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Jabez Sykes

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A FORMER ballroom dancer has been helping the cast of Oldham Coliseum's latest production to perfect their pivots and brush up on their ball heels.

Jabez Sykes from Greenfield is part of the dance ensemble for the ballroom comedy drama Kiss me Quickstep, which follows three couples as they compete at the national championships in Blackpool. He is also one of three dance captains training the ensemble which is made up of local volunteers.

Jabez (19) competed at the same championships in 2011 - coming third in the 13-and-unders - and said: "Everything that happens at competitions is pretty much bob-on with what happens in the show.

"You get all the stress from parents, your teachers, your partner ? everything adds to your nerves until you're on the floor and then you forget about it all as soon as you start dancing."

"When you're on the floor your adrenalin's pumping, you're really high - you're at that level where you're not even thinking about everyone around you. And then you get off the floor and you wonder whether you've done enough. You have to wait hours then for the result."

Jabez trained as a ballroom dancer from a young age and competed for nine years.

He is now concentrating on acting and did A-levels in theatre arts and performance studies at Oldham Sixth Form College. He has also appeared at the Coliseum in Oldham Theatre Workshop's performances of Eyam and The Little Mermaid.

Kiss Me Quickstep runs until April 30.