Alina Cojocaru was made a principal ballerina in 2001 at the age of 19

Hundreds of people are expected to watch the performance by The Royal Ballet when it is beamed live on Thursday evening.

It is the second year of a five-year sponsorship commitment by BP to relay opera and ballet from Covent Garden.

The screenings are part of a scheme to reach people who would not normally watch ballet or opera.

Landmark

The performance, which sees principal ballerina Alina Cojocaru in the lead role, will be beamed from the Royal Opera House at 1945 BST.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "The free live relay will enrich London cultural life and bring together one of our great performing companies and one of the world's most iconic landmarks."

Other planned screenings include a broadcast of Puccini's Tosca beamed live to the Center Parcs holiday village in Sherwood Forest in July.

And on Saturday, the cast of Faust will join people watching the opera on a big screen in Covent Garden Piazza.

The relayed performance will start 15 minutes after the performance begins at the Royal Opera House, so the cast can join the outdoor audience for the live relay at the end.