A teenage dancer from Guildford will be in the spotlight when Ballet Central plays the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on June 24 as part of a major UK tour. 

Molly Charlton, 19, is in her third and final year at Ballet Central, having first performed with Surrey Youth Ballet at the age of seven. She made her professional dance debut in Australian Ballet’s Swan Lake at the London Coliseum in 2016.

“I started dancing when I was two years old with Arden Holford School of Ballet, where I took classes during my time at Barrow Hills School,” Molly says. ”My training then continued as an associate with the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden.”

The Ballet Central company is made up of 32 young dancers: the 2024 graduating class of the world-renowned school, based on the South Bank in London, are the future stars of dance.

“Being a student at Central is amazing as it means I get to dance different genres every day, from contemporary to classical ballet,” Molly adds. “An average day with Ballet Central consists of an hour and a half ballet class, and then rehearsals for the pieces we are performing on tour for around four hours. Long and challenging days, but very rewarding. 

“The Ballet Central tour has three pieces in act one. Stay On It is a contemporary piece by Jules Cunningham, Night Flight, a neo-classical work by Carolyn Bolton, and a contemporary piece by Daniel Davidson, I Think We’re On Different Planets.

“After the interval we perform the third act of Coppélia by Marius Petipa and re-staged for our tour by Adela Ramirez, Central’s third year ballet tutor. 

 “My whole family and many of my friends are coming to watch, including some of my teachers from Barrow Hills School.”