The York woman who has won a place at circus school
A teenager with a talent for aerial acrobatics has secured a place at "circus school" to study clowning and trapeze.Beccy Thomas, 18, from Rufforth near York, will enrol on a showmanship course at the National Centre for Circus Arts in London.She only started taking aerial classes at Studio Cloud Nine in York four years ago, but immediately fell in love with the adrenaline-fuelled activity."When I finished school and everyone was saying, 'what do you want to do now' and mentioning different things, I just wanted to do circus," she said.
Miss Thomas takes trapeze, hoop and silk classes, all of which involve being suspended from the ceiling using various apparatus, performing movements and holding positions.One of the most well-known is the drop, when an aerialist will perform a controlled fall into a different pose. This can include free falls, rolls, or other rotations but the emphasis is on the moment of the descent, which is a test of strength and control."On your first time doing a drop you think 'oh gosh I can't do this', it's that rollercoaster feeling," Ms Thomas explained."But after a few times, it's just fun."After encouragement from her aerial teacher Zoe Partington, Miss Thomas decided to apply to study at the centre. She described her family as supportive, if a bit surprised, that she wanted to pursue a career in performing arts.
"I think at first it was a bit of a shock, but I've always been the crazy child," she said."After a while I just decided 'I want to do this' and I told my teacher and she'd mentioned this university and I thought it was so amazing, I just had to apply."Places on the three-year course are highly sought after - the centre only accepts 30 students per year - and she had to go through a rigorous application process.This included submitting videos showcasing her capabilities, before being invited to an audition day in London with other hopefuls. Ms Thomas will be starting in September, and will graduate with a BA Hons in Circus Arts. The curriculum includes theory, juggling, clowning and even mastering the art of the teeter board, an apparatus that looks like a seesaw.Once graduated, Miss Thomas hopes to follow in the footsteps of previous alumni, and join the Cirque du Soleil or the entertainment team on a cruise ship.Speaking on behalf of herself and Studio Cloud Nine co-founder Dmytro Kulyk, Ms Partington said: "We couldn't be prouder of Beccy and what she has achieved and we were both thrilled to find out she had received a place."Her journey is a testimony to her dedication and hard work, an inspiring reminder that impossible is nothing."Reflecting on the "lightbulb moment" that convinced her to turn her love for circus arts into a future career, Ms Thomas added: "I was just so into it. I was just completely obsessed and still am."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
14 minutes ago
- The Sun
BGT star looks VERY different in racy new role 13 years after finding fame on show and splitting from partner
A POPULAR Britain's Got Talent star looks VERY different in her new racy new role. It has been 13-years since this performer found fame as part of a singing duo on BGT, and is now a West End star after splitting from her partner. 7 7 7 The star in question is Charlotte Jaconelli. The singer, now 29, was just 16 years old when she auditioned for Simon Cowell as one half of singing duo Jonathan and Charlotte, alongside her friend Jonathan Antoine. The singing pair won over the judges with their rendition of Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion 's duet The Prayer in their audition, and made it to the finals. They eventually finished as runners up on the 2012 series, narrowly losing out on the win to Ashleigh Butler and her dog Pudsey. Charlotte said at the time: "Oh my God, we came second. It's incredible." Today, the performer looks a world away from her BGT days - and is now a megastar on London 's West End. In fact, she has revealed her next racy role which sees her transformed into a sex siren. Announcing her big news, Charlotte shared a VERY sexy snap of herself in costume, as she gets ready to star in Burlesque The Musical. The star shared some behind-the-scenes snaps, which included her in an eyepopping leotard which she almost spilling out of. Her sexy look was completed with a pair of black tights. Announcing her exciting news, Charlotte told her fans: "IT'S BURLESQUE! Meet Queenie - My theatre fairy god mother @todrick keeping me busy and singing notes as high as my heels. "See you at The Savoy this summer to bring the iconic @burlesquethemusicaluk to the main stage. "Hold your hats for the genius of @stevenantin & Miss Hall…it's gonna be FABULOUS." LIFE AFTER BGT After making a huge impression on BGT viewers, Jonathan and Charlotte, who first met when they were 11 years old at school, went on a UK arena tour. 7 7 7 The singing duo then recorded their first album, Together, in 2012 for Simon Cowell's label Syco. Their second album, Perhaps Love, was released a year later in October 2013. However, the pair went their separate ways in 2014 after they were both offered solo record deals by Sony Deals. But despite starting their journey together, Jonathan previously admitted that the duo were no longer as close. Asked by ITV's Lorraine if they were "still pals" in 2017, he admitted: "We don't really get to speak very often but that's the nature of it. "You don't really get the time to speak to your friends, my family comes everywhere with me and they're my longevity." BECOMING A WEST END STAR After going solo, Charlotte headed for the bright lights of the West End, and has since become a successful theatre star. She made her debut in 2018 as part of the original cast of The Boy in the Dress. Since then, Charlotte has appeared in Heathers: The Musical, and Sunset Boulevard alongside Nicole Scherzinger. Timeline of BGT Winners Britain's Got Talent has been thrilling fans since it burst onto the scene in 2007. Here we take a look at all the BGT winners - from the first ever one to the most recent: 2007: Paul Potts - The first ever winner of BGT was opera singer Paul Potts. He saw off competition from Connie Talbot, The Bar Wizards, Bessie Cursors, Damon Scott and Kombat Breakers to win. 2008: George Sampson - In series two of Britain's Got Talent a young George Sampson wowed judges and viewers with his impressive dance moves. 2009: Diversity - Dance troupe Diversity scooped the BGT crown and beat of competition from singer Susan Boyle, who was strongly tipped to win the show. 2010 - Spellbound: Gymnastic troupe Spellbound really impressed judge Simon Cowell with their stunning routines and incredible stunts in 2010. At the time, the music mogul said: 'I can only say on live television that was one of the most astonishing things I have ever seen.' 2011 - Jai McDowall: Viewers were stunned when Jai McDowall won the show in 2011, as young singer Ronan Parke was the favourite to win the series. 2012 - Ashleigh and Pudsy: Ashleigh Butler and her adorable pooch Pudsey stole hearts when they performed in series six of the talent show. 2013 - Attraction: Hungarian shadow artist group Attraction won the seventh series of Britain's Got Talent. The squad had taken part in the German version of BGT in 2012, however, they had only placed seventh. 2014 - Collabro: Classical music band Collabro faced tough competition in the 2014 final as all the finalist were singers, but they went on to scoop the crown. 2015 - Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse: Dog lovers everywhere could't get enough of Jules O'Dwyer and pet pup Matisse. The impressive duo even performed on a tightrope to secure their win. 2016 - Richard Jones: Army man Richard Jones became the first magician in the show's history to win Britain's Got Talent. 2017 - Tokio Myers: Pianist Tokio Myers impressed the judges with his blend of classical and electronic music. 2018 - Lost Voice Guy: Stand-up comedian Lost Voice Guy, who performs with a speech synthesiser, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was six months old. However, he defied the odds and is a BGT champ. 2019 - Colin Thackery: Veteran army officer Colin Thackery warmed the nations hearts with his singing voice. He was crowned winner of BGT after singing Michael Ball's Love Changes Everything. 2020 - Jon Courtenay: Singer and pianist Jon Courtenay was Ant and Dec's Golden Buzzer act. After he won the £250,000 prize he said: ""Just amazing, I can't believe it." 2022 - Axel Blake: Comedian Axel Blake scooped the crown after the show was off air for two years during Covid. 2023 - Viggo Venn: Known for his high-vis jackets, comedian Viggo Venn was victorious in 2023. 2024 - Sydnie Christmas: The reigning champ is singer Sydnie Christmas.
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Gogglebox star reveals heartbreaking death for major family on the series
A GOGGLEBOX star has revealed his family heartache after a devestating death rocked the clan. Tom Malone Jnr took to Instagram to share their sad news. 4 4 4 The former Goggleboxer confirmed the family's beloved dog, Bob, had passed away. Tom shared a series of snaps alongside Bob, including one of him as just a puppy. In another photography, Tom could be seen beaming as he sat proudly at the side of Bob. Confirming the sad death, he captioned the series of photos: "Good boy Bob….Rest easy big man." The Manchester based Malone clan have been fan favourites on the Channel 4 programme for over 10 years and are regularly accompanied by their dogs on the family sofa. One fan commented underneath the snap: "Sending the family love." Before someone else added: "There are no words my fiend, seeing so much love to you all, I'm so sorry xx." As a third added: "He's up there with dave." Dave was the Malone family's other pet pooch who usually sat with them as they tuned into that week's television. Dave passed away in October 2023. Gogglebox star takes swipe at his ex after devastating split Julie Malone also shared her tribute to the dog as she revealed how Bob had spent his final days. Alongside her own snaps of the pooch, matriach Julie wrote:" Today we sad goodbye to our beautiful protective Bobby. "He spent his last day doing what he loved , watching over the Grandchildren playing in the garden. "We are heartbroken, RIP our beautiful Big Bob xx." 4
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
EastEnders star suspended after slur on Strictly set
Eastenders actor Jamie Borthwick has been suspended by the BBC after using a disabled slur in a phone video while on the set of Strictly Come Dancing in Blackpool last November. The BBC has stated that Borthwick's language is "entirely unacceptable" and does not reflect the values of the BBC. Warren Kirwan, media manager at disability equality charity Scope, condemned Borthwick's language, stating that such attitudes have wider negative consequences for disabled people. This incident follows Wynne Evans' recent departure from BBC Radio Wales after he used "inappropriate language" during the launch of the Strictly Come Dancing tour. Evans stated that the comment was a nickname for fellow contestant Borthwick, and was not sexual or directed at one of the female cast.
