I’VE always wanted to go to the ballet, but despite several years of pestering my husband, never got the chance – until I went to see the Russian State Ballet of Siberia’s production of Swan Lake at the Waterside theatre in Aylesbury last night with a friend instead.

If you’re going to see a ballet for the first time, Swan Lake is the classic choice; and this production certainly didn’t disappoint me.

Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music accompanies the story of a prince who meets the bewitched Princess Odette, who has been turned into a swan by an evil enchanter.

The pair fall in love, but of course, their love is doomed.

In many ways the ballet is familiar to us already, having been parodied in countless adverts and by French and Saunders many years ago. Last year it formed the backdrop to Darren Aronofsky’s acclaimed film, Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman.

Such over-familiarity could mean that the ballet is a bit predictable and this was true to a certain extent. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover some parts that I still didn’t know about.

In Act III, for instance, there is a wonderful section of joyful dances by ‘brides’ from different countries who try to woo the Prince. This provides an enjoyable and welcome light relief to contrast with the tragedy of the main story.

Maria Kuimova, who plays Odette and Odile (her evil twin), was absolutely fantastic; she took my breath away with her fluid and graceful movements. Kirill Litvinenko played the part of Prince Siegfried on the night and convinced me as the romantic hero.

The bit of the ballet that springs into most people’s minds when they think of Swan Lake would probably be the ‘Dance of the Cygnets’, where four dancers hold hands and dance in perfect sync. The dancers performed this beautifully. It was a highlight for the audience and got one of the biggest rounds of applause of the night. The ‘corps de ballet’ of swans were also fantastic.

Both the set design and costumes were simple and classic; just what you would expect to see in this ballet. This allowed the dancing to take all of the audience’s attention. Going to see this production of Swan Lake was a very enjoyable night out, and a perfect introduction to ballet if you have never been before.

I found myself getting thoroughly swept away in the emotion of the whole thing by the finale.

Swan Lake is playing again at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre tonight, March 17, at 7.30pm.

For more information and tickets, go to http://www.atgtickets.com/venue/Aylesbury-Waterside-Theatre/128/