Pupils at a Moray school have been treated to a masterclass from the Russian State Ballet.
Five of the premier dancers from the troupe were in Aberlour yesterday to perform an act from the Nutcracker.
At night a crowd of more than 160 packed Speyside High School’s assembly hall to watch the group and hear opera from some of the finest performs in Russia.
Students paid close attention to the graceful moves and precise footwork of the ballerinas during a special preview in the afternoon.
Vitaly Mironov, president of Moscow’s Caledonian Club, has been developing ties with Aberlour since shortbread giant Walkers sponsored the first Highland Games in Russia in 1997.
He said: “I realised people in Russia didn’t know much about Scotland other than bagpipes and whisky – and Scots only knew Russia for vodka.
“Classical arts, like opera and ballet, are not strong in Scotland. We decided it would be great to present the young generation with them.
“For most of them it is only a dream to be a ballerina, there is no way to do it. We want to show them how to do it so they can fulfil their wishes.”
The five soloists gave the dance-enthusiast students tips on how to prepare for performances and answered questions about life as a ballerina.
Before stopping in Speyside the troupe had recently toured China, Brazil, Germany and the USA as part of their jet-setting calendar.
Dancer Elizaveta Mironova said: “This is not normally the type of thing we do. We are used to professional theatres but it’s really fun and interesting to show the pupils what we do.”