Britney Spears has been sued by a dancer for apparently breaking her nose.

NBC News reports that legal action has been launched against the singer by backing dancer Dancer Dawn Noel over an alleged incident during a rehearsal in 2013.

The session took place at Woodland Hills, Los Angeles on August 19 in preparation for Spears' 'Work Bitch' video.

Noel claims that Spears arrived late for the rehearsal and was in a "dishevelled and confused state".

She added that the singer was "having difficulty learning the moves, performing dance steps and following simple directions".

However, Noel alleges that Spears later struck her in the nose, causing a break. She said:

"After approximately half an hour of rehearsing, as [Noel] stood off to [Spears's] side, Britney twirled in an unbalanced and reckless manner, arms extended out to her sides, and forcefully backhanded [Noel] in the face."

The dancer says she received fractures and that Spears and her team reneged on a deal to pay for medical bills.

Noel says she has a "permanent disability" because of the injury and has lost out on work as a result.

Watch the 'Work Bitch' video below: