Swan Lake is, of course, a classic. Familiarity with Tchaikovski's score does not breed contempt, but rather the opposite. The depth and emotional range of the music alone make it a musical marvel.

And then there is the dancing. The versatility of the performers in Swan Lake is astounding. There is elegance. There is grace. And there is passion.

Passion:

Passion is, perhaps the most important thing. For this is a story of a couple's passion for one another: Seigfried and Odette's passion for one another triumphing no matter what the evil Von Rothbart does to get in their way.

Tonight's performance has attracted a diverse audience. From the young girls with their Mums, perhaps hoping to pick up tips for their next trip to their ballet lesson, right through to those whose days of demi plie-ing were over long ago.

There is a buzz of excitement in the air as the lights dim, the orchestra starts and the curtain rises on what is sure to be a magical night.

The Plot:

You could fit Swan Lake's plot on the back of a postage stamp. It's the age old classic: Boy meets swan, boy is tricked into marrying the wrong swan, boy fights bad guy and wins back the original swan. As a result, there are sections that can seem to drag a little - particularly towards the end of Act Two.

But have nothing to fear. The majority of the performance is overwhelming in detail and style from the costumes (particularly those in the Third Act - The Castle Ballroom) to the superb choreography. The last scene in particular is a triumph as a flock of swans dance chaotically around the principal characters in a way that makes you think that you are dealing with a cast of thousands rather than twenty to thirty dancers.

Once More With Feeling:

Praise must go out to the two principal female cast members. They capture the emotions and characters of vulnerability (Odette) and devious arrogance (Odile) beautifully in a way that rather shows up the two dimensional display from Siegfried.

Despite his first class dancing, he seems unable to demonstrate any feelings other than pleasure at his own performance and bemusement whenever anything is not going to plan. Perhaps he went to the Joey Tribiani school of acting.

A Feast:

These are, of course, minor quibbles when one takes in the professionalism of the performance as a whole. The Moscow City Ballet's performance is a feast of beautiful costumes, luscious sets and intricate dance.

Perhaps one aspect that might not be noticed immediately is the technical ability of the non-principal dancers, often standing in awkward positions for several minutes at a time while Siegfried and Odette take the lime light. It is such small details as this that make ballet worthwhile.

Swan Lake is a beautiful piece of music. It is also a beautiful ballet. Put the two together in the Everyman Theatre and you have a very magical evening indeed.

16/01/04 - First published on www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire