“There's no shortage of newcomers wanting to see a proper, preferably Russian, production of Swan Lake. Of the many troupes which tour the United Kingdom at this time of year, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre is one of the best.


The leading dancer, Irina Kolesnikova, is a grandly glamorous ballerina. She gives a soulful account of Odette/Odile in a production based on the Kirov's. The well-drilled corps dance somewhat brusquely, while she preens in slow motion as the Swan Queen. She speeds up for the Black Swan pas de deux, then sinks into legato, mourning as the betrayed Odette.


Her interpretation is so steeped in tragedy that the happy ending, a Soviet-era aberration, seems more incongruous than ever.”