South Shields dancing teen up for award

Josie Harbertson, 15, has been put forward in the Child of Achievement category of this year’s Gazette awards - which recognises how she has managed to achieve dancing success despite suffering both knee and foot injuries.

The Best of South Tyneside Awards have a headline sponsor in Siemens and are being held in association with The Customs House – with Port of Tyne, BT South Tyneside, Barbour, David Gray Solicitors, South Tyneside Homes, UK Asbestos and Harlow Print as category sponsors.

Josie, from Ashley Road, South Shields, has been a member of Lumsdale Theatre Arts School, South Shields, since she was two and a half and this summer will take part in a summer school at the Laine Theatre Arts school in Surrey.

The past year has already seen Josie win the Le Classique de Danse under-18 theatre award and she travelled to Southport to pick up the accolade.

However, Josie, who lives with parents Paul and Karen Harbertson was unable to perform at the ceremony because she dislocated her knee in February while training and had to take six weeks off.

In March the St Wilfrid’s RC College pupil also won the modern, plus the song and dance sections and came second in tap dancing at the Northern Counties Dance Teachers Association Championships, at the Customs House in South Shields.

Mum Karen said: “She will be over the moon with this award nomination and I am really pleased she has been put forward.

“She has had another injury, she has fractured her foot three weeks ago and been out of dancing since then.

“She has been working really hard, so we think her injuries have been caused by her doing too much.

“But we’re due to go back to hospital this week but we are sure she will be fine.”