The summer dance programme is set to go ahead after ?An Evening with Catherine Zeta-Jones? ? a gala black tie event ? sold out.

The aim of the National Dance Foundation is to groom local dancers by providing lessons with international teachers from the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

National Dance Foundation advisor Wendy Davis-Johnson said the organisation had partnered with the ABT to run a three-week intensive programme and the classes will be offered free of charge.

?It is an international summer school, so it is open to both local dancers and those from overseas,? she said.

?The key focus was to provide an opportunity for Bermudian dancers to study with other students, but not to have the cost of going overseas added to do that.

?This will allow the Bermudian dancer to have the best world-class training available and to train with students from other cultures right on the Island.?

But Mrs. Davis Johnson said all interested dancers would have to audition to enter the programme.

?It is important to understand that it is not open to just anyone who wants to take a dance class ? it is for the serious dancer,? she said.

?It is focused on two age groups, 12 to 14 and then 14 and older. With talent, we know that we can?t rigidly pigeon hole them, but it the age groups are set for general guidance.?

There will be three sets of auditions, one in New York on March 13 at the American Ballet Theatre, one on March 19, at the Bermuda College Dance studio for Bermudian students, and on March 26, at the Toronto Dance Theatre.

Interested dancers should visit the .

ABT will be in Bermuda later this month to perform at ?An Evening with Catherine Zeta-Jones?, a black-tie gala co-ordinated by the National Dance Foundation in support of its international summer dance institute.

?American Ballet Theatre will be our partner in establishing our summer dance programme and these master classes will give Bermuda dance students a taste of the type of instruction that will be offered,? said NDFB Chairman Don Kramer. ?The master classes will be organised on a first-come, first-served basis, so we hope Bermuda?s dancers will register soon for the classes they are interested in.?

Mr Kramer noted that the gala, which will be hosted by Oscar-winning actress and Dance Foundation Board member Catherine Zeta-Jones, is sold out and now has a waiting list for tickets.

?We are in the fortunate position of having sold out all corporate tables and individual tickets for the February 26 gala,? Mr. Kramer noted. ?We?ve been overwhelmed by the response and feel confident that we will be able to establish this unique event as an annual highlight of Bermuda?s calendar.?

The ABT dancers will offer classes next week for beginner?s ballet, intermediate ballet, as well as hip-hop. The classes will be conducted on February 24 and February 25 at the dance studio at Bermuda College, on South Road, in Paget, and at the dance studio at the Jessie Vesey Sports Centre at Bermuda High School, on Richmond Road, in Pembroke.

Teaching the ballet classes will be Richard Toda, artistic co-ordinator of ABT?s Education Outreach, Clinton Luckett, artistic associate of ABT?s Education and Training programme, and Flavio Salazar, a member of ABT?s corps de ballet.

Danny Tidwell, also a member of the corps de ballet, will teach the hip-hop class.

Dance students interested in the master classes can register by calling the National Dance Foundation at 239-4091.