Elgar and dance will be the theme at the composer's Birthplace Museum over the half-term holidays (May 24-30).

The museum is currently showing an exhibition, Elgar on Tip-Toe, about his music which has been used for ballet. Elgar only composed one piece of ballet music, but since his death, several of his other pieces have been used.

Work by local artist Peter Wale, on show in the museum's Carice Elgar Room, will portray many aspects of dance including ballet, flamenco, belly dancing and jive.

His connection with ballet stems from his time as a pit musician, playing for shows.

Alongside his pictures will be lots of art materials for visitors, children and adults alike, to create their own dancing pictures.

"Most people naturally associate the Elgar Birthplace Museum with music and not dance," said museum director Cathy Sloan. "But there are many links between Elgar and ballet. We were recently sent some wonderful pictures from Texas of the Houston Ballet's performance of Peter Pan, a ballet which is danced to 22 different pieces of music by Elgar."