In the samey world of popular classical ballet, where productions of Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Nutcracker roll round relentlessly, it is good occasionally to welcome something a little different.

Well, as a matter of fact, not that different in the case of The Snow Maiden, whose sensibility and style are very traditionally Russian, as may have been judged on Monday in the fine production brought to us by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia.

But at any rate this was something new (to this reviewer at least), making for an evening of dance in which lack of familiarity helped breed contentment.

Based on a traditional folk story, and with music from the fecund imagination of Tchaikovsky, the work transports us to territories familiar to balletomanes.

We start in the icy world of Father Frost (Alexander Kuimov) and find his daughter Snow Maiden (Ekaterina Bulgutova) eager to leave its icy embrace for the company of humans.

His permission reluctantly given, she finds herself in sunkissed land of rustic revelry, where happy villagers dance around a maypole and prepare to celebrate the marriage of the young merchant Mizgir and his bride Kupava.

As presented by Georgiy Bolsunovskiy and Anna Fedosova, the tenderness of their union is brilliantly conveyed but, lovely as she is, Kupava proves no match for Snow Maiden once she appears. But trouble lies ahead in their ill-starred union . . .

The music is splendidly matched to the action, and was performed with great technical skill under conductor Alexander Yudasin.

Snow Maiden was followed by more familiar offerings from the repertoire, Swan Lake last and, on Tuesday, Giselle with its affecting score by Adophe Adam.

Ekaterina Bulgutova, in the title role, was once more a joy to watch: petite yet powerful and able to spend thrillingly long periods en pointe.

Her rapport with Yury Kudryavtsev, in the role of her lover Count Albrecht, was apparent in their every move, and especially in the stunning pas de deux preceding her death and subsequent translation to the realm of the Wilis.

CHRISTOPHER GRAY 4/5