A TOP European ballet teacher gave up the chance of a directorship with the Paraguay Ballet - because she had promised to come and teach young dancers in Otley.

Frau Marianne Fuchs, from Switzerland, has been running a four-day ballet summer school at the Newall School of Theatre Dancing in Bradford Road, Otley.

She is so well thought of that some of the young pupils saved up their own money so they could benefit from her teaching.

Frau Fuchs - an ex-director of the St Gallen Ballet Company, Switzerland - agreed to visit Otley after meeting Carol Newbould, principal of the Newall School. Mrs Newbould told the Wharfedale Observer: ''I met her through visiting my daughter Philippa who is a soloist in the Stadttheater in Switzerland. Frau Fuchs found out I was a teacher and invited me to watch training and rehearsals. She even enlisted my help during performances to see if any extra attention was required.''

Mrs Newbould said Frau Fuchs, a former star ballet dancer who is now 63 and has officially retired from teaching, was impressed by Otley. ''She liked the 'greenness' and the hills, and particularly the tubs of flowers outside the pubs. She was really taken with the old buildings. But she did complain of the cold.''

She also spotted some rising ballet stars at the Newall School. Mrs Newbould said: ''She's a very knowledgeable person and has been all over the world. She plucks out the best methods to devise her own excellent coaching.'' Frau Fuchs still judges major ballet competitions including the renowned Prix de Lausanne.

Mrs Newbould added: ''While she was here we went to Leeds, York, and the Yorkshire Ballet seminar at Ilkley.''

l The Newall School of Theatre Dancing re-opens for dance training again on September 7.

l YOUNG ballet students of the Christine Roberts School of Ballet achieved 100 per cent success in their end of term exams. The exams were held at Guiseley Theatre and the examiner was Gordon Wilson.

In May, the school celebrated its 20th birthday with three performances of Hansel and Gretel and Ballet Classique at Guiseley Theatre. Profits were donated to the English National Ballet in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was their patron. Fifty pupils have been invited to be guests of the company at a performance of Cinderella at the Palace Theatre, Manchester in November.

The school will reopen on Friday, September 4 with classes at the normal times. The annual presentation at Guiseley Theatre will start at 7pm.

Pre-juvenile Award: Abbie Hill, Laura Holt, Georgina Neal. Ballet Rosettes: Lucy Barry, Lucy Brown, Emma Cartwright, Felicity North, Emily Shuttleworth, Poppy Shuttleworth, Harriet Summers. Juvenille Medal: Sophie Clark, Anna Perfitt, Lucy Vinter. Preparatory: Jenifer Barker, Natalie Beckett, Rebecca Cliffe, Ellie Kershaw, Emily Whitaker. Primary: Catherine Born, Melinda Csenki, Amy Harris, Judith Tattersall, Victoria Thackray, Ella Thorp. Lower Grade One: Alex Ascough, Amelia Burras, Lorna Burras, Rebecca Harrison, Rebecca Simmons. Grade Two: Rebecca Beynon, Claire Holdsworth, Carly O'Hare, Gemma Peel, Nicola Ritchie, Cassandra Walker. Grade three: Abigail Crump, Jenny Pemberton. Grade five: Rebecca Crump, Katy Hanson. Theatre craft primary: Emma Barker, Robyn Vinter, Lucy Vinter. Tap primary: Faye Miles, Caroline Pickles. Tap grade one: Abigail Crump, Rachel Dove. Tap juvenile medal: Rachael Abbey, Emma Barker, Amy Harris, Alix Roberts, Kathryn Smith, Lucy Vinter. Tap preliminary medal: Rebecca Beynon, Rosie Dunsire, Catherine Warhurst.

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