From shy teenager to dance diva - that's the remarkable transformation made by Katie Whittle. She spoke to JENNY SCOTT. . .

IT'S a story as familiar and fantastic as the plot of a Broadway musical. A shy girl quite literally finds her feet when she learns to dance and ends up putting on an award-winning show with the help of some children.

Only in this case the story wasn't a Judy Garland vehicle set in smalltown America -- it was the dream-come-true tale of Rishton girl Katie Whittle and the 40-strong cast of Buddies youth theatre group in Accrington.

For Katie, 19, was behind the choreography for Buddies' North West NODA award-winning Oklahoma.

This, however, was merely the crowning achievement on what has already proved to be a fairly eventful few years for Katie, who hopes to make dancing her career.

"I was over the moon," she said of the award, which named the show best young theatre production in the North West.

"People don't realise how difficult it can be to choreograph a show like that.

"You have a stage of 40 children, half of whom have never danced in their lives before, and we had seven or eight numbers to perform.

"It's all quite challenging, but it looked brilliant when they did it.

"I was so proud of them. They put their heart and soul into learning those dance routines."

Part of Katie's delight came from having helped several youngsters struggling with teenage timidity win acclaim for their onstage efforts.

"At the start we had some children who didn't want to join in. In the show I'm doing at the moment there are nine lads who started off being really self-conscious.

"Now I've got them doing Greased Lightning and they are fantastic. I've got a lot of admiration for them because there are 30 girls in the group and it took a lot of courage for them to get involved in the show. To give a child that confidence is such an achievement."

A former pupil of Norden High School, Katie, of Maple Crescent, Rishton, was herself quite a shy youngster.

"I used to be quite shy, but then I came out of myself," she said.

Dancing was the key to her transformation from shrinking Violet to shuffle-stepping showstopper.

"I have danced since I was four years old," she said.

"I started off going to classes in ballet and tap at Accrington Dance Centre. Later I did a bit of jazz and modern. I got a teaching certificate in modern when I was 17 and an A in A-level dance at Blackburn College."

Katie now looks set to make the leap into a professional dancing career, thanks to her prodigious talent. She starts at the highly regarded Phil Winston Theatreworks in Blackpool in September.

"I will never be a ballerina," she said. "That's something you have to work towards from being young.

"But I would love to dance in a West End show. My favourite is Miss Saigon but unfortunately I don't look remotely Oriental, so if I had a choice I'd probably go for Grease or something like that."

Katie's involvement in choreography came about by chance. She and her family have a longstanding connection with Buddies, the youth section of Accrington Theatre Group which caters for youngsters aged 10 to 19. Her mother Irene is the Buddies' secretary, while her brother Adam is the assistant music director.

"I joined Accrington Theatre Group when I was eight, taking the younger children's parts," she said. "Then, when Buddies became established, I joined them."

At the age of 16 she dipped her toe into choreography, starting with a Buddies' production of Guys and Dolls.

"At first I wasn't confident," she said. "I had only ever written dance numbers for myself. But I thought, 'It's a challenge. Maybe I can do this.'

"I had all the CDs with the music on at home, so I sat down in front of the CD player with a note pad and a pen. Then I showed my ideas to my mum to see if she had any suggestions.

"I have my own shorthand. When I went to college I learned how to do proper choreography, but that's a bit more technical than what we need for this.

"For these shows, if there's a dance position I can't describe I draw a picture with stickmen. I get my ideas from everywhere -- usually from watching other people dance."

Since that first musical, Katie has choreographed three shows for Buddies, with a fourth production called Showability already set up for May 22.

"I had the idea of asking the children for their favourite musicals -- the ones kids love but never get a chance to perform," she said.

"If I thought we could put them together to make a show.

"There's all their favourites in there -- Miss Saigon, Joseph, The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, an Abba medley, finishing with a Grease mega mix."

It sounds as if Katie's enjoying choreographing shows in Accrington almost as much as she'd like life on a West End stage.

"I love it," she admitted. "I could quite happily do this forever. I get such a buzz out of it -- perhaps because I've been a Buddy myself.

"I want to dance for myself because I want that opportunity, but if that never happens I get just as much satisfaction from teaching."

Catch Showability at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre on Saturday, May 22. For tickets call (01254) 391550.