Dalkeith teenager hopes to make her dream come true after being accepted at prestigious New York dance school

Midlothian dancer hopes to move Stateside after impressing at auditions

A teenage dancer from Dalkeith is hoping to make a dream move to America to study dance after passing auditions for one of the most prestigious dance schools in the world.

Ingrid Cochrane, 17, is now busy raising money to make her "dream come true" and take her place at Joffrey Ballet School in New York in August. The former pupil at Clifton Hall private school in Newbridge has set-up a GoFundMe page and is looking for sponsorship deals to enable her to cover some of the costs of around £40,000 a year for the four-year course.

She said: "It will cost me roughly £40,000 to get over there, that's for housing, travel and the fees, which were £22,000 last year.

"I hope to fly over in August with the course starting in September. It's a four-year course, but given the costs I will have to pay one year at a time, as it will cost all together around £40,000 a year potentially.

"So I'm thinking that even if I get a year or two at the school it will give me the training and contacts I need to make a brilliant start to my dance career, that's the main thing.

"It's a dream come true to be accepted at Joffrey. I went down to Birmingham last summer for an intensive three-day audition. People from Joffrey flew over from America to do classes with around 100 of us.

"We were being monitored while we were there. So during the three days everyone was being auditioned at the same time. I was told to do ballet and contemporary jazz.

"I then found out at the beginning of this month that I had been accepted, it was such a shock! I didn't even consider that I would be accepted. There was so much unbelievable talent there at the audition, so I had to re-read the acceptance email about 15 times to believe it!"

Dalkeith teenager Ingrid Cochrane hopes to travel to New York after winning a place at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School.

Ingrid is now turning her attention to raising the funds needed to get her to New York.

She said: " I'm a passionate and hard working person and the Joffrey Ballet School is my dream place to train and study but this incredible opportunity costs a lot of money and my family and I have been fundraising to help cover the costs. "The goal is to raise £11,900 with the online fundraiser, that was the cost for houses last year. So that's the basis we used when setting a target.

"We also have money saved up already which will cover flights and moving there. I will then continue to raise money when I'm over there so I can stay on the course as I go. I turn 18 in April so I will be able to work while studying to raise more money.

"I left school last year as I wanted to take a year out to focus on my dance training and explore my options. I got my Nat 5s and highers so I didn't want to waste time studying for another year at school."

Ingrid has been a member of Southside Dance School in Bonnyrigg for most of her life and is now looking for more support to make her dream come true.

She said: "I have been there since I was four. It's my family, they got me to where I am today. They have been so supportive.

"I have emailed my old school and a bunch of dancewear companies to see if they are looking to sponsor me and I will promote their brand.

"Clan Cochrane in America are looking to potentially sponsor me given my surname. Having Clan Cochrane there if I do go to America will make me feel more at home, with a support structure of people there for me, so I wouldn't be alone in the big city.

"I'm really working hard to achieve this absolute dream of mine and I hope it comes true and I can study dance in New York.

"It's called the ballet school, as that's what it started as, but they also do jazz, contemporary dance, theatre and commercial.

"I actually got in on jazz and contemporary. I enjoy those types of dance the most, but I also enjoy ballet as well as it's great for posture.

"As far as I am aware nothing like this has ever happened to someone in my hometown of Dalkeith and it's my goal to make my town and family proud."