FOURTEEN dancers are set to take part in the world’s largest international arts festival for young people — and the spirit of Michael Jackson will be with them.

The dancers from the Oxford Youth Theatre Dance Company are hoping to put their best foot forward when they perform in front of hundreds of people at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, which starts tomorrow.

The performers, affiliated to the Pegasus Theatre in East Oxford, will perform two pieces, a dance punk set and a hip-hop street dance with twirls and pirouettes copied from the King of Pop, who died in June.

The 15-minute dance piece featuring two of Jackson’s biggest hits is called The lost art of the street and was written and choreographed by 17-year-old Raymond Pelekamoyo before the music superstar died.

However, the performance, which is based on a theme of loneliness and isolation for young people will now be performed as a tribute to the controversial musician and will see youngsters from Oxford dancing to the hits Smooth Criminal and Bad.

Raymond, a pupil at St Gregory the Great School in Cricket Road, Cowley, said: “I am very excited.

“I have never done this before and it’s something I never thought of doing until Pegasus gave me the chance.

“Michael Jackson influenced every musician and dancer in recent years and dance wouldn’t be they way it is without him.

The teenager from Abingdon Road, South Oxford, added: “I have always watched his videos to see what I could copy.

“We chose the songs and piece before he died but now it makes it even more sense to do it as a tribute.”

The Oxford group is one of just five dance groups invited to the festival in Scotland, which will see dozens of performances from dance and theatre groups from as far afield as Russia, China, South Korea and Australia.

The Oxford group will be joined by three young theatre technicians for the trip, in which they will perform two of their own original pieces of work and take part in a street parade through Scotland’s third biggest city.

Lead choreographer Menelva Harry said: “The festival is going to be a huge experience for them.

“They're going to be faced with people who had to audition to get to the festival, as well as other amateur and professional artists and some of the best young dancers from all over the world.

“It’s great opportunity and we’re so pleased to be going.

“I’m sure our young dancers will do themselves justice on stage.”

The dancers will put on seven shows to paying audiences, as well as taking part in the parade.