YOUNG dancer Amelia Humphreys has made what many girls of her age would see as the ultimate sacrifice to appear in a classical ballet – giving up tickets to see One Direction.

The world-famous boy band are to appear in London next month, and Amelia and her mum Lynda had tickets to see the band perform as part of their 2014 tour.

However Amelia has decided to swap a sought-after seat at Wembley Stadium for a rehearsal room at Stockport Grammar School after winning a place in an English Youth Ballet production.

The 12-year-old from Hartford, a pupil at Hartford High School, was chosen to appear in Coppelia at the Plaza Theatre in Stockport for three performances from June 13 to 14.

Also appearing will be Beatrice Turner, aged 11, from Weaverham, a pupil at Crowton Primary School, the girls among 200 young hopefuls who auditioned in March.

The talented young dancers in the cast will dance alongside English Youth Ballet’s international principal artists in a professional production, and are to take part in 60 hours of rehearsals at Stockport Grammar School.

“Amelia is a fan of One Direction, and we were due to see them perform in Wembley with friends next month,” said mum Lynda.

“However the concert clashes with rehearsals for the ballet, and Amelia said she could not give up the opportunity to appear with the English Youth Ballet.

“It was the first time Amelia has auditioned with the English Youth Ballet and her first big audition, and we didn’t expect her to get a place. She was going to gain experience, and we were over the moon when she was chosen.”

Lynda will be in the audience at the Plaza to see her daughter perform, along with husband David and son Charlie.

Amelia and Beatrice are members of the Dancing 4 Fun dance school, which is based at Christ Church hall in Barnton.

The cast for Coppelia, which follows the escapades of Franz and how he comically falls in love with a life-like doll, comprises six professional principals and 100 dancers aged eight to 18 from the north west.