Newcastle Falcons rugby players team up with Swan Lake ballet dancers
Video report by Tom Barton
Newcastle Falcons players have been getting lessons in ballet from professional dancers in a bid to help them avoid injury.
The rugby players have been taking tips from Swan Lake dancers on how to use their bodies best, including learning stretches and exercising to music.
It comes as the Birmingham Royal Ballet are in Sunderland for a production of the iconic show.
Pearl Chesterman said teaching the players how they work is all part of their belief that ballet should be accessible for everyone - and should be available everywhere.
Ms Chesterman said: "It's great to be here in Sunderland and to be working with the rugby club to give them an insight into the work we do, and then hopefully they will pass that message on as well.
"It's just great to be working with as many people as possible from different backgrounds."
Falcons player Tom Penny said he had been impressed by just how often the dancers train.
He told ITV Tyne Tees: "It was good, learning some new stretches and seeing what they get up to.
"They were telling us they warm up to a total of thousands of warm ups in their career."
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