A FORMER Chester Queen’s School girl turned professional dancer has stepped out in style when she performed during the US Open tennis tournament this week.

It was the latest in a series of triumphs for Megan-Louise Preston which has also seen her perform at the exclusive New York Fashion Week and on TV’s So You Think You Can Dance.

The 21-year-old’s success has justified her decision not to go the university route after leaving the Queen’s School.

She said: “The experiences I have had in the past two years are more than I could have ever imagined.”

While her peers are finishing degrees Megan is flying back and forth between two of the most popular cities in the world.

She gained a scholarship at The Hammond School in Chester where she trained intensively for three years.

From there she went on to study at Broadway Dance Center in New York, where she achieved the Outstanding Student Award and performed at the exclusive New York Fashion Week Couture Show, alongside violin artist Jane Hunt.

Megan recently moved to London where she has danced with The London Ballet Company and was also first reserve on the BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance.

“Being involved in a TV show was very exciting and, although I never made it on to the live finals, it definitely helped me to understand who I was and who I wanted to be,” she said.

“Getting so close only made me stronger and more determined to succeed.”

Throughout the US Open, Megan is performing with the Violin Venus Show as well as again at the Couture show on September 17.

She is also set to dance for the beauty brand Sephora on New York’s renowned ‘Fashion Night Out’ under the choreography of Dana Foglia, who has danced and choreographed for Beyonce on her ‘I am Sasha Fierce’ Tour.

Next month she will return to the UK and intends to spend the next few months focusing on her new initiative Awareness Through Dance, collaborating established artists to empower and engage with youth in disadvantaged communities.

“I am so lucky to be holding down this lifestyle, and very privileged to be able to do what I enjoy doing more than anything else on earth, I truly believe dance has the power to re-connect and bring light back in to the world,” added Megan.

For more information and updates on Megan, visit her website www.meganpreston.com