THEY always say in the entertainment business you should never work with animals or children. So when Victoria Westall-Eyre was asked just over a year ago to choreograph a ballet to Glazunov's Four Seasons for the new Yorkshire Youth Dance Theatre, her answer was unequivocal: I don't do syllabus work.

Somehow, she was persuaded: and now she says the ballet, part of the youth dance theatre's A Celebration Of Dance show at the Grand Opera House was one of the most rewarding things she has ever done.

So it's no surprise to find the former Northern Ballet dancer returning to choreograph the centrepiece of this year's youth dance theatre show at the opera house.

Alice In Wonderland performs tonight and tomorrow night at 7.30pm, with a matinee tomorrow at 2.30pm.

The music is Joseph Horowitz's - but the choreography is all Victoria's own. It promises to be a feast for the eyes, with a cast of 130 young dancers from across the region taking to the stage in a story based upon Lewis Carroll's magical children's tale.

"It's a great ballet," Victoria says. "It's a fantastic story and it's got lots of different characters in it. Instead of just doing dance steps I thought it would be far more interesting doing something with a story."

The characters range from Alice and the White Rabbit to the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the King and Queen of Wonderland and a host of animals large and small.

Even the youngest children taking part (the dancers range from eight to 18 years old) have interesting characters to get their teeth into. The 'tiny ones', as Victoria describes them, take on the parts of birds and hedgehogs.

Working with children, she admits, leaves her 'absolutely drained'. "I have to be far more prepared than when I'm working with adults," she says. "You cannot expect the children to think for themselves in the same way. And children tend to get bored!"

But rehearsals have been going well, she says. And it's great for the children to get the chance to work with professional dancers and choreo-graphers - and the result will be a thoroughly professional evening of dance and music.

As well as Alice, the evening will include two other short pieces, one jazz, the other contemporary. "It should be a really good night out at the theatre," Victoria says.

Alice In Wonderland is performed at the Grand Opera House, York, at 7.30pm tonight and tomorrow night, with a matinee tomorrow at 2.30pm. Tickets, £7 - £9 with concessions available, are obtainable from the box office on 01904 671818. For group bookings call 01904 626605.