Beyonce responds to plagiarism allegations

Beyonce has acknowledged dance routines in her new Countdown video were inspired by a Belgian choreographer who has accused her of plagiarism.

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has threatened to sue over claims Beyonce copied moves from her ballet production Rosas danst Rosas.

The superstar singer has now opened up about the dispute, revealing the Belgian work was among a number of different influences which can be clearly seen in her video.

She says in a statement, "Clearly, the ballet Rosas danst Rosas was one of many references for my video, Countdown. It was one of the inspirations used to bring the feel and look of the song to life... I was also paying tribute to the film, Funny Face with the legendary Audrey Hepburn. My biggest inspirations were the 60s, the 70s, Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, Twiggy and Diana Ross."

The video's co-director Adria Petty adds, "I've always been fascinated by the way contemporary art uses different elements and references to produce something unique. The video already has close to two million views so hopefully the fans will look at all the tributes and then discover Audrey Hepburn, Warhol, Bardot, Rosas danst Rosas and all the works that inspired me and shaped this video."