Acclaimed ballerina Sylvie Guillem has been forced to pull out of a new show this week after straining her ankle.
Guillem has cancelled the first three performances of Stories Of Love And Passion at the Royal Opera House.
The 39- year- old French dancer, who is known for coping with gruelling schedules, made the decision after straining a tendon in her ankle in rehearsals last Wednesday.
She consulted an ankle specialist and had a scan before realising she would be unable to dance, according to Lilian Hochhauser from the company-behind the show, Victor Hochhauser.
"We are hoping she will start the season - a truncated season unfortunately - on Thursday," she said.
The show is set to go on without Guillem but tickets, which cost up to £75, will be refunded for her cancelled shows.
By coincidence her partner, Jonathan Cope, has also had to pull out of the performance because of injury.
Since joining the Paris Opera Ballet, Guillem has suffered relat ively few injuries.
Renowned for her high kicks and robust character, she suffered an Achilles tendon injury three years ago that kept her off the stage for the longest period of her dancing career.
In 1989, she left France to pursue classical and contemporary dance.
Dance critic Zoe Anderson, of the Independent newspaper, said: "She's been very careful in the past.
" Because she's in the unusual position of being a guest dancer, she gets to pick and choose. But all of the noises being made suggest that this isn't a serious injury."
