YOUNG dancers from Melksham School of Ballet, Tap and Modern are in the final stages of rehearsals as they prepare to perform Hansel & Gretel at The Arc Theatre in Trowbridge.

The well-known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm tells the story of a brother and sister who find themselves enticed into a house made of cake and sweets only to discover the witch who lives there means to do them harm. The clever siblings outwit her and the story has a happy ending.

The story is communicated entirely by dance, with the youngest performers aged just four and the eldest being 65.

The show has been produced and choreographed by mother and daughter team Anne Barrett and Jayne Green, who run the dance school. It was set up over 24 years ago and has continued to flourish and grow. Anne is delighted with the progress the children are making. She said, “It’s always a lot of hard work to put the show together but we all have such fun working on it and the students do a wonderful job.”

This year the raffles, which take place at all four performances, will raise funds to go towards a new dance floor at the studio, which is based in Melksham Forest.

The show runs at 7.15pm from Thursday, October 29-Saturday, October 31, when there is also a 2.15pm matinee.

Tickets £8/£6 concessions from the Arc Theatre box office, or are available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/105973