She's the Scottish ballerina who has pirouetted 1600 miles from home to study at the world's most famous ballet school.

But after finishing her first year at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Hayley Stobo has been forced home with a career threatening injury.

The 17-year-old, who was the first Scot to win a place with the 250-year-old school, had to wind up her studies nearly a month early and miss her end-of-year exams, after a hip injury left her unable to dance.

She has damaged her right hip – and says her ballet teacher was in tears after doctors advised her to cut short her first year.

Hayley, said: "Its been a recurring injury for about five months.

"I was given a reprieve from doing my dance exam as my hip is really injured. I've overworked certain muscles and lost the ones that I should be using. I was disappointed but I didn't want to be even more detrimental to my body

"I passed all my exams anyway – they marked me on all my work through the year, so I was really happy."

Hayley is having physiotherapy to prepare her for going back to Russia on August 30 for the second of three years of study, which she hopes will lead to a career dancing around the world.

She is also attending the Penny Withers Studio, run by the former Scottish ballet dancer at Charing Cross to do gyrotonics, a system to stretch and strengthen muscles used by dancers.

Though Hayley said her first year had been "an amazing experience" she admits it was tough.

She even ended up in hospital with abscesses in her stomach soon after arriving – leaving her mum back in Renfrew frantic.

Surgeons operated to remove them, a terrifying experience as none of the staff could speak English.

Jean, 47, a pupil support assistant at St Saviour's Primary in Govan, said: "Her system shut down.

"I think it was all the excitement, then it hit home.

"You are only 16 and you are getting left there and you are there with a new language, new people and her body just didn't cope.

"The Russians dealt with her well. That was hard because she's never been in hospital and it panicked me.

"At the time I thought she'll come home but her words were no, 'I'm getting on with it.'

"She's got an inner strength and she's done well over the year.

"There are times when all you want to do is give her a cuddle. That is the most difficult part.

I always thought Hayley had an older head on her shoulders but this year she's shown she's more adult than we give her credit for.

"When things are not working she has a little blub and gets back on with it."

While Hayley usually speaks to Jean on Skype and Facebook, she says her ballet teacher Revich is, "like a second mum".

Hayley, said: "She got me into trouble when I told her I was coming home, then I showed her my letter from the doctor and she started crying when I was leaving."

Once Hayley gets back next month she'll go straight back into classes.

A typical day sees her getting up at 8am for a 90-minute Russian lesson – all classes are taught in the language and Hayley has picked it up well and scored highly in her first exam.

She then has a ballet class for almost two hours. In the afternoon she has more dance classes, and lessons in skills such as acting. Classes run six days a week – only Sundays free.

Though she has visited landmarks such as Red Square, Hayley hasn't had much time to explore.

She said: "Even though I've been over there a year I have hardly got to see Russia. I usually just stay in the area the school's in because I'm absolutely shattered all the time."

Hayley admits she gets homesick, too.

But though life is hard, she says it's far from the image of ballerinas portrayed by Natalie Portman that in Oscar-winning film Black Swan

She said: "It's not like Black Swan at all. Everybody works hard but I can promise you a ballet dancer is not like that film.

"It's extremely hard work but for a ballet dancer it's the place to be.

"When you do stuff correctly and everything starts to work its a rewarding experience, but it does have its ups and downs.

"It makes it a bit harder because I am over there by myself. I have times I just want a hug from my mum."

As reported in the Evening Times Hayley studied at the Dance School of Scotland for five years after taking up ballet when she was two at Elma Whyte's school in Paisley.

She got into the Bolshoi school after sending tutors a DVD of her dancing.

But celebrations were put on hold when she realised she'd have to raise the £13,000 a year tuition fees plus money for costumes and flights.

The family wrote around 1000 letters and e-mails to people to try and get them to sponsor her.

And The Genesis Foundation, which supports emerging artists, came forward. It was set up in 2001 by millionaire banker and philanthropist John Studzinski.

He said: "Hayley is a shining example of how determined, dedicated and disciplined young artists can be and the Genesis Foundation is proud to recognise and support such talent."