A ballet program set up in a small town in Hebei's rural hinterland is encouraging young dancers to broaden their horizons and ambitions

In late March, the latest intake of ballet students from Duancun town made their way to the Hebei Vocational Art School in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, to sit their final exams.

The art school has been recruiting students from the small town in Anxin county, some 160 kilometers southwest of Beijing in rural Hubei province, for the past three years.

Today, fifth-grade student Jiaojiao looked even more dramatic than usual.

Immaculately-groomed, and with her long hair tied tightly behind her head, the young student had clearly pulled out all the stops for the big day. Having dieted for the last year on the long journey to becoming a ballet dancer, Jiaojiao hadn't eaten anything since the previous afternoon, having already refused a bowl of noodles from her mother that morning.