ON Friday night, Dunfermline’s Alhambra Theatre was packed to the rafters as the Russian National Ballet presented their version of the stunningly beautiful Swan Lake, writes our theatre critic Kerry Black.

It was amazing to see two totally different productions of Swan Lake in the same week, having seen Matthew Bourne’s version at the Festival Theatre earlier and it made me question where it’s enduring appeal lies.

It’s simple, Swan Lake has it all, glamour, romance, beautiful costumes, wonderful dance sequences, all married to Tchaikovsky’s soaring score. No wonder it has been enchanting audiences worldwide since 1877.

The Russian National Ballet have a long tradition of bringing the best of classical ballet to Britain and the Dunfermline audience members were certainly not disappointed as they filled the stage with the kind of ballet every little girl dreams of.

With costumes ranging from chiffon dresses swirling in sugary pastel colours to the classic white tutus of the swans plus Odille’s amazing black tutu, set against beautiful painted backdrops, the staging was a dream to behold.

The dancers were as elegant as ever with excellent principal performances, however special mention must go the wonderfully exuberant jester, who seemed to hover in the air as he leapt ever higher across the entire stage – what a star!

The Alhambra must have been delighted to see such an enthusiastic crowd of all ages turn out on a cold night to experience such a magical evening. Even more enchanting was the sight of young children dancing out into the evening, using the railings outside the theatre as a makeshift ballet barre!