Swan Lake is the best-known ballet of all. With Tchaikovsky's haunting music, this is one of the most imaginative love stories ever written, and it was brought to life by the acclaimed Vienna Festival Ballet.

Briefly, the story is as follows: Prince Siegfried comes of age and his mother presents him with a crossbow, but with this gift comes the obligation to marry, which the prince refuses. He goes out hunting and aims his bow at what he believes to be a swan, but who is actually a woman, Odette, who explains that she has been transformed into the creature by the evil Baron Rothbart the spell can only be broken if someone declares undying love for her.

The two inevitably fall in love, but the queen, unaware of this, presents three princesses to the prince. The Baron also presents his daughter, who resembles Odette, and the prince, realising he has been tricked, returns to the lake,where he declares his love for Odette.

One would expect such a tale to be moving, and though the dancing was wonderful and the costumes beautiful and lavish, the sets were rather basic, and because the music was recorded, rather than played live by an orchestra, there was often a distracting buzz of a stereo.

When the finale arrived, the ultimate dance was anti-climactic, and as the curtain fell, one felt somewhat disappointed.