Superstar Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru, currently the lead at The Royal Ballet in London, gave a special gala performance on Sunday (May 12) to raise funds for charity Hospices for Hope. Alina wasn't alone, a glittering host of international dancers joined her for the show, which featured excerpts from some of the best loved classical ballet, along with exciting modern pieces.

Among the performers at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London were Isabelle Ciaravola of the Paris Opera Ballet, English National Ballet Principals Erina Takahashi and Vadim Muntagirov, Steven McRae, Johan Kobborg, Akane Takada, Frankie Hayward, Marcelino Sambe and James Hay from The Royal Ballet, Sergei Polunin from Stanislavsky Ballet, Xander Parish from The Mariinsky Ballet, Matthew Golding from The Dutch National Ballet, Ana Sendas and Stefanos Bizas of the Danish Dance Theatre and violin virtuoso Charlie Siem.

The gala ballet's choreography included direction by Marius Petipa, Tim Rushton, Eric Gauthier and Johan Kobborg, with a program featuring Don Quixote, Carmen Fantasie for Violin and Orchestra, Excerpts from Sleeping Beauty; Salute - (UK Premiere), Dying Swan and Les Lutins.

Alina Cojocaru's fund raising performance was the second she has given to support the Hospices for Hope charity, which runs programs to support the terminally ill in Romania, Moldova and Serbia. Back in 2008, Cojocaru led another fund raising ballet event in aid of the construction of a new hospice in Bucharest. Now, as the construction project is nearing completion, Alina Cojocaru will help the charity complete its project.

Casa Sperantei and the charity network Hospices for Hope were founded in Brasov in 1992 by Graham Perolls, originally from England. His aim was to introduce and develop specialized care services for terminally ill patients in Romania. It was the first organization of its kind in Romania and has become center of excellence for palliative care in Eastern Europe.

Find out more on the Hospices for Hope website.

Read an interview with founder Graham Perolls.

See details on the upcoming Hospices for Hope royal fund raising soiree at Bran Castle.