Northampton has just entered this country`s dance history books. Irina Kolesnikova, principal dancer of St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre, danced Giselle there last week and produced a performance that transformed the humble Derngate Civic Theatre into a temple of high art. Well, for the evening`s final 45 minutes, at least.


The excellent SPBT is a first-class exponent of classical ballet and is touring Britain until the new year. Last Monday saw the English premiere of director Konstantin Tachkin`s new production of Giselle, that flower of such old-fashioned romantic themes as “love conquers all”.


Giselle (Kolesnikova), humble peasant and village beauty, falls for local lord Albreht (Dmitry Akulinin), who is out for a bit of droit de seigneur. Act One closes as Giselle goes mad and dies on discovery of Albrecht`s love for another. So far so ordinary. We all know Kolesnikova is world-class and, despit too much stage business, not to mention some monstrous costuming among the ensemble, her dancing is what we have come to expect-stunning.


Act Two sees the vindictive ghost, Mirtha (impressive Yulia Petrova), summon Giselle from her grave to join her gang of female spirits, the Wilis, giving their betrayers, the male sex, their comeuppance. To say that Kolesnikova then appears as Giselle and saves her two-timing rogue, Albrecht, is like saying Rembrandt dashed off a few pictures before he died.


I have seen more superb dancers perform Giselle in the world`s great opera houses than I care to remember but few rival the flawless interpretation I witnessed in Northampton.


For many dancers, putting in years of grinding hard work to perfect technique is an end in itself, but not for Kolesnikova. Like a Yehudi Menuhin or a Renee Fleming, the sole purpose of her physical gifts is to express artistic truth. In Giselle it becomes a search that transforms familiar steps into a heartbreaking language of love.


Time after time last Monday I rubbed my eyes to confirm that these were the steps I have grown up with as Kolesnikova constantly revealed new nuances and meanings that took my breath away.


As I left the theatre the world was a better place.
Who says the power of dance doesn`t work?