An aspiring ballet star has been asked to leave the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) after appearing in gay porn, despite beating thousands of other dancers for the spot.

Jeppe Hansen won the place, and a scholarship in September in the school’s professional division.

His international performances had been met with acclaim around the world, with performances in Montreal, New York and his native Denmark, before he joined the school.

He appeared in his first gay porn video earlier this year, as a side project under the name Jett Black, but once the RWB found out about it, it asked him to sign a letter saying that he had voluntarily withdrawn from the program.

Leaving the school in late March, Hansen moved to New York to pursue adult entertainment full time, but is now accusing the ballet company of unfairly attempting to define what constitutes art.

The RWB has not commented on the claims, but has said there is a code of conduct for students. According to the Globe and Mail, the handbook says nothing about such side-projects.

Hansen says he would like to return to professional dance in the future.