Laura realises her ballet dream (From Gazette Series)

Laura realises her ballet dream

A DREAM come true awaits a six-year-old Bristol girl who will be taking part in the Nutcracker ballet alongside the Chisinau National Ballet at Bristol Hippodrome.

Laura Barefoot, from Fishponds, has serious heart problems and Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, together with Ellen Kent and Ballet International, has arranged for her to dazzle as a dancer on March 13. She will wear an exclusive ballet costume, which she gets to keep as a memento.

Laura's special day will start with a backstage tour of the Hippodrome, accompanied by her family (mum, dad and brother Adam, 11). After lunch there will be a sneak preview of the Nutcracker set being prepared on stage. Laura will then join in the ballet warm up and rehearsals and have photographs taken with the cast before the production starts at 7.30pm.

She will claim her ten minutes of fame in the spotlights during the opening scene of the ballet, before joining her family to watch the rest of the production from the auditorium. Afterwards she will be chauffeur-driven back home in style.

Performances of Grigorovich's Nutcracker continue until March 18. Tickets are available from the Bristol Hippodrome box office.

Make-A-Wish Foundation UK is a charity with one simple aim - to turn the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses into reality. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, corporate, celebrity and individual sponsors around the country, Make-A-Wish has granted nearly 4,000 wishes since it began in 1986 and is currently granting up to ten magical wishes a week.