He is a talented lad who has danced his way to being dubbed the county's answer to Billy Elliot.For John Robinson's dedication to dancing has already landed him places with two of the country's leading ballet schools at the age of just 11.

He is a talented lad who has danced his way to being dubbed the county's answer to Billy Elliot.

For John Robinson's dedication to dancing has already landed him places with two of the country's leading ballet schools at the age of just 11.

The youngster, who goes to Dereham's Busybodies Stage School, has been dancing since he was four and says he dreams of being a well-known performer on the West End stage.

He is certainly well on the way to achieving his ambition, for since September he has been Mid Associate at the Royal Ballet School in London, where he goes for ballet lessons every Saturday, and he is now waiting to hear whether he has earned a full-time place at the school.

John is also one of a small group of talented youngsters from across the country that have been selected to appear in a show with London Children's Ballet. He is now involved in rehearsals for the production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which will be performed in the capital in April.

John, who says one of his heroes is Darcey Bussell, said: 'I just feel really happy and excited. I think I am very lucky.

'I would love to be a professional performer. I just really enjoy dancing,'

He said it was when he appeared on stage in Coppelia with the English Youth Ballet at Norwich Theatre Royal last year that he realised he wanted to have a professional career in dancing.

'When I did the show at the Theatre Royal I just loved performing in front of all the people. I would love to be in lots of West End shows,' he said.

Nickie Hood, the principal of Busybodies, said John's star quality was obvious as soon as he joined the stage school less than two year's ago.

She said: 'He is a very talented and hardworking young lad, and very focussed. He has a dream and he is our own special Billy Elliot.

'I have been teaching for nearly 25 years and it is not very often you come across someone who has such potential and such dedication.'

To achieve his dream John has a very hectic dance schedule each week - on Tuesday he learns jazz and ballet at Busybodies, on Friday he does tap at Attitude Dance Academy at Blo'Norton, on Saturday he has classes with the Royal Ballet School, and on most Sundays he rehearses with London Children's Ballet.