A teenager who has dreamed of being a ballet dancer his whole life is struggling to pay for his tuition after suffering a setback due to an injury.

Matteo Rollini is studying at the prestigious Moorland Ballet School in Clitheroe.

The 17-year-old was previously enrolled at the Royal Ballet School at White Lodge in Richmond, London, however, after suffering a knee dislocation due to a disease called Osgood-Schlatter, Matteo was forced to drop out in 2019.

After getting back to dance, around a year later in 2020, he was searching for a new school to continue his tuition, which took him up to the Ribble Valley.

Matteo, from Nottingham, said: “It has been extremely difficult to come back after my injury.

“I have needed a lot of help and tuition to get me back to strength.

“After a prolonged period away, you lose your strength and stamina so I have needed to build that back up.

“I am really enjoying it here, this is such a beautiful area of the country and it’s a great place to be.”

Matteo’s interest in dance began at a young age, with him training under his mother, Lesley Rollini, who is a ballet teacher.

He was noticed by the Royal Ballet School when he was aged just eight and started tuition with them when he was 11.

He continued to train there for around four years, with his tuition being subsidised.

After his injury, he had to leave London and upon finding a new school, his mother tried to pay for Matteo’s tuition.

But due to the pandemic and the increase in the cost of living, Lesley is unable to fully fund her sons professional training.

Matteo added: “It has been quite difficult financially going from Covid and being home all the time to coming back and having these fees.

“With the cost of living going up is has been getting difficult finding the money to find school.

“It is expensive, you get good tuition and it is a great school but of course it gets difficult.”

This inspired Matteo to set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page to try and help support his final year of tuition in Clitheroe.

He is hopeful that he will be able to find the funds so he can complete his training.

Lesley said: "I am very proud of Matteo. When he suffered his injury I was worried he would not get back. He has worked very hard to go into ballet and I am so proud that he is achieving his dream since he was a boy.

“When he has finished his schooling, Matteo is hoping to join Northern Ballet or move to America to join a ballet programme there."

If you would like to donate to Matteo’s fundraiser, you can do so here.