A talented young dancer from the Isle of Wight has his sights set on stardom thanks to sponsorship from P&O Cruises.
16-year-old Spencer Darlaston-Jones will be studying dance and musical theatre at the Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts in Swindon from September and, during his time there, he will be part of the P&O Cruises sponsorship programme, which aims to nurture and inspire new talent.
P&O Cruises senior vice president, Paul Ludlow, said:
“I am delighted that P&O Cruises is continuing to support young talent at the Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts. Through our sponsorship programme we are able to give these gifted individuals an insight into their chosen career as well as much-needed experience both on shore and at sea.
“The theatres on our ships are state of the art with LED screens and automation, which allows us to create contemporary world class, shows and recruit the very best young talent. We employ over 200 performers and each one spends two months rehearsing in our Southampton studios before taking the shows on board. I am proud that the P&O Cruises sponsorship programme is supporting tomorrow’s theatrical stars.”
Spencer Darlaston-Jones began dancing at the Suzanne School of Dance on the Isle of Wight at the age of 3. At the age of 11, he successfully auditioned for the part of a Lost Boy in the musical Peter Pan at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton then went on to join the UK tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver, performing as a member of Fagin’s Gang. Following this, he was awarded a full scholarship at Redroofs School for the Performing Arts in Maidenhead where he passed dance exams in tap, ballet and modern dance, worked in TV on Endeavour (ITV) and Keep it in the Family (ITV) and in film in Eddie the Eagle. He has performed in galas alongside Ron Moody and Mark Lester and competed in many dance competitions including the 2014/15 World Tap Dance Championships in Reisa, Germany where he gained 4 world titles.
Spencer Darlaston-Jones comments:
“I’m extremely excited and honoured to have been selected for sponsorship by P&O Cruises at the Wilkes Academy and am looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that this will bring. I chose to attend the Wilkes Academy because I was impressed with the audition process and how the audition classes pushed me as a dancer. I also enjoyed talking with the principals – including Jonathan Wilkes – which made me realise how passionate they are about the success of their academy and its students.”
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