Cincinnati's River City Correctional Center has inmates working off community service requirements by performing in a ballet -- in dresses.

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The Cincinnati Ballet is staging "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and desperately needed well-built Roman soldiers for its season-opening production, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Friday.

After receiving no response from fliers sent to local gyms seeking eight "hunky" Roman soldiers for the production, RCCC Executive Director John Baron volunteered his non-violent offenders for the production, the newspaper said.

ROCC Program Director Helen Magers was charged with finding eight inmate volunteers -- which she said wasn't as easy as it may sound.

"I went out looking and asking if they wanted to do it and the only time anyone balked was when I told them they might have to wear tights," Magers said.

Luckily, tights were not involved -- but unluckily the inmate/volunteers learned after the fact they would have to wear "skirts."

The inmates spend a total of about five minutes on stage, which they decided is worth gaining some cultural insight along with those valuable community service hours out of the way.