Dancers from a top performance company are keeping pupils at two of the district's secondary schools on their toes.

Professionals from Northern Ballet Theatre held auditions with Year 7 and 8 pupils at Tong's Yorkshire Martyr's School and Thornton School to scout talent for the innovative dance project.

The most gifted and talented boys and girls were then chosen to join the eight-week initiative called Raising The Barre.

Teachers and dancers from the dance company are working with 45 youngsters by putting them through their paces and searching for any budding Darcy Bussell or Billy Elliot.

Raising The Barre is being sponsored by the Youth Sports Trust to help get the two specialist sports colleges dancing.

Northern Ballet Theatre dance artist Rebecca Drinkall is taking the lead role and says the pupils are all coming on in leaps and bounds.

She said: "We're just learning the basic steps and putting a dance together which will culminate in a performance in Leeds.

"As well as helping pupils' build their dance skills it's also about increasing their fitness and confidence - and I'm looking out for any ballet stars of the future who we can get to audition for our Young Dancers Centre.

"It takes a lot of passion, dedication and fitness to be a ballet star but there are quite a few pupils who could have what it takes."

Bethany Poynton, 13, is one of the youngsters who has been taking part.

She said: "It's been really good. I've met lots of new friends and we've been learning some good routines. It's just basic steps at the moment but we'll do more classical stuff like tutus later. I want to be a dancer one day."

And Kyle Sugden, who is 11, said: "This is the first kind of dancing I've ever done. It makes me feel good because I know when I'm moving I'm getting healthy and fit."

The big performance will be on Saturday, March 8, when the youngsters get the chance to take to the stage for real and show off what they have learned in front of family and friends at The Riley Theatre in Leeds.