Fifty sets of little twinkle toes are waiting for the music to start. It's a cold Sunday afternoon in a dance hall in Clapham, south London, and hundreds of tiny dancers are waiting to audition. The girls dance first, dressed in pink leotards, tights, ballet pumps and hair scraped into tight buns. Three by three, they step forward to perform a short choreographed routine, leaping and twirling in front of three judges. Outside, throngs of mums and dads are waiting nervously for the verdict.

A few days later, in a school gym at Lucas Vale Primary in south east London, another group of children are waiting for the music to start. This time, boys and girls dance together. There are no scraped up buns, judges or over-eager parents, just a ballet teacher, piano player and squirming posse of tiny dancers with their afros, hair weaves and gorgeous array of over-excited faces waiting to begin their weekly class.

Though there are striking differences between the two groups, they have a strong bond – youth, innocence, passion for dance and, above all, the London Children's Ballet (LCB).

It's been 14 years since LCB was set up by Lucille Briance, and what a way it has come. Back then, it was self preservation that whirred her into action. Her ten-year-old daughter, Zoe, had been told she should try out for the Royal Ballet School, but Briance wasn't keen as it meant living there residentially if she was accepted. "I thought hmmm, I'm afraid she'll get in and I don't want to have to say no."

Looking around for other ballet school options, she found there weren't any. "I thought it was ridiculous! There were 500,000 children doing ballet dancing and there weren't any performance companies. So, although I didn't know anything about ballet, I decided it wouldn't be that difficult to hire someone who did, a studio, a theatre and sell some tickets. And the Royal Ballet School said they'd help me find a choreographer!"

Today, 600 children audition in October and November each year for parts in LCB's annual May production and their spin off ballet tours throughout the year. More children are also getting a chance to learn ballet at their week-long summer schools, and an outreach programme launched this September is bringing ballet to disadvantaged areas.

Despite its growth, LCB, which became a registered charity in 1994, has stuck to its roots. Auditions continue to be free of charge. "Any child who wants to dance, I want to see if we can provide them with an opportunity to perform," explains Briance.

School and charity tickets to the annual performance also remain rock bottom – costing just one pound. But demand continues to outstrip supply, which originally led to the decision to take highlights of the main performance into schools and hospitals after the main production.

"Although I didn't know anything about ballet, I decided it wouldn't be that difficult to hire someone who did, a studio, a theatre and sell some tickets."

It was here that schools like Lucas Vale Primary got their first taste of ballet, which resulted in children writing to Briance, asking to visit them for ballet lessons. "I had some fantastic letters," she admits. "And I began thinking it would be great if we could get the funding to pay for these lessons in schools." They began with sporadic workshops and then took the plunge with Lucas Vale in September.

Victoria Collinson

It was an instant success. Over 60 children signed up for what they anticipated would be 20 places. Each week, Victoria Collinson, ballet teacher for the main LCB production, and also a teacher at the Royal Ballet School, works with special needs children during school hours and holds after-school ballet classes in the evenings.

One challenge has been discipline. "Ballet is all about discipline, a silent art form which these children aren't used to. So at first they talked and moved and squirmed around," laughs Collinson. "Now it's fantastic to see them achieving."

"Children are transformed in terms of discipline and attention with ballet," confirms Briance. "Even school teachers cannot believe the difference. Children who are ill-disciplined in school will line up, do what they're told and really listen."

As LCB becomes increasingly popular and more of a year-round ballet school with dancers travelling from Birmingham, Wales, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, costs too have risen. The result, in spite of its success, is that there may now be a question mark over its future.

The biggest cost comes from the annual production, which is newly commissioned each year. LCB pays a young choreographer to create the ballet, a composer to create 80 minutes of music, sources materials and young designers to make 120 costumes that fit the different shapes and sizes. "Then there's administration, auditions, rehearsals, studio and chaperones. It is major work!" insists Briance.

"Ballet is all about discipline, a silent art form which these children aren't used to. So at first they talked and moved and squirmed around a lot."

In creative terms, it all pays off. As well as enthusing performers and audiences, high profile people from the ballet world attend each year to scope out new talent – sometimes dancers but mostly new choreographers and composers. "We have the artistic director of the English National Ballet, Central Ballet and Royal Ballet all coming to see the creative talent," confirms Briance.

"In financial terms, we're at a cross roads," confirms Briance. "We're limited in what we can do because of studio space, the cost of renting and much more."

The donation of premises would cut dance hall rent and ensure ballet continues to be offered to children from all walks of life. A corporate sponsor would also help towards the annual production costs and provide more outreach programmes. "To get a donation and/or premises would mean expanding our dance club into more areas across London and ensuring it's here for good."

With those, who knows what the future holds for these aspiring ballet dancers and creatives. Would thousands of other children like eight-year-olds Vivienne, Janey and Moses from Lucas Vale get the chance to become prima ballerinas and follow their dreams? They certainly look like they have the dedication, concentration and raw talent. If only they had a decent chance.

Find out more about London Children's Ballet by visiting www.londonchildrensballet.com or call Lucille Briance direct on 020 8969 1555.

By Barbara Walshe