Even though she was visiting Bermuda on vacation, trustee of the famed American Ballet Theatre (ABT) company, Patricia Hagan could not resist visiting some of the dance classes on offer around the Island.

When she saw 13-year old Ashley Miller, she immediately offered her a scholarship to attend the company's summer school. Now, the young dancer, who studies at Sal Holdgson's Somerset School of Dancing, is counting the days ("and hours and minutes'') to the end of the month, when she departs for the summer intensive course at the company's University of Alabama campus.

"She was actually offered a place at ABT's school in New York for the whole summer, but as Ashley is still so young, it was felt it would be more appropriate for her to attend a residential programme,'' explains Mrs.

Hodgson, who admits she is thrilled at the recognition accorded her student.

Noting that her school teaches the universally recognised R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dancing) system which examines pupils of affiliated schools all over the world, Mrs. Hodgson points out that at 13, Ashley is the youngest dancer in the school to have reached the Intermediate level after passing her grades and Elementary examinations.

"Patricia Hagan comes here every year on holiday we are very grateful that she took time out to become involved in the dance scene here,'' says Mrs.

Hodgson. "After she had visited one of our `majors' classes she was so impressed, she asked if she could come back. It was lucky that she did as Ashley had been sick the first time around, so she only saw her on her second visit.'' ABT is one of the world's great ballet companies, formed in 1940 from the nucleus of a group of dancers headed by the great Russian dancer Mikhail Mordkin who danced with Diaghilev's company and then became the partner of Anna Pavlova. The aim of the company has always been to create a museum of ballet's greatest classics besides commissioning the best modern choreographers. As a platform for the choreographic genius of Anthony Tudor, Jerome Robbins and Agnes De Mille, it became probably the most artistically diverse ballet company in the US. The long list dancers it has attracted are legendary, and include Baryshnikov (who also acted as artistic director for a time), Irina Baronova (who made an official visit to the Somerset School from the RAD two years ago), Erik Bruhn, John Gilpin, Nathalia Makarova, Gelsey Kirkland, Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, and Rudolph Nureyev.

"I was very surprised to be accepted and I'm really excited about attending the Summer Intensive,'' says Ashley, a student at the Bermuda High School for Girls. "Yes, I would like to make ballet my career, if possible.'' Despite her tender years, Ashley has appeared in Belinda Wright and Jelko Yuresha's Bermuda Civic Ballet production of `La Peri' two years ago, and in the New Jersey Ballet's `Sleeping Beauty' in 1994. She joined the National Dance Theatre of Bermuda that same year and was promoted to `Apprentice' when she was only 11, in 1995. This month, she was proud to be promoted again, this time as a full member of the company. She was chosen to appear in the Bermuda Festival-sponsored NDTB full-length production of `The Nutcracker' and believes that she may be the youngest dancer yet to have danced in their `corps'. Last year, she was also chosen by Paula Maguire to perform a solo at the opening of the annual Kidfest season.

Her teacher is Jayne Hawkins, LRAD, who trained at the London headquarters (where for many years, the late Dame Margot Fonteyn reigned as President) and came here three years ago as principal teacher at the school.

"I think Patricia Hagan was impressed with the standards here,'' comments Mrs. Hodgson. "She is certainly being very supportive in what we are trying to do. Ashley is one of our most promising ballet students and there are above 5 `majors' at the moment with another four approaching that standard. I think there are quite a few young people in Bermuda who have the potential to become professional dancers or teachers but, of course, the deciding factor is the level of dedication. Ballet, of all the dance forms, requires an amazing amount of time and work if you are to have any hope of ever succeeding! Ashley works very hard -- does classes just about every day -- and that's not always easy with a heavy school load as well. We have often noticed, though, that our best dancers tend to be good scholars and are the kind of people who have the determination to succeed in whatever they do.'' The Somerset School of Dancing, formed 27 years ago, and which offers modern, tap, jazz and character classes in addition to classical ballet, has been in Hamilton for the past 15 years. Now, they have been successful in finding a new home in the West End. In addition to the Hamilton base, Sal Hodgson is in process of setting up a new, fully equipped dance studio in the Masonic Lodge on Mangrove Bay Road.

DANCE SCHOLARSHIP -- Ashley Miller, 13, a student of the Somerset School of Dancing and member of the National Dance Theatre of Bermuda, has been awarded a summer scholarship to study with American Ballet Theatre.