Young dancer Tyka Edness is about to step into one of the greatest opportunities of her life after receiving a financial boost which will enable her to attend a performing arts school in the US.

The 13-year-old, who has just finished Dellwood Middle School, was presented with $3,700 this week from the Ross (Blackie) Talbot Foundation to help her family meet the costs of the Duke Wellington School of Performing Arts in Washington DC.

Tyka will spend the next three years at the school where she will major in ballet.

She said when she graduates from the dance school, she hopes to either go on the Philadelphia School of Performing Arts or to New York and then on to become a professional classical ballet dancer.

Tyka said: "I am due to leave on August 30, and am feeling quite excited.

"I know it's going to be a lot of hard work but it will be good. I'm feeling a little bit anxious but am more excited than anxious.

"I'm very grateful to the foundation for their help."

Tyka, who has danced for five years and is a member of United Dance Productions, said she first became acquainted with the Duke Ellington School when it formed a collaboration with her dance school.

From there her ambitions grew but her mother, Robin Francis, of St. John's Hill, Pembroke, said the dream would never have come true if it had not been for the foundation.

She said she knew the foundation was set up in 1999 to assist young Bermudians with artistic talent who hoped to go on to work in the entertainment industry.

"I simply called them and asked if there was anyway they could help," she said. "Their assistance this year is going to pay for half of Tyka's tuition fees and without it she would not have been able to go."

Clement Talbot, Blackie's son, said: "This is a young Bermudian who has a dream to become a professional dancer but who did not have the monies to pursue that dream. This is exactly why the foundation was established.

"Regrettably, we were not able to provide a scholarship, or commit to further assistance next year, but hopefully, Tyka will go on to do extremely well and we will be able to assist her next year, as well."