FRESH from his performance in Giselle, young dance prodigy Xander Bevan is encouraging more boys to take up ballet.

Xander, 12, danced the role of Gentleman of the Hunt in the English Youth Ballet production of Giselle at Preston Guild Hall and Charter Theatre on March 4 and 5.

The enterprising youngster has also started a company called Ballet Boy X, making it easier for boys to get hold of ballet gear.

Speaking to the Leigh Journal after the shows, he said: "The performances went very well. Ballet friends and adrenalin kept me going through the long hard days."

Xander says he was first attracted to dancing aged six when a 'ballet school did a presentation' at his school.

He said: "They needed boys and I offered my name. They rang my father and he was confused as we only had boys in our house!

"However my parents took me to the first lesson to 'get it out of my system' so to speak, and I've been doing ballet ever since."

He believes more boys should get involved.

"I would encourage any male to do ballet, for a number of reasons," he says.

"It keeps you fit, toned, ripped.

"Ballet is the foundation for all dance and many sports. I understand there's a stigma attached to male dancers, but just look at the shape these guys are in.

"And above everything else, me and the other nine boys who starred in Giselle had a supporting cast of more than 90 girls...

"The boys get a lot of female attention, which is always a bonus."

Xander says he is starting his boys' ballet clothes company because his mum struggled to find male ballet gear.

He said: "I want guys to be able to find everything they need to perform or rehearse."

His ambitions include getting into the Royal Ballet School or Northern Ballet, to eventually teach and to continue Ballet Boy X.

He says his dancing idols are Louie Spence from Pineapple Dance Studios, Australian Brendan Bratulic from English Youth Ballet, who trained with K-Ballet in Japan, and Xander Parish, the first British dancer to be employed with Russia's Mariinsky Ballet.

Xander's dad Lee Bevan said: "The dancers didn't leave between performances. They are proper grafters and it was a complete sell-out – it was full to the rafters.

"I was absolutely blown away by the performances.

"Xander was placed in the older group this time with 15 to 18-year-olds. Some of these kids are at performing art colleges.

"He worked so hard. We are really proud of him."