Children en pointe for the ballet

Dunedin dancers (from left) altar boy Matthew Lemon (8), flower girl Jasmine Potter (7) and servant at the ball Asher Armstrong (8) rehearse for the Royal New Zealand Ballet production Romeo and Juliet at the Regent Theatre yesterday.

The Bennett School of Ballet & Jazz members will perform with the RNZB dancers at the theatre today and tomorrow.

RNZB stage manager Kathryn Osbourne said Jasmine would feature in the market in the first two acts.

''She sells the red rose that Mercutio uses to bait Tybalt, which causes the big sword fight.''

Asher performed with the RNZB dancer during its production The Wizard of Oz in Dunedin last year.

Matthew said it was his first time performing with RNZB dancers and he was ''a little bit'' nervous but he was excited to have the chance to watch some of the ballet backstage.