Alina Cojocaru & Johan Kobborg - Intimate evening with Royal Balle

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Intimate evening with ballet stars

The perfect early Christmas gift for any ballet devotee, The Secret Christmas Gala will see a small group of world-class dancers grace the stage of The Grand Ball Room of The Assembly Rooms, Bath, this month.

The stars who are performing are internationally recognised as four of the greatest dancers in the world at present. Stunning ballerina Alina Cojocaru has recently danced at The Kremlin for the Russian President; Johan Kobborg is one of the most experienced and brilliant of dancers and is also in the running for the directorship of the Royal Ballet in the future; and Lauren Cuthbertson and Rupert Pennyfather sell out Covent Garden regularly.

These dancers have taken time out of their busy schedules at The Royal Ballet to perform with friends as part of this intimate gala performance.

The night is in benefit of, and to help promote, The Covent Garden Dance Company's choreographic fund that was set up in the autumn of this year. The fund was founded in memory of legendary ballet critic Richard Buckle and aims to commission and finance young choreographers to create new short works.

The evening is arranged around a champagne reception and three-course dinner. Guests will be invited into the Octagon Room where they will be serenaded by a talented singer and pianist, and where the dancers will be warming up in view on stage.

The evening is then introduced by the director of the Covent Garden Dance Company after which the dancers will perform a selection of short works from a range of classical and contemporary ballets, which will include Fokine's rarely-performed The Dying Swan.

At the end of the evening, the dancers will remain for a question and answer session where guests will be able to talk with them about their professional lives, dreams and aspirations.

Company director Matt Brady says: "These events are designed to help us promote what we are trying to do as a company and to garner support for the fund. I am so lucky to have wonderful people like Alina and Johan in my life who will take time from their manic schedules to come and help.

"We really are keen to ensure that this event will be the first of many here in Bath and I feel confident in saying it is going to be something quite special and wonderfully festive. An extraord- inary night for all the family."

The Secret Christmas Gala will be held at The Great Ball Room, The Assembly Rooms, Bath on Saturday, December 18. For tickets, which start from £115, visit www.coventgarden dance.com or call Bath Festival Tickets on 01225 463362. To apply for show-only tickets, e-mail gala@coventgardendance.com.