UNITIATED in the world of ballet, to me there seemed no better introduction than Tchaikovsky's mesmerising Swan Lake, writes Naomi Agius. 

Taking my seat at the Theatre Royal Windsor on Monday for the Vienna Festival Ballet's performance of the timeless classic, I had little to no idea what I should expect.

I wondered if despite my enthusiasm maybe some of the finer nuances would go over my head and if maybe the whole thing might be a bit overwhelming for someone who's only been to the ballet once before... and even that was a choreographed adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, rather than a renowned show.

But really all of these thoughts swiftly vanished when the curtain went up and the opening act began with the Prince's birthday party.

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Prince Siegfried and Odette

Prince Siegfried (Dean Rushton), who is celebrating his coming of age, aesthetically has all the right attributes of a monarch - tall, dark and handsome - but beyond that, what struck me the most was how lightly and delicately he moved around the stage, despite his powerful stature.

With the grace of the pas de trois and the charm of the waltz, it didn't take much to feel swept up in the excitement and the pomp and circumstance of such a noble affair was really well-recreated with the stunning costumes and vividly-painted backdrop.

But my favourite moment of all was at the lakeside when Prince Siegfried meets the beautiful Odette (Rachel Victoria Hernon), who has been transformed into a swan by the wicked Baron Rothbart.

The visuals were stunning with a very ethereal feel and I was blown away by the way Rachel Victoria Hernon so effortlessly portrayed Odette's helplessness and fragility purely through the power of her movement.

The corps de ballet were elegant and poised, and I didn't detect any slip ups whatsoever, so hats off to ballet mistress Emily Hufton!

From the eyes of an amateur (and I would think from an expert too), everything seemed to run like clockwork and was clearly well-rehearsed and perfectly timed.

I couldn't leave this review without making mention of the spritely and energetic Jester (Ashley Selfe), who had a large chunk of the audience in stitches (perhaps slightly at odds with the production!) as he pranced along with the bemused Spanish, Hungarian and Neapolitan dancers at the castle ballroom.

The villain of the piece, Odile (Jodie McKnight), the evil double of Odette, was played perfectly which added to the drama of her and Baron Rothbart's cunning deception of Prince Siegfried.

My only minor criticism would be that there wasn't a live orchestra - but I would assume that would have been a logistic reason down to the size of the theatre and really it didn't make much of a difference.

All in all, it was a highly enjoyable evening and the perfect escape from reality.

The Vienna Festival Ballet's Swan Lake is at the Theatre Royal Windsor until Saturday, March 18.

For tickets call the box office on 01753 853888 or visit www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk