DRAMA students at Llanfyllin High School have won the chance to train with national dance and theatre groups.

Esther Humphreys will train with the National Youth Dance of Wales and Alex Hinks has won a place to train with the National Youth Theatre of Wales.

Both will be tutored by top national directors and choreographers this summer.

Studying at Llanfyllin High School sixth form, both have just completed their final year in A Level Drama and Theatre Studies, and Dance and Choreographic Studies.

Their final production is ‘Coppelia’.

Head of drama, Mandy Saunders, said: “I am excited for them both as they have been such wonderful students and not only are they extremely gifted but they are very grounded and they have inspired so many younger students with their work ethic and humility.”

Both Esther and Alex also performed with 300 national dancers for the Opening Ceremony of the Tae Kwon Do Championships at the Liverpool Echo Arena earlier this year.

In the final part of their dance studies course they have reworked a production of Coppelia, Esther played Coppelia and Alex played Franz.

In the plot, toys have been hidden in a dark toyshop where the sun must never shine on them, however, after being placed in the Toyshop reject bin Franz remembers how he was once a human and how the evil Toy Master has been turning young children into toys.

He works out a plan to rescue Coppelia and together they defeat the evil Toy Master and set all the toys free to become human again.

The finale showed all the performers dancing in the sunlight as humans once again.

The Ensemble Toys were played by the Year 10 BTEC Performing Arts students who have worked under Esther and Alex as part of their Dance and Movement course.