These soldiers are swapping their boots for ballet shoes

After a long day patrolling the demilitarised zone of the Korean peninsula, these South-Korean soldiers trade their military boots for a pair of ballet shoes.

North and South are in a technical state of war, so each week a ballerina from the Korean national ballet holds a lesson designed to ease the stress of guarding one of the world's heaviest armed borders.

During the lessons, the soldiers perform the splits and practise movements such as pile and battement fondu, a change from their usual military drills.

Kim Joo-Hyeok, A south-Korean soldier says, "There is a lot of tension here since we live on the front line...through ballet, I'm able to stay calm and find balance as well as build friendships with my fellow soldiers"

Last year the soldiers performed part of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and are planning another performance for the end of the year.