Watch: I learned to dance with the lead of the Black Sabbath ballet - the Prince of Darkness would be proud

Inspired by the rock band fronted by Ozzy Osbourne, but not based on the story of the controversial rockers directly, it is as far from the traditional Swan Lake era of ballet as it is possible to be.

Dancers are dressed in leotards and band t-shirts and guitarist play live on stage.

Lachlan Monaghan, principal dancer at Birmingham Royal Ballet, which is performing the show at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre, has to sing as well as dance - in a career first.

“It’s pretty unique,” he says. “We were blown away when the concept was announced to us. It’s not like anything we’ve done before. It’s pretty crazy, we’re literally headbanging in a ballet and the women are wearing their pointe shoes, jumping around air guitaring. It’s pretty cool.”

On stage, the crew are setting up for opening night. Large vinyl records, key props for some of the dancers’ moves, are scattered around backstage. Another prop comes in the shape of an upside-down lifesize silver car.

Lachlan agrees to teach me some moves from the show. It is split into three acts, in which three different choreographers use orchestrated versions of Black Sabbath tracks.

We start off with a couple of classical positions. A tendu, followed by a rond de jambe and change of arm positions. This I can deal with.

I studied classical ballet for seven years, admittedly not for a few decades now, but the muscle memory is still there. I can hear my ballet teacher, the formidable Miss Anne, barking in my ear, telling me to turn out from the hips.

“Now the air guitar,” he says. That’s something I’ve never done in classical ballet before.

The sequence, which also includes a ballet style headbang, is straightforward, but effective.

By the time we’ve mastered it, the company has gathered on stage, ready for the daily class. They applaud as we finish and Lachlan lifts me into the air.

The Prince of Darkness would have been proud.