TWO YOUNG dancers have secured professional parts in a hit West End musical.

Mia Sasha Mckenna-Bruce, nine, from Chislehurst, and Emily Juniper, 14, of Bexleyheath play Alison Summers and Susan Parks respectively in Billy Elliot The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

Mia's first performance on December 4 marked the pinnacle of a very successful few months. She first won a place at Belcanto London Academy (BLA) Theatre School, Passey Place, Eltham and within two weeks was selected from thousands of hopefuls for Billy Elliot.

Of her first performance, Mia said: "It is the best thing I have ever done. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be."

However Mia, the youngest in the cast, nearly missed her big break.

Angela McKenna-Bruce, Mia's mum, explained: "We were away on holiday in Spain for my dad's 60th birthday.

"We received a call from the casting directors who wanted to see Mia immediately so we had to fly home early in the morning to attend the audition and then we flew back to Spain in the evening."

Emily, also a student at BLA Theatre School, has just renewed her contract with the show after her initial six month contract came to an end.

Emily has only been dancing for two years and like Mia has studied musical theatre, ballet, jazz and modern dance.

Emily said: "I really enjoyed my first six months in the production and I think it's one of the best shows ever. When I got the letter saying they wanted me for another six months I started screaming.

"I was scared on my first night but we do two or three performances weekly, and as many as five if I have to fill in for other cast members, so I'm used to it now."

Sue Pendergast, co-principal of the BLA said: "We are very proud to have two girls in the show."

Mia is one of the first batch of students her age at the BLA. Sue said "We had a lot of young students interested in joining the school so we decided to drop the age of entry. Mia is proof of the success of the new junior department. Other young students have appeared in a Franz Ferdinand video."