A ballet that captures the essence of the Romantic era, performed by a company that prides itself on traditional performances. 'Classic ballet performed the way it was intended,' boasts the programme. Yet within this determination to stick closely to the 1884 alterations to the ballet, there is always room for interpretation. Albrecht's immediate change of allegiance from Giselle back to his fiancée and the lack of expression as she begs him to tell her Hilarion is lying makes the interaction in the second act all the more poignant. Contrasting with this is the energy of Giselle's spurned lover.

An occasionally slightly sluggish performance by the orchestra didn't seem to hinder the fluidity of movement on the stage. The presentation of a Giselle more than full of life in Act 1 led the atmosphere of earthy enjoyment. Credit for stealing the act though must really be given to the perfect peasant pas de deux.

Not so in Act 11, where the lines of 'Wilis' in white and the dimmed lighting created a real feeling of a spirit world. The chorus seemed unreal as they swayed in support to Hilarion's anguished and fatal dance, then to Giselle's life-giving dance with her love.

The St Petersburg Ballet are proof that a performance does not need to be daring, nor to break radically with tradition to feel vital and passionate.

C. Robertson