THE Point has become a centre for excellence for dance - and it's not hard to see why.

The Eastleigh venue is playing its part in encouraging men to break social stereotypes and take up dance.

On Saturday, the venue is premiering Headcase, a celebration of male dance by Full Force, an all-male dance company.

The company, who have been working with local schools and colleges in the area, present the dynamic show using four professional dancers along with two apprentices chosen from The Point's Man Jump dance project for boys.

Male dancers have to be strong in the face of adversity and social stereotyping, says Thom Rackett, who was helped by The Point into a career in dance and is now training at The London School of Contemporary Dance. "I got bullied at school for dance. I kind of expected it, so I didn't let it bother me," he says.

The Point has a considerable outreach programme in local primary schools, in which boys as young as four and five have access to teaching from professional dancers.

Many of the workshops explore styles which are particularly appealing to boys, such as street dance.

Tickets for Headcase cost from £5.50. For more information, call the box office on 023 8065 2333.