Shakespeare's beautiful play (the world's most famous love story) Romeo and Juliet was dramatically brought alive in this musical extravaganza by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.

Composed in 1935, it was not premiered until 1938 due to controversy about deviating to a happy ending, which was then (thankfully) returned to the original by order of Soviet officials.

Romeo and Juliet has been interpreted in many different ways including Tchaikovsky's famous work and into genres as diverse as street dance.

Moscow City Ballet was founded in 1988 by esteemed choreographer Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, though after a long battle with cancer, his wife Ludmila Neroubashchenko has been at the helm since 2013.

The company of over 75 dancers has performed extensively worldwide and ensures its corps de ballet work to traditional Russian classical standards. It has been delighting UK audiences for over 20 years.

Performing to a packed (and at the end rapturous) house, and complimented by the fantastic Moscow City Ballet Orchestra conducted by Igor Shavruk, the Moscow City Ballet mesmerised its wide ranging aged audience from start to finish, despite being nearly two and a half hours in length. The scenery, lighting and in particular the dazzling costumes all added to the spectacle of this beautiful evening of ballet.

Principal dancers Anna Ivanova (Juliet) and Talgat Kozhabaev (Romeo) brought grace, athleticism and dramatic passion to their roles, ably assisted by vibrant performances from Artem Minakov (Mercutio) and Daniil Orlov (Tybalt) whose comedic timing was impeccable. Quoted in an interview last year, Ivanova stated simply “Unless you are a classical ballet dancer, it is hard to explain how we truly love to dance”, and her talent and passion for dance shone through in every movement of this breathtaking performance.

The mastery of choreography, including dramatic sword fighting scenes, haunting death spectres and synchronised ball sequences, was a visual feast to behold with highlights being The Knight's Dance and The Last Farewell.

For a fairly new ballet-goer like myself, through to long returning regulars like those seated beside me, it was an incredibly enjoyable and breath-taking display of pure artistic genius. If you've never been to a ballet before, I highly recommend a trip when Moscow City Ballet next return to Dorset.

Stephanie Hall