THERE’S only one swan on the lake in this particular neck of the woods… and as far as I’m concerned, that’s been the case ever since 1981 when Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece was first performed by the company.

Yes, I’m biased, it’s completely true. But I really cannot imagine a better partnership than Nao Sakuma and Chi Cao in the lead roles, for their fame does indeed go before them.

And I must say that the latest interpretation of this timeless morality tale is easily equal to everything that has gone before.

Sakuma’s Odette/Odile characterisations are everything that one would expect from the most classic of ballets, every move and nuance honed, polished – and I daresay etched with diamond encrusted cutters – to provide a feast for the eyes.

Of course, Chi has chanced upon this silvery lake before, so it comes as no surprise that he is completely at ease in the role of Prince Siegfried. He matches his opposite number’s twists and turns with a breathtaking synchronicity that is as much genuine frisson as supreme core skill. And then there is the sheer athleticism that never ceases to amaze in a ballet that has more lifts than the New York Hilton.

The prince is a man in mourning. He has lost his father and decides to go on a hunting trip deep in the forest where all his cares will hopefully fade away into the dark, green yonder.

It is here that he comes across a magical, moonlit lake where he is amazed to see one of the swans transformed into a princess, the result of being under the spell of the evil Von Rothbart, played with superb Gothic darkness and pagan green man menace by Jonathan Payn.

Naturally, this true love has only just begun its perilous course, for the wicked one has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. For what he hopes will be his trump card involves the seductive Odile, who has a strangely marked resemblance to the far more innocent girl of Siegfried’s dreams… Soon, our hearts are shattered into pieces as the lovelorn swan flutters like a wounded bird at the window of the grand ball. Yes, the night certainly belonged to the star-crossed pair, but there were also some neat performances by Victoria Marr, Tyrone Singleton and particularly Mathias Dingman, who is certainly one to watch in the future.

This work is renowned for featuring some of the most dazzling ensemble passages in the world of classical ballet, powered by what is in all likelihood the ultimate score.

And even after all this time, it is still impossible not to be swept away as that sumptuous tsunami of tutus sweeps across the stage, carrying all before it.

Indeed, the company has once again delivered a glorious programme of top class dance, a non-stop shining feast of technique garnished with the usual elegance and grace that we associate with a BRB production of this magnitude.

Swan Lake runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday (October 6). Quite simply… utterly fabulous.

John Phillpott