CAROLINE CULOT Swan Lake is one of the best-loved ballets of all and this lavish production at the Theatre Royal by the St Petersburg company is not to be missed.

CAROLINE CULOT

Swan Lake is one of the best-loved ballets of all and this lavish production at the Theatre Royal by the St Petersburg company is not to be missed.

Set to Tchaikovsky's riveting score, the Russian company pulled out all the stops to deliver a truly moving and memorable performance.

The company brought us a fantastic display of truly first class ballet dancing performed with precision and mastery. Principal Irina Kolesnikova danced Odette/Odile with perfection, poise, control and elegance with the youthful Yuri Gloukhikh as the Prince Siegfried.

The plot as most will know is a love story about a young man's love for a beautiful woman who is under the control of the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. The woman is Princess Odette and only at night can she return to human form from being a swan.

The spell she is under can only be broken by someone who has never loved before swearing an oath.

Last night's production was aided by opulent sets and costumes but who could fail to be moved by the exquisite sights of the ballet dancers as the elegant swans?

St Petersburg has been to Norwich before, bringing delights such as Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker but this production is by far their very best. Kolesnikova was everything Odette should be.

This is a production not to be missed.

t Swan Lake continues until Februry 22. Box office: 01603 630000.