A student has been putting special needs children through their paces to prepare them for their Millennium Dome debut.

Marie Foster, 20, a final year leisure management student at the University of Teesside, has been helping youngsters from Middlesbrough's Priory Wood School sharpen their steps for a forthcoming production.

On October 10, they will go to Greenwich to perform a history of the town involving music, animation and dance and entitled River of Discovery.

Miss Foster, who hopes to begin training as a PE teacher when she graduates, has contributed to the project by arranging the children in pairs and teaching them dance moves.

She said helping towards the performance, which will also include students from Beechwood Junior, Berwick Hills Primary, The Avenue and Keldholme Secondary schools, and Teesside Tertiary College, has been a worthwhile experience.

"It's been very rewarding," she said.

"I've now got lots of confidence in working with people in different situations."

Abby Barker, an assistant arts development officer with Middlesbrough Borough Council, said: "Marie's been brilliant with the children, and a great support during the project."

Another performance will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday, October 17, at Teesside Tertiary College.