A group of aspiring teen dancers have made a step up to the big leagues as they work with an internationally-renowned ballet school.

The Royal Ballet School puts on a yearly piece called the Advance Project through which dance students at other schools can put together their own routines with expert guidance.

Friern Barnet School has sent 20 of its Year 10 pupils to collaborate on the project, while will be performed at the Royal Ballet School in White Lodge, Richmond Park, on March 24 and 25.

It will see a group of 44 dancers perform their piece, which will be a “creative fusion” of different styles, including ballet.

Creative advisor Bim Malcomson said: “The Advance Project is a vehicle for young people to be creative and meet new people – most importantly it enables myths of the ‘other’ to be dispelled.

“Before meeting for the first time, students from both schools have all sorts of preconceived ideas about what the other group will be like based on stereotypes and fear.

“After spending time together they realise they are just meeting people, young people like themselves.

“It is from this place we begin our journey of creative exchange and the making of an original dance work.”

Advance is an annual project run with a different partner school each year.

It aims to develop dialogue between groups of young people with differing skills and experiences by exploring creativity through the medium of ballet and dance.