A BARNSLEY dancer dubbed the ‘new Billy Elliot’ travelled to Leeds for his first day as a Royal Ballet School junior associate.

Keenan Faulkner, nine, found out he had a place on the scheme for promising dancers after an audition in April.

He attended the first of 27 sessions at the Royal Ballet School’s Leeds studio last Saturday. Mum Zoe, of Racecommon Road, Barnsley, said Keenan has remained unfazed by the whole thing.

She said: “I am probably more nervous than he is, he just takes it in his stride and gets on with things.”