BBC: As the young ballet dancer stretches backwards lifting his leg over the barre and rising up on to demi-pointe, beads of sweat appear on his forehead.
The two hour-long routine takes place daily in south London in a practice studio surrounded by mirrors.
The practice is so demanding that it would break the will, not to mention the physical strength, of anyone less passionate about dance.
But it is not just the gruelling requirements of ballet that this young dancer has to contend with but also entrenched cultural prejudices.
'Completely alien'
As the only classically-trained, male Palestinian dancer, 21-year-old Ayman Safiah has had to face huge opposition from within his own community.
"My desire to study classical ballet was simply beyond the understanding of my classmates," he explains. "They only knew that it was something women enjoyed. It was completely alien to them." (+ video) » | Sylvia Smith | London | Saturday, August 11, 2012
