A ballet dancer is hoping her performance in a charity talent competition will inspire the older generation to “get moving.”

Emma Berens, who is over 50, will perform a mixture of contemporary and jazz ballet during the North London’s Got Talent contest, presented by North London Hospice, on Saturday February 6 at 7pm.

However, she admits she is “not in it to win it” and instead just wants to raise as much money as possible for people who need hospice care whilst she “has fun” on stage.

She said: “I’m not a professional dancer but I want to dispel the idea that people over a certain age cannot do things.

“My day job involves working at a secondary school, teaching French, Latin and maths- as well as other subjects on occasion.

“I teach just about everything but dance.”

Despite a lack of training, dancing has always been a lifelong passion for Ms Berens.

She enjoyed performing as a child but stopped when she took her A-Levels due to becoming ill with leukaemia.

She said: “I know how unpleasant it is to go through something similar to those in the hospice.

“I lost a lot of weight with my illness and got down to six stone, so I needed to build up my strength again. Dance really helped me.”

She recently began dancing again and took a professional exam at the Royal Academy of Dance.

She adds: “The other students taking the exam were 18 or 19 but I thought, why not?

“I think it is wonderful that there are opportunities for people regardless of age.”

Tickets for North London’s Got Talent cost £15.