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This Swan Lake is a relatively new production, from 2005, by Natalia Makarova in handsome sets by Peter Farmer (particularly the billowing flats for the ballroom scene) and straightforward tasteful costumes by Galina Solovyeva. Apart from Petipa and Ivanov, the cast sheet quotes Frederick Ashton for some of the choreography and Clement Crisp's programme notes provide illumination. Makarova's last act is built on Ashton's 1963 version of Swan Lake, and which he actually left to her, such was her admiration of it. English National Ballet had an earlier Makarova Swan Lake in their repertoire and I don't recall happy memories. In fact the one recurring image I carry of it is giant eggs hovering over the stage filled with madly flapping chickens. Not an image she intended, I suspect. This new production struck a much better chord, if not a perfect one.

First and foremost as a vehicle to display NBC's dancers and their Russian pedigree there could be nothing better than this production I fancy. The overall technique of the dancers was deeply impressive and also the matched nature of their heights and physiques. I don't think I've ever seen a corps quite so similar as we saw last night in Act 2 (or Act 1 scene 2 in this production). Impeccable though it all was it sadly didn't transcend to a great performance in which you believed in the story. But drama is second fiddle in this production with its general lust to get stuck into as much classical dance as possible. It suits the company but rather robs the ballet, I think. The Ashton based last act equally brought a mix of emotions. The choreography for the corps, with its never ending concentric circling, stunningly conveys the huge turmoil unleashed as good fights evil, and Siegfried's carrying off of Odette to a watery grave is wonderfully done (think Kirov Le Corsair shipwreck seas) and was touching in a ballet rare in such moments. The problem is that Rothbart does not die (as well as the lovers) and just seemed to shuffle off to fight another day. It feels too unresolved and leaves the threat of a Swan Lake II sequel in which Rothbart's 'evil pact with destiny' once again stalks the earth...

Amidst the technical elegance there is one dancer that surfaced with some stage charisma: Yu Bo as Benno, and I do hope he is able to grow this aspect of his stage persona. NBC have the bodies and technique of a truly great company, but they are still learning how to project this classical greatness and draw us fully into their world. For some their purity will be more than enough already and I certainly toast their technical and stylistic unity.