Birmingham Royal Ballet's Swan Lake is soaraway success

It's an ideal showcase for the traditional form of dance and romantic fairytale format.

Almost everyone will immediately recognise Tchaikovsky's sensational score, which the Royal Ballet Sinfonia performs live and does it full justice, making the music a delight in its own right.

The 19th Century ballet is based on a fairy tale of Princess Odette, played by Miki Mizutani, who is turned into a swan by an evil magician, Baron von Rothbart.

She captures the heart of Prince Siegfried, played by Cesar Morales, before he is duped by von Rothbart into betraying her with his daughter, Odile, who has been transformed to look like Odette.

Principals Morales and Mizutani danced their duets with great tenderness and precision.

While birds of a feather flock together in perfect symmetry as the corps de ballet put on a fantastic performance as they close ranks to protect the stricken lovers in dramatic scenes.

The opening of Act IV when the swans emerge from a misty lake drew gasps of admiration from the audience at Birmingham Hippodrome as did the seemingly effortless, but no doubt physically gruelling, 32 fouette turns by principal Mizutani who took on the demanding roles of Odette and Odile and told the story perfectly with each graceful step.

Credit also to the costume department and the set designers.

The show was marked by contrasts, both in the opulence and simplicity of the settings and the power and serenity of the dance.

There were many flashes of colour in the gilded dance scenes at the palace, while the scenery of the lakeside provided a magical, moody modesty.

Birmingham Royal Ballet's spectacular dancers serve a spine-tingling performance of grace and elegance which does the city and the region proud. What a soaraway success.

*Swan Lake runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until February 25. For tickets visit birminghamhippodrome.com.