Maidenhead school student secures first major ballet role in Royal Opera House production

An 11-year-old Maidenhead school pupil has secured her first major ballet role in a production currently taking place at the Royal Opera House in London.

Lana Polden is taking on the role of one of the hedgehogs in the croquet scene with the Queen of Hearts in The Royal Ballet’s performance of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The Highfield Prep School student began ballet classes at the age of five and aged eight – after competing against more than 800 children – she successfully gained one of the 30 spaces to become a Junior Associate with The Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden.

Lana undertakes around seven hours of dance classes a week.

She said: “I have always dreamed of performing at The Royal Opera House and I’m so proud to be part of such a creative and dynamic production.

“I am in my absolute element when I dance and it is an amazing experience to be on stage at such an iconic venue.

“The laughter from the audience during the amusing scenes of the production is like a Mexican wave of sound when you hear it on stage, it’s an incredible feeling.”

Moving forward, Lana is hoping to continue dancing with The Royal Ballet School, either as a Mid-Associate or a full-time student at the Royal Ballet’s secondary school, White Lodge in Richmond Park.

Lana has also recently been invited to audition for Cinderella and Romeo & Juliet by the Royal Ballet School.

Sarah Wallace, head of Highfield Prep, said: “Highfield Prep School is so proud of Lana and the determination, focus and resilience she has shown on her journey to make it onto the stage of The Royal Opera House.

“She is an inspiration to all of us at Highfield Prep and she embodies the ethos of the school.

“The whole Highfield Prep community looks forward to continuing to support Lana in her incredible story of dance.”