A Scottish dance troupe will help "forge new alliances" on a tour of India, the Culture Secretary said.

Members of the Dundee-based Scottish Dance Theatre (SDT) will tour four cities there and pass on some of their skills to schoolchildren and others as part of an outreach programme.

The trip, which begins later this month, includes a performance at the prestigious Dehli International Arts Festival.

Fiona Hyslop, who will be in the audience for the Delhi performance, said: "There can be no doubt that cultural collaborations such as this can help to forge new alliances between Scotland and India. I am sure these dancers will be fantastic ambassadors for Scotland on their forthcoming tour.

"Scotland is one of the world's most creative nations and this tour is a fantastic way to showcase our talent on a world stage in this."

The tour is supported by arts body Creative Scotland and the British Council Scotland, an international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

James MacGillivray, SDT acting artistic director, said: "We look forward to cultivating fruitful relationships with the artists we will work with in India, to sharing a cultural exploration of dance through both our performances and our extensive outreach programme.

"This experience will enrich the creative development of the artists within SDT, and provide a more vibrant palette for the creation of art here in Scotland."

As well as Dehli, the SDT dancers will visit Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.