Dancer Josie Sinnadurai is returning to the stage where she took her first steps on her way to a professional career.

The 21-year-old from Brecon will appear at Brecon’s Theatr Brycheiniog this month with the National Dance Company Wales, who she is now an apprentice with.

The company is bringing its latest production to Brecon as part of a tour that has also included stops in Poole, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Doncaster and Cardiff.

For former Brecon High School pupil Josie the Brecon dates will be extra special as she has appeared on the same stage in numerous performances with the local Westenders amateur dramatics group and the Mid Wales Dance Company, which is run by her mother Katie.

"It’s almost like a bit of a homecoming as it’s the stage I’ve performed on more than any other stage in my life. I’ve performed on that stage hundreds of times," said Josie who also attended Priory Church in Wales Primary School in Brecon.

Mum Katie and dad Paul, who works for the Brecon Beacons National Park and is also a ballet dancer, fuelled Josie’s passion for dance and at 15 she became an associate with the Cardiff based company.

This summer Josie graduated with a first class degree from the London Contemporary Dance School, where she trained for three years, and was awarded her apprenticeship.

"I had been an associate so it was wonderful to be able to come back as apprentice, it’s like a dream job," said Josie who said she had always stayed in touch with the Welsh company after her period as a school girl associate.

"I had done lots of classes in and around Brecon and after auditioning to be an associate I would have classes with members of National Dance Company Wales and also got to learn their repertoire."

At Theatr Brycheiniog on Friday, November 20 Josie and her fellow dancers will perform A Mighty Wind, choreographed for the company by Jeroen Verbruggen one of the most talked about choreographers currently working in Europe, and its repertoire of Walking Mad and Tuplet.

The following day the company will give a family interactive matinee performers where Josie and her fellow professionals will guide audience members who want to try dancing through the performance.

"Children and families can come along and watch and we invite children on stage and experience what life is like as a dancer and have question and answer sessions and explain the show as well."

Josie, who expects many friends and family to be in the audience, said she is keen to show how she has improved since training in London and working professionally - but still expects to enjoy her return to the Theatr B stage.

"The shows with children can be completely unpredictable as you never know what they are going to say or how they will behave or what questions they might ask or if things will go wrong.

"They are usually really enjoyable and they can be funny as well as children will sometimes laugh at different times to their parents during a performance.

"It can be hard not to lose your concentration if there is a laugh when you’re not expecting it but it is lovely to perform when you know people are enjoying themselves."

Josie also hopes young dancers will realise it is possible to follow their dreams and says she feels part of a crop of young dancers from the area: "I’m not the first from the Mid Wales Dance Academy to go away and train. I think some four or six people have gone onto vocational training and some have gone on to teaching dance.

"There is also a boy who is two years older than me, Harlan Rust, is professional dancer and two girls in full time training and other who have upcoming auditions with contemporary dance schools.

"It feels like there are a group of us going through dance schools and coming out the other side and paving the way."

The National Dance Company Wales will perform at Theatr Brycheiniog on Friday, November 20 at 7.45pm followed by a family interactive matinee performance on Saturday, November 21 at 1pm.