Stevenage dancer features in smash hit Barbie movie

Zara Richards owns the Warriorz performing arts academy and told the Comet she feels "very blessed" to feature in the blockbuster film.

Zara has lived in Stevenage her entire life, and is now a professional dancer and choreographer. She was one of only 70 dancers - including 30 women - to be selected for the film from more than 10,000 who initially auditioned.

Zara Richards was invited to the premiere of the new Barbie movie. (Image: Zara Richards)

She got to work with some of the world's most famous actors, including Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and told us that that the set at the Warner Bros studio in Leavesden was "incredible".

Following her role in the film, Zara was invited to attend the premiere ahead of the films official release on Friday, July 21.

Zara is now keen to share her story in the hope it can inspire other Stevenage residents. She told us: "As somebody who has been living in Stevenage my entire life, dance was a hobby for me at first, and I want to encourage young people that if you've got a dream you should chase it.

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"Doing this movie has opened so many opportunities for me, and it was an incredible experience - and it's a really, really good film.

"It conquers the idea of embracing who you are and, especially for females and young girls, it's a really powerful movie and I'm excited to be part of such a positive thing."

If you're heading to your nearest cinema screen to watch the movie, you can watch Zara performing right at the beginning, in the gold block party.

The Barbie film has become the US and Canada's biggest film of the year so far, said distributor Warner Bros.

Barbie has been the most popular movie of the year so far with audiences in North America - it made an estimated £120m in its opening weekend in the USA and Canada.

In comparison, fellow new release Oppenheimer made an estimated £72m in the USA.