When Justine Dingli did not manage to get hold of tickets to watch the London Olympics, she decided to try another avenue and applied to be part of the event.

The 28-year-old, who lives in London and works in finance, tried her luck and applied to be one of the hundreds of dancers selected to perform in last night’s opening ceremony.

Not being a professional dancer, Ms Dingli was pleasantly surprised when she was chosen after two four-hour auditions.

“I couldn’t go and see it, so I said I’ll be part of it,” she giggled, adding that she applied for the February auditions after seeing a notice on Facebook.

“I think I made it thanks to my experience in the Christmas panto in Malta.

“I learnt dance routines quickly and, although I’m not a dancer, I learnt ballet as a child,” she said yesterday, a few hours before the performance at the Olympic Stadium that was viewed by a global TV audience of about four billion people.

“I’m excited and a bit nervous… During the dress rehearsals I realised how close the audience will be… I’m also a bit sad it will soon be over,” she said.

The three-hour ceremony, which roped in about 10,000 volunteers, was coordinated by Oscar-winning Danny Boyle who directed the blockbuster film Slumdog Millionaire.

Ms Dingli met Mr Boyle and was impressed at how professional and approachable he was.

“He attended all rehearsals and mixed with all of us. It was nice to see him there when we were putting in all those hours.”

During rehearsals, she also met English comedian Rowan Atkinson, known for his roles as Mr Bean, Blackadder and Johnny English, but did not know what his contribution would be.

“Everything is kept secret, even from us,” she said.

Thinking back to the first day of rehearsals, she said: “When they told me I was going to dance Lindy Hop I had no idea what it was… But now I know.”

An internet search revealed that it involves a fusion of different dance styles, something similar to jazz.

Ms Dingli formed part of a dance routine that involved about 850 other dancers who had been practising for the grand occasion for months, accumulating about 300 hours of rehearsal time.

Dancers would meet for five-hour sessions after work and on weekends to practise their moves. Initially, rehearsals were held at a large dance studio but then moved to a huge car park when all the dancers were brought together.

The dance was divided into three sections and Ms Dingli took part in a 15-minute routine in which she was dressed as a nurse.

Although none of her friends or relatives could make it to see her live yesterday, she knew they would be looking out for her on television.

“I drew maps for my friends so they can spot me,” she said.