From East Lothian Courier 8th Oct 2009

A PORT Seton gymnast mixed with some of music’s hottest stars at this year’s televised MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards after being chosen to show off her skills on stage.

Lisa Aytoun appeared alongside chart-topping artists Lemar and X Factor winner Alexander Burke at the 14th annual MOBO awards, held last week in front of a capacity crowd at Glasgow’s SECC.

The 20-year-old tumbled onto the stage to help present awards after impressing organisers at an audition just days before the show.

“My friend phoned me and we went along to the auditions in Glasgow and I had to show them what I could do as a gymnast,” said Lisa.

“I had to hold a vinyl record and do tumbles at the same time as the vinyl was what the winner’s name was printed on at the awards show,” she explained.

“I was a fantastic experience going up on stage and being part of it and I got to meet a lot of people and celebrities who were all really nice to me backstage.

All my family and friends were really supportive and watched it on TV so it was great for them to see me perform.”

The awards ceremony featured the best of British and international urban music talent, and was held outside London for the first time in its history.

Among those who performed was Michael Jackson’s sister La Toya.

Lisa, of Gosford Road, is a former pupil of Preston Lodge High School and is in her third and final year of study at Dance for All in Edinburgh where she is completing a professional stage dance course.

As well as performing gymnastics within award-winning Midlothian TeamGym, Lisa also teaches dance and gymnastic classes and has been part of a group of dancers who recently got through to the second round of a new TV show to be aired on Sky One called ‘Just Dance’.

“We have just found out that we managed to get through the first round so hopefully we will be able to go all the way and it would just be fantastic if we were able to get through,” she said.