Eleven young ballet dancers from the Keighley area will take to the stage next week with professional dancers from around the world.

The students from local dance schools have spent 10 days in York intensively rehearsing their parts in the classic ballet Coppelia.

They are among 100 youngsters giving three performances as part of English Youth Ballet along with seven professional principal dancers.

Sadie Maude trains with the West Yorkshire Dance Academy in Keighley and the other 10 local dancers train at the Oxenhope-based Sara Packham Theatre School.

The youngsters were chosen during auditions in February, and the aim is to give them an insight into what life is like as a professional ballet dancer.

Each rehearsal day starts with a ballet class to warm-up, then different scenes of the ballet are rehearsed simultaneously in three studios. Previous members of English Youth Ballet have gone to perform with some of the world's best companies including the Royal Ballet. Principal ballerina Amy Drew, from Australia, said the young dancers in this year's cast had great energy and attack. She said: "Working in a professional environment gives the students a unique insight into life in a ballet company. "They are so lucky - I wish there had been something like English Youth Ballet when I was training.

Coppelia is described as a hilarious, charming and colourful love story about dreamy Franz who falls in love with a life-like doll invented by Dr Coppelius.

Franz’s jealous lover Swanhilda takes her friends on an adventure into the mad inventor's spooky house to confront her rival. Coppelia will be performed at the Grand Opera House, York, on June 7 at 7.30pm on June 8 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Book on 0844 871 3024.