Michael Corder's The Snow Queen is a work full of contrasts. Contrast between the icy magnificence of the Snow Queen's palace and the drab village which is home to Kay and Gerda. Contrast between the gloomy ponderousness of much of Prokofiev's score and the exuberance of the dancing imposed on it; and, above all, contrast between the warm innocence and humanity of Gerda, the village girl who sets out to rescue her abducted friend Kay, and the cruel seductiveness and allure of the Queen, who has possessed him by piercing his eye and his heart with slivers from her broken magic mirror.

Corder provides a feast of dancing, much of it of very high quality. Highlights for me were the scene with the gypsies, with senior principal Elena Glurdjidze showing what a wonderful dancer she is, even in a minor role like this, and the sparkling white-and-silver dances of the snow Queen's entourage in the frozen north. Mark Bailey's costumes are stunning, as is the giant throne, constructed from the shattered mirror which Kay must piece together if he is to escape.

Daria Klimentova is a wonder as the Queen. Physically she is perfectly suited to the part with her aquiline beauty and slender body. Her solos are very classical in style, and beautifully danced. She manages to convey the stiff hauteur of this icy tyrant while dancing with the relaxed arms and fluid movement of the superb ballerina that she is. Some quality from deep inside also makes us feel that she yearns for a better life, a life of human feelings. Perhaps that is why she has captured the young boy Kay . . . too young to be her lover, but perhaps as a surrogate son.

Yat-Sen Chang plays Kay, rightly, as very young, and as usual dances extremely well with much élan, but somehow his usually strong stage personality doesn't quite shine in this role. Crystal Costa as Gerda, on the other hand, seizes her moment and delivers a delightful performance. A young Canadian, newly arrived in the company from Hong Kong Ballet, she shows herself to be an extremely soft and lyrical dancer - her costume and her style immediately make one think how suited she would be to playing Juliet in Prokofiev's greatest ballet. She can also act, and during the adventures of her long search for Kay she gradually matures into a young woman. This is a fine performance in every way.

The Snow Queen is a very enjoyable work in which the story is somewhat overwhelmed by the dance. Better that than the other way around! You can still catch it at the New Theatre tonight and tomorrow.