DANCE students will be performing in Ripon Cathedral at the culmination of a ground-breaking arts programme with the world-renowned Rambert Dance Company.

The two-year arts-in-education programme Aspire has been the first of its kind in North Yorkshire and was designed to develop creative abilities through various art forms.

Rambert Dance Company kick-started the programme with a project entitled "Your Time Your Place" with five schools across the county, including Northallerton College and Richmond School.

Six of Rambert’s professionals have been working intensively with different groups of pupils and there will be two free performances at Ripon Cathedral on May 6, the first at 1.30pm and the second at 6.30pm.

The county’s arts-in-education officer Denise Alexander said: "Rambert is the nation’s leading company in contemporary dance and this project has represented a real coup for the county.

"This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to work with an international company and professional dancers.

"Apart from providing a boost to students’ technical ability it has been a real eye-opener for them, making them realise the sheer commitment and hard work required to be a professional dancer."

Rambert’s head of learning, Joce Giles, said: "Students at the schools have been required to work extremely hard to throughout the year to create work of a high quality and there could not be a more stunning venue than Ripon Cathedral for the performance to take place."