Dancing queen Nicole Faux dazzled judges at a national dance competition to wIn four first-place prizes.

The five-year-old from Kidlington strutted her stuff in front of crowds at the British Theatre Dance Association's novice festival in Tamworth, near Birmingham, last weekend.

The pupil of the Dance 10 Theatre School, in Kidlington, won the tap, jazz, ballet and lyrical sections in the four- to six-year-olds age group - and was runner-up in the song and dance section.

Her mother Veronica Hughes, from Morrell Close, Kidlington, said it was the second time Nicole, who attends West Kidlington Primary School, had taken part in the competition. Last year, she was runner-up in one category and third in another.

She said: "It was a brilliant weekend. We had a fantastic time. It was very emotional - I cried constantly.

"It was like going to a theatre and Nicole looked gorgeous. Her confidence grew with each dance - she owned the stage.

"I knew she had improved since last year, but I see her all the time, so I didn't know by how much. I'm very, very proud. She has a lot of confidence for a five-year-old.

"Nicole is very fond of her teachers and we would like to thank them - without them she wouldn't be where she is now."

Nicole said she had great fun at the event and that her favourite dance was tap.

Dance teacher Jackie Crumell said 11 of her pupils had performed at the event and all had picked up some silverware.

She said: "We have entered the competition for quite a few years now and always come back with trophies, but never this many.

"Nicole was incredible. The confidence that came out of that child was amazing. But I'm chuffed for all of them. Every single child we took up came home with a medal."

Alyssa Linstron, aged six, from Chesterton, and Joseph Darcy-Alden, also six, from Yarnton, also shone at the festival, in which nine dance schools from across the country competed.