidderminster College, paid tribute to both WODYS and Harlequin for the training and support he has received from both.