Two principal dancers from the world-famous English National Ballet and a Thai talent from Ballet San Jose will fly to Bangkok to give a debut show during the "BCB July Dance Performance 2013" next month.

Erina Takahashi and Yosvani Ramos will take the leading roles in La Sylphide and perform together with Bangkok City Ballet dancers. Thai ballerina Nutnaree "Ommi" Pipithsuksun, meanwhile, will perform in the "Contemporary Pieces".

The double bill programme will be staged on July 6 at 6pm and July 7 at 3pm in the main hall of Thailand Cultural Centre on Ratchadaphisek Road.

This is a rare chance to see La Sylphide, one of the world's oldest surviving romantic ballets, performed in full in Bangkok. The two-act show will be directed by Stephen Beagley, also from the English National Ballet.

Takahashi's talent had already shone in her native Japan before she went to train in England in 1993. She joined the English National Ballet in 1996 and has danced many of the principal roles in classical repertoire including Manon, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo And Juliet, Giselle and Cinderella.

Her guest performances have taken her all over the world with a number of companies including the Australian Ballet, Croatia National Ballet and Tulsa Ballet in the US.

Cuban-born Ramos won the gold medal at the Paris International Ballet Competition in 1998 and joined English National Ballet as a soloist the following year. He has danced the lead roles in all major classical ballets and has given guest performances worldwide.

This year's programme will be special for Thai audiences as it is the first time they are able to see Nutnaree, now a soloist at Ballet San Jose, perform in her homeland. Nutnaree won a gold medal in Adeline Genee International Ballet Competition in 2001, earning her a scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School where she received the most outstanding achievement award in 2004.

She then joined San Francisco Ballet as a young soloist and played an active part in the company from 2004 to 2011.

Tickets cost 1,200 baht (500 baht for students) from Thai Ticket Major (tel 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com). Call 02-662-7933.