A BUDDING ballerina from Barrhead has been asked to return to a renowned ballet school.

Gifted Robyn McKie, 14, was given a Direct Entry Award for The Royal Ballet International Summer School’s extended programme next year.

Instructors were so impressed with the youngster’s performances at the prestigious London dance school in July they presented Robyn with an achievement award from The Royal Ballet faculty.

The honour means Robyn will not have to go through an arduous application process next summer which would have pitted her against thousands of other dancers from all across the world.

Currently a fourth year pupil who trains and studies at The Dance School of Scotland in Knightswood, Robyn started performing at a young age.

Dancing evidently runs in the family as her mum Jayne now runs her own dance school – the Jayne Arthur Theatre School – where Robyn herself learned to take her first rhythmic steps.

Jayne is immensely proud of her daughter’s achievements to date and has thanked those who helped her reach the heights she has.

She said: “What Robyn has achieved in just over three years at Knightswood is really quite amazing.

“I can’t praise (director) Kenn Burke, the dance school and mainstream staff enough for the excellent training and teaching they provide for Robyn on a daily basis and for all the opportunities which have arisen to date and, in turn, the memories our family and close friends now have.”

Robyn has also been selected as part of a Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange project that will see the former Cross Arthurlie Primary house captain travel to New York next spring.

The recognition comes after the teenager starred in the lead child role as ‘Clara’ in Peter Darrell’s version of The Nutcracker two years ago.

Robyn has also passed each of her Royal Academy, Imperial Society, modern and national exams with distinction in the last three years.