Review: Coppelia, The Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

Presenting just three performances including The Nutcracker, Coppelia and Swan Lake, this exceptional troupe of dancers has established itself as one of the leading companies on the touring circuit today.

If you have never been to watch ballet before, Coppelia is the perfect start, as the plot is simple and reminiscent of Grimm's' fairy stories, with a colourful array of townsfolk, a dark, mysterious villain and a beautiful heroine, Swanilda, who falls in love with the handsome Franz. Similarly, the music is delightful and you can easily close your eyes and be swept away into another world at the hands of conductor Alexander Yudasin and his outstanding orchestra.

Prima ballerina Elena Pogorelaya as Swanilda outshone the majority of her fellow performers, creating clean, crisp lines and graceful arm movements, partnered to perfection by Kirill Bulychev as Franz.

The stunning pas de deux in Act Two best displayed the couple's talents, with a mixture of strong technique and exceptionally entertaining performance skills from both dancers.

Alexander Kuimov was sinister in the role of toy maker Dr Coppelius, while in complete contrast, Yana Tugeva's interpretation of the Coppelia doll was light and amusing, with complicated choreography giving the appearance of mechanical movements.

There were a whole host of delightful character performances from the corps de ballet throughout the piece, including shoemakers, flower girls and drinkers and a beautifully executed solo by Anastasia Koreshnikova as the Town Celebrity.

With elaborate costumes and atmospheric lighting effects, Coppelia is a rare treat indeed.

The company's final performance in Wolverhampton is Swan Lake tonight.