By Robbie Steel

Last updated at 11:14, Saturday, 11 September 2010

A Cumbrian dancer could be taking to the skies after getting through the finals of a great British competition.

Zoe Gadd

• Video: Zoe Gadd dances - and talks about her competition hopes

Zoe Gadd, 27, a freelance choreographer, dance teacher and performer has won through to the final nine in the national British Airways scheme. It is run in conjunction with the London 2012 Games and looks to develop talent in people.

“There are some fantastic talented applicants and the competition is tough,” she said. “Nine of us have been shortlisted and the two applicants with the most votes win the flights to their chosen destination.”

Zoe, from Corby Hill, moved to Carlisle when she was 10, and graduated from the University of Cumbria in 2005 with a first class BA Honours degree in Performing Arts.

She later graduated from Newcastle College in 2007 with a distinction in Contemporary Dance and Ballet and teaches choreography at the University of Cumbria.

She recently teamed up with Newcastle based dance group Shardana Danza, run by Italian dance artist Andrea Masala, and they run intercultural dance across the North of England.

If she won the British Airways competition, she would get the chance to fly to a destination of her choice and work with other people in her field. Zoe said she would take the dance group to Africa.

“Winning would enable me and two other members of Shardana Danza to complete the first leg of our journey to Lecole des Sables, a dance centre based in Toulab Dialaw, Senegal,” she explained.

“The small fishing village houses the International Centre of Traditional and Contemporary African Dance. The exceptional setting offers a meeting place for dancers from all over the world, who can participate in workshops and seek new sources of inspiration on African soil.”

Zoe is hoping the public will vote for her before it closes on September 17. Visit www.greatbritons.ba.com/users/42212.

First published at 09:03, Saturday, 11 September 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk