Britain’s Got Talent dancer’s Birmingham ballet school dream

The family of a real-life Billy Elliot who wowed judges on Britain’s Got Talent have launched a fundraising campaign to pay for his £35,000 dance school fees.

Budding dancer Joseph Chow, 11, of Boldon, Tyneside, has been offered a ‘once in a lifetime’ place at two prestigious ballet schools.

Simon Cowell recently described Joseph’s performance on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent with dancing quintet 5 Star Boys as “the best audition we’ve seen all day.”

He competed against 1,200 people for the chance to attend the Royal Ballet School in London and was one of only 12 boys selected.

He has also been offered a spot at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham which is run in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Mum Nathasha said Joseph - who also made it to the final of the BBC’s The Greatest Dancer TV series in 2019 - cried tears of joy when he received his acceptance letter.

But their joy has been tempered by the eye-watering fees and the family has been forced to launch an appeal to raise money to help pay for his dream.

Natasha, 46, a customer service advisor, said: “His life is dedicated to dance but his real true love is definitely ballet.

"But Joseph going to ballet school is financially dependent. It’s about affordability."

After teaching himself to dance by watching YouTube videos, Joseph was spotted by his sisters’ dance teacher at Sunderland’s Worx Dance Theatre Arts School when his mum shared a clip of him dancing on social media.

But he did not have the confidence to join the class because the pupils were all girls and he experienced bullying from girls who mimic his poses and call him gay.

Joseph’s experience echoes the struggle faced by the title character in the film Billy Elliot.

The story follows a North East schoolboy who discovers a passion for ballet during the 1980s miners’ strike and goes on to take a place at the Royal Ballet School.

Joseph trains at Val Armstrong’s School of Dance in Hartlepool where he can attend boys only classes.

His year six teacher Maddy Wiblin said: “Joseph has had a great passion for dance from a young age but it is only recently that he has found his love for ballet.

“The progress he has made in such a short time shows what an amazing talent he has. He is so dedicated and trains for many hours a week sacrificing many things to achieve his dream.”

“Without a doubt Joseph has inspired so many of our pupils to believe and achieve their own dreams.”

Visit Joseph’s fundraiser page at: Gofundmeballet to donate.

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