A YOUNG dancer has been showcasing her best moves in front of thousands of people after securing a role in the stage production of a popular children’s book.

Alex Patterson, from Stanhope, County Durham, has been cast as Diane in David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny, which runs at the Sunderland Empire until Sunday.

The 17-year-old was one of hundreds of young hopefuls who auditioned for the role after Gangsta Granny producers, Birmingham Stage Company, announced they wanted to cast local girls for the part when the show came to Sunderland. Alex captivated them with her video auditions and last month received the news that she and Rhiane Finley, from Sunderland, will alternate playing the character over eight performances.

In the story, Diane is a 12-year-old girl who auditions for a talent competition. The stage production sees Alex perform a solo dance routine and appear in two other scenes.

Alex, a gifted BTEC Level 3 dance student at Sunderland College, said: “I’m really happy that I got the part. I think around 500 girls auditioned for the role, so there was a lot of competition, and it’s a great feeling to know they were impressed with my performance.”

The budding performer, who attended St Leonard’s Roman Catholic School in Durham City, is a member of Worx Dance Theatre Arts in Sunderland and has been dancing since she was four.

She is the seventh generation of her family to dance professionally, having already performed in Repunzel at Durham’s Gala Theatre in 2012 and successfully auditioned to be a part of Weardale Railway’s Polar Express.

Alex, who is also an award-winning acrobatic dancer, said: “My mum was a dancer and I was always nagging her to take me to dance classes when I was younger. It’s very important for me as I’ve grown up around it and have been inspired by all the generations of my family who have danced for a profession. I would love to follow in their footsteps and carry on the family tradition.”

After she finishes her studies at Sunderland College, Alex hopes to study at a specialist performing arts school before launching her career in the commercial dance industry.

Zoe Bellamy, dance lecturer at Sunderland College, said: “Alex is a very talented student and grasps every opportunity offered to her. We encourage all of our students to gain as much performance experience as they can while studying with us to prepare them for life as a professional in the industry.”