A talented performer who won a scholarship to a top dance school has graduated with a diploma – and already bagged his dream job.

Jamie Evenden, 21, won the pass to the Urdang Academy in London when he was just 17.

He spent a year travelling to the city from his home in Victoria Street, Sheerness, before moving there at 18.

During his foundation course, he auditioned for a three year level-six diploma in professional dance and won a full scholarship for that too.

The former Danley Middle School pupil trained between eight to 10 hours a day on the course and has now graduated.

His ambition was to work as a dancer on cruise ships travelling the world and he has already been offered a job with Holland and America Cruises.

On July 29 he will be flying out to America for six weeks of rehearsals before starting on a six-month stint of entertaining guests cruising round the Bahamas.

Jamie has also been head-hunted and signed to an agency and his credits include as an extra in Steve Coogan’s film The look of Love, a backing dancer for singer Gabz on Britain’s Got Talent and as a pirate in a Peter Pan pantomime in Sheffield.

Meanwhile, his 16-year-old sister Shaunna, who has just finished her GCSEs at the Isle of Sheppey Academy, is hoping to follow in her older brother’s footsteps and make her way through professional dance college.

It was because she was having classes that Jamie decided to start learning.

He’s been dancing since he was 13 and his mum Jane said it was from the age of about 15 he knew he was going to go in that direction and that she and his dad Sean have supported him in all the ways they can.

She said: “We are so very very proud of him.

“He’s worked so hard with long days training, getting himself an evening and weekend job in London to support himself.

“Now the world is his oyster.”