This is the first ballet to be released on DVD! Perhaps this is not surprising. It has the two most famous dancers dancing in the world's most popular ballet. In fact it is probably the best-selling ballet video of all time

This is a shortened Swan Lake lasting about one and half hours. The espisode with the drunken tutor, the pas de trois, the Neapolitan and Hungarian divertissements have been eliminated. In the place of the pas de trois is a new pas de quatre. The music for the Black Swan Pas de deux is taken from the Pas de six (music that was shockingly eliminated from the current Royal Ballet production) and the alternative pas de deux. (The adagio uses the same music as Balanchine Tchaikovsky Pas de deux.) But Nureyev also adds an additional pas de deux in the final act. Mercifully Act 2 is more or less untouched from Ivanov's unimprovable original.

Overall the choreography is acceptable but not distinguished. The Petipa version as performed by the Kirov and the Royal Ballet (more or less) is far preferable. I liked Nureyev's opening waltz and the dance of the goblets at the end of Act one but I found the pas de quatre rather bad. I also cannot understand why Nureyev (and Erik Bruhn after him) choose the alternative pas de deux music for the Black swan. It is too romantic and lush. The music chosen by Petipa is far more appropriate. The solo violin gives the preceedings a sinister edge to it. The fourth act was very effective although Nureyev chooses the saddest ending possible.

But it really is the performance of Margot Fonteyn and Nureyev that make this video worthwhile. Fonteyn's solo variations are an astonishing display of beauty and poetry . What impresses me is not that she was spectacular to watch. Far from it. Fonteyn was comparatively earthbound and had poor feet. It is the extraordinary expressiveness she puts into every movement that makes her so so riveting, When I first saw her dance on this video several years ago I had very little knowledge of ballet - but despite this it was clear to me then that she was a very special dancer and cut above everyone else. In my opinion her performance in this Swan Lake is unsurpassed.

Nureyev is also on fine form. When watching Nureyev you recognise why he is such a ground-breaking artist. He boils over with passion and intensity. His jumps are marvellous to watch. He is not a cavalier prince but a fiery passionate one. In being such a dancer he opens whole new avenues of interpretations for male dancers . Without Nureyev's influence I think ballets like Mayerling could not exist. Nureyev came onto the ballet stage at the right time in the angry 60s. His forceful fiery approach to dancing was perfect for that era of rebellion and angry youth! No wonder he was a sensation to young people. But it must be said that his partnering in the Act 2 pas de deux was both sensitive and moving.

The rest of the video cannot really measure up to the two great dancers. The rest of the company is undistinguished. Georgiadis's sets and costumes are really quite ugly. They are harsh and unromantic. Even worse is the poor film quality. The picture is grainy and with poor resolution. This makes Fonteyn's performance more astonishing. It is said that she had very subtle facial expression and could change emotions by simply moving her eyes. Alas this is all lost on this video as the film quality is too poor to show evidence of this. Despite this she is able to give a truly great performance. The advantages that DVD has over normal video (twice the resolution) are not realised in this release.

Overall I had the feeling that I was not seeing the real deal - a genuine Swan Lake. Instead I was seeing a shortened and inferior Nureyev version with many other flaws in it. It is only the magnificent dancing of Fonteyn and Nureyev that makes this video worth seeing.

The video is widely available in Europe and the USA in both VCR and DVD form.