'We're a normal working class family but our son is Birmingham's answer to Billy Elliot'

A West Midlands schoolboy who was diagnosed with a life-changing condition looks set to become a top ballet dancer. Type 1 diabetic Carter J Mundon only started learning ballet two years ago but has made the next round of auditions for the Royal Ballet School in London.

After competing against more than 1,000 children to get through his first audition, Black Country lad Carter J is undergoing a gruelling training period to prepare him for his second round in February. Describing themselves as "normal working class", Carter J's family said if successful, he would leave behind his life in the West Midlands to enrol at the Royal Ballet's White Lodge residential school.

"It was musical theatre to start with. His dance teacher said maybe he could do freestyle, then ballet and tap" said Carter J's mum, Biba Mundon. The schoolboy trains at Debonair Dance Academy in Cradley as well as the Royal Ballet in Birmingham - and has taken to it like a natural.

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"We nearly lost him" said Biba. "Type 1 is a challenge for Carter, with his insulin. "I think dance helps with his mental health. [It's] what he has achieved and obviously having type 1 diabetes is a challenge. He absolutely loves dance it is where he can express himself.

"He has only been doing ballet for two years. Within this time he has obviously done gradings he just got distinction in his grade three exam" said Biba. Eleven-year-old Carter J currently attends the junior associates programme, run by the Royal Ballet London, in Birmingham every Saturday, which he started in September.

Biba said that if Carter J did not get into the Royal Ballet's residential school, he would go for the weekly Birmingham Academy. "We decided to go for London, [it would be] full-time school in London. We thought: 'Let's try'.

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"The audition for that was two weeks ago and we heard this week he got through to the next audition in February. It's blown our minds just after two years, it's amazing." Carter J was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2022.

His mum said: "It grounds him it makes him stronger. It encourages other people who have type 1 diabetes, it doesn't stop you from doing anything.

"He doesn't let anything phase him, he loves to talk about it and he is really proud of the fact. His dance teacher at Debonair, Debbie, is really amazing." Biba works as a school support assistant and Carter J's dad Wayne, 49, as a civil servant, something which Biba said was a world away from dance and ballet.

"It is crazy to think, my husband has always been football-orientated, to get his head around his youngest son loving dance, it makes him emotional to watch Carter J dance.

"When you are not from the dance world and you see your child get an audition for the best ballet schools in the country we have been over the moon. We are from Netherton, we are a normal working class family it is just amazing, we are so proud."

Carter J dances at Debonair on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturday mornings and then the Royal Ballet Birmingham programme on Saturday afternoons. Explaining what is to come, Biba said: He is aiming for his grade four and practising until February.

"White Lodge only has 15 boys, they are quite strict but we are really proud of what he has done. It would be crazy to send my 12-year-old to live in London."