A dance troupe which feared they were never gonna dance again have revealed it was a £30,000 donation from superstar George Michael which helped secure their future.

A showstopping performance by the Anjali Dance Company performed at a School in Headington six years ago impressed the pop icon’s family enough to offer the substantial lifeline at a time when funding cuts threatened the its future.

Nicole Thomson, founder of the dance company that has worked with people with learning difficulties for about 20 years, said the company will forever be in debt to the pop icon who passed away on Christmas Day at his Oxfordshire home.

She said: “It is always a struggle to survive as a company in this current climate.

“At the time one of George Michael’s sisters came to see a performance in Oxford and was completely bowled over by what she saw.

“When she heard about our difficulties she suggested that we apply to George’s charitable foundation for help, which we did, and we received two very generous donations which enabled us to carry on.”

Ms Thomson, the founder and artistic director, said the donation came over two years to help the company continue and amounted to about £30,000.

She added: “It was really wonderful and a very timely help in hand.

“Any regular grant funding for our core activities is always helpful in stabilising the company and allowing us to continue.”

The dance company, based at The Mill Arts Centre in Banbury, is spread across six different branches which include dancers of all ages young to old and specialises in training people with learning difficulties.

This includes regular training sessions, school workshops and also tours such as the upcoming UK show Genius before performances in France and Mexico later this year.

The company has worked with schools such as Mabel Prichard in Blackbird Leys and hopes to work with more schools in Oxford.

Ms Thomson added: “We are greatly indebted to George Michael for his help and we will always be grateful for his kindness and concern for others. He obviously really cared about vulnerable people and was just incredibly generous with his money.”

It was revealed earlier this month that George Michael was also the secret donor who helped save Oxfordshire beauty spot Thrupp Lake in Radley.