A late start did not stop a Haringey schoolboy who dreams of being a top dancer from winning a place at a leading ballet school.

Former Alexandra Park School student Jasper Arran, 17, was one of only 39 pupils accepted to study at the Central School of Ballet in London when it held auditions for more than 400 applicants in London, Glasgow, Leeds, Italy, and Japan.

Jasper has been dancing since he was 13, while the school’s director Sara Matthews said most successful students have been dancing since primary school.

Relative inexperience hasn’t stopped Jasper, who has just completed his first term.

He said: “You have to be dedicated to make it to the top of this profession but it’s my dream to be a dancer at one of the leading ballet companies when I graduate.

“The training is very challenging, similar to the training of the best athletes, but we are all motivated by the rewards of performing.”

During his final year, Jasper will join the school’s touring company, Ballet Central, which aims to give CSB students first-hand experience of professional dance.

Graduates from CSB go on to join the top dance companies all over the world, including the English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet, National Ballet of Estonia, Slovakia Ballet and Singapore Dance Theatre.