A personal assistant to celebrities is giving up her business, home and life in Oxford to teach ballet to children in Nepal.

Alison Sweatman

Alison Sweatman, 35, of Wentworth Road, who has worked with Helena Bonham-Carter and David Baddiel, will be flying to Nepal on December 1.

She will teach ballet at two artistic centres in Kathmandu and direct a dance performance.

Her two-month trip is being co-ordinated by the American charity Cosmic Volunteers.

She said: "They asked if I would consider teaching dance and I thought it was ideal."

Ms Sweatman is planning to make a film of her experiences, before starting an 18-month world trip researching the role of dance in different cultures as part of a DanceRites project.