Ask most people to name a ballet and they will either come up with The Nutcracker or Swan Lake.

Such is the popularity of Swan Lake, illuminated by Tchaikovsky’s soaring score, I had to join a very long queue to get into The Lowry to see it.

Once inside, the theatre was packed from floor to ceiling with people eager to see Birmingham Royal Ballet’s interpretation of this classic.

It was easy to see why this production is so popular - it was simply sensational.

From the moment we were introduced to the court of Prince Siegfried following the death of his father. the king, we were mesmerised by the spectacle on the stage.

The huge Gothic-like sets towered over proceedings as Siegfried, played by Mathias Dingman, was entertained by a myriad of dancers on his 21st birthday.

Unfortunately for Siegfried, this is all put to a stop when his mother, the Dowager Queen, arrives, to remind her son that the court is still in mourning following her husband’s death. She reminds Siegfried that he must find a bride and tells him three princesses will be arriving whom he must choose from.

His friends try to cheer him up and Siegfried goes out to try his new crossbow, which his friends gave to him.

Once out and about, he spies a flight of swans and goes in pursuit.

This is when the beauty of the ballet really comes to the fore.

The swans command the stage and you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium as the audience watched spellbound by the grace and athleticism of the dancers.

Siegfried discovers that after midnight, the swans, led by Princess Odette, take on human form. 

Odette tells Siegfried that an evil spell has been cast on them by a magician, Baron von Rothbart. The enchantment can only be broken if someone swears an oath of undying love.

The two dance together, which brought out a rapturous applause from the audience, and declare their love. 

Siegfried is determined to marry his love, but once back at court he dances with someone who he believes is Odette, but it is the Baron’s daughter Odile in disguise. 

He asks for Odile’s hand in marriage, but unbeknown to him, the real Odette is watching from the window.

Upset, Odette rushes back to her swan maidens, with Siegfried in pursuit.

It is then that the most magical part of the performance comes to the stage.

At the start of Act Four, the stage smoulders in a blanket of dry ice and the maiden swans emerge out of the clouds of mist. The whole audience gasped as one. It is a scene which will stay with me for a long time.

Odette tells Siegfried that she forgives him, but the spell can’t be reversed as his vow to her was broken.

The two decide they cannot live apart, so they will die together and unite in a world of eternal love.

Odette, played by principal dancer Momoko Hirata was outstanding. She totally embodied the vulnerability of the role as she took on the gracefulness of a swan.

I visited the theatre with my teenage daughter and even she was mesmerised by Momoko.

The whole production, especially the sequences with the swans, was spectacular, from the dancers to the sets, from the music, played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, to the whole staging, Swan Lake was outstanding.

Yes, it was long - around two hours 50 minutes, with two intervals - but it was worth it. 

This production was flawless and a standing ovation with four curtain calls at the end were very well deserved.