A TALENTED deaf performer has showed off her dance skills at a national showcase event.

Macy Keld, 11, from Scarborough, performed in Birmingham on Sunday 29 September, at an event organised by the National Deaf Children’s Society.

Macy was selected from dozens of hopefuls by the charity to take part in Raising the Bar, an intensive weekend of workshops in music, dance and drama, culminating in a showcase performance.

Macy, along with 19 other talented youngsters, spent the weekend at the Ruddock Performance Arts Centre being mentored by professional deaf musicians, dancers and actors before demonstrating her extraordinary talents onstage in front of dozens of parents, family and friends.

The Raising the Bar event was designed to inspire deaf young people and show that there is nothing in the arts that deaf children can’t achieve with the right support.

Mentoring the deaf young performers were the leading deaf performance companies Music and the Deaf, Deaf Men Dancing and Deafinitely Theatre.

Damian Ball of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “It filled me with pride to watch Macy and the other deaf youngsters display their incredible talents – what a wonderful evening. It was great to see what can be achieved in life with a bit of belief, drive and dedication."

“So often I hear people think deaf people can’t achieve in life – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. This weekend demonstrated so clearly that with the right support, deaf young people can aim for the stars and prove the doubters wrong.”