EIGHT-year-old Moses Thompson loves to dance and looks set to become a real-life Billy Elliot.

Moses, from Ledbury, has successfully auditioned for the Royal Ballet in Birmingham and becomes a junior associate in September.

Moses, who started ballet lessons after watching his twin sister Hebe at her ballet class in Ledbury, has only been dancing for 18 months.

But his ballet teacher Susan Melvin, who runs Neat Feet, thinks he has “a definite natural talent.”

“The whole school is thrilled for him,” she said.

Moses will attend classes at the Royal Ballet every other week for the next two years and will continue his dance classes in Ledbury.

His twin Hebe began ballet when she was five and Moses “would watch through the door” and wanted to join in. His talent was obvious and he scored 98 per cent in a recent ballet exam.

Mrs Melvin said some of her pupils, all girls, have auditioned for the Royal Ballet in the past but Moses was the first boy and the first pupil to be accepted.

His proud mum Rachel Thompson said:”We’re incredibly pleased for him. He’s a natural dancer. From an early age, ever since he was very young, he’s loved listening to music and dancing at home.”

She said Moses had never minded that ballet classes were mainly full of girls.

“He just wanted to have a go and he enjoys it,” she said.

Moses recently danced in a children’s production of the Nutcracker at the Market Theatre in Ledbury.