A TEENAGE dancer is celebrating being crowned national champion after taking her last chance to triumph at the All England Dance Competition.

Natasha Agarwal, 17, was honoured with the prestigious title of Young Dancer of The Year 2013 at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

The All England Dance Competition is a competitive festival for amateurs, children and students of theatre arts.

It takes place every two years and, with the Elizabeth Hill School of Dance pupil set to turn 18 in the next year, this was her last chance to claim the prize in the youth category.

Natasha, from Eccleston Hill, told the Star: “It was honestly a dream come true. I’ve been doing the competition since I was five and have always thought: ‘Oh, I would love to be young dancer of the year some day...’ but never actually thought it would happen.”

Natasha has trained with the Greenfield Road-based school since she was just three, performing ballet, tap, modern and jazz.

She also studies classical Indian dance in Manchester.

Her victory tops past awards, which included success at the Idta Senior International Ballet and Tap Championships in 2011.

Presenting Natasha with the award was Dame Beryl Grey, the retired English ballet dancer who performed across the world from the age of 15.

Natasha said: “She is incredible; she’s had such an amazing dancing career. And not only that – she’s just done so much for young people in the arts, young people like me.”

Natasha has had a largely musical background growing up, and her talents go beyond dancing. She is also a classically trained singer.

She added: “I do a lot of opera and sacred music, and recently got a distinction for my grade eight.”

Over the coming months she will be focusing on performing numerous solo recitals around the north of England as she continues to train with her teacher Caroline Crawshaw, the retired vocal head of the Royal Northern College of Music.

Natasha, who is due to collect her AS-level results after studying maths, further maths, physics, chemistry and biology at Merchant Taylors sixth form in Crosby, said: “The performing world is so unpredictable. You never know when you’re going to have work. It’s good to have something to fall back on.

“I’m going to finish my A-levels and get those behind me, and then see where to go from ther