DANCE Swan Lake/Empire Theatre, Liverpool; ARTS DIARY.

Byline: PHILIP KEY 

DO YOU prefer a willowy white swan or a sexy black one? It's a problem that has beset Prince Siegfried ever since Tchaikovsky wrote the ballet Swan Lake.

It has also been a problem for the ballerina called upon to play both roles.

As fans know, the prince falls in love with the white swan, Odette, but is tricked into pledging his love for the black swan, Odile, with tragic results.

But for Kristina Terentieva, dancing the dual role, there were no problems at all. Both her roles were sublime.

Her Odette was a fluttering, pitch-perfect swan, the technique rock solid. Her fluid body movements and beautiful line produced a romantic and delightful characterisation.

But her Act Two black swan Odile was something else. With a provocative smile, zinging dance and that eye-catching series of fouettes, she was temptation on a stick. Her Prince Siegfried (and real-life husband) Alexei Terentiev gave her some muscular lifts and produced fine leaps.

They were appearing with a company new to Britain, The Russian Classical Ballet, based in Ukraine and presented here by the ubiquitous Ellen Kent. They were a real find, fresh, young and with an enthusiastic and spirited corps de ballet.

They presented the original Russian version complete with the clown, danced by Andriy Kozarezov. His jumps and turns added some athleticism to the ballet and a touch of energetic humour without dispelling the romance of one of the great romantic ballets.

Roman Taranenko danced the evil Rothbart with a lot of arm fluttering and crouching, perhaps not the most malevolent Rothbart ever seen, but effective.

The sight of the numerous members of the corps de ballet in white, dancing in unison, retains its power to impress, and the national dances were lively enough.

This version has a blunt ending, with no ghostly principals floating heavenwards together.

The two lovers end up dead on the ground although their love has destroyed the power of Rothbart. But with Tchaikovsky's music accompanying the death scene, Swan Lake remains as powerful as ever.