Ballet fever at the O2 arena

A performance by Royal Ballet dancers Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo is at the heart of an explosion in the popularity of the art form set to sweep Britain next year.

The award-winning pair will star in a version of Romeo and Juliet running at the O2 from June 17 that is expected to be seen by more than 13,000 fans.

Their appearance at the Greenwich venue is believed to be a further sign that ballet is enjoying a surge of interest, with audiences growing up and down the country.

Briton Edward Watson, who will play Romeo on June 18, believes television has played a major role in ballet's popularity. "Look at Strictly," he said. "People get to hear people talk about what fun it is."