And their choice of ballet over bargains was largely justified, with a staging of Petipa's and Tchaikovsky's masterpiece which combined the skills of young, yet accomplished dancers with a highly competent orchestra.

It was disappointing that the much-heralded Irina Kolesnikova was not appearing as Odette/Odile, but Eleanora Adeeva showed genuine promise in one of her first major solo roles and after a modest beginning, seemed to gain in confidence as the deceitful daughter of the evil Rothbart, winning Prince Siegfried's heart with her beguiling and bewitching movement.

There was a change to the lead male role of the Prince, too, with Vladimir Iznov in the place of Dmitry Akulinin, and although at times a little lacking in the passion and emotion the role demands, his dancing bristled with precision and power.

Arguably the best male dancer was Artur Martirosian, as the jester, who warmed our hearts on a blustery Brighton day with a commendable lightness of step, excellent comic timing and mischievous, radiant face.

The levity is needed in this dark and brooding tale of Rothbart's plot to wreck the coming of age celebrations of Prince Siegfrid. When the Prince fails to choose a suitable bride from those paraded before him at his ball, Rothbart, danced with dastardly intent by Sergei Emelyanov, seizes the opportunity to provide a tempting alternative in the alluring shape of Odile.

She looks uncannily similar to Odette, who, thanks to another episode of Rothbart's evil, flits between human and swan existence in the chilly landscape of the lake, the best of an impressive series of sets. It also witnessed the most memorable scene of this production, as the swans glided gracefully across the stage.

The delightful Dance of the Cygnets, the intricate steps well-executed by the interlocking quartet, was another pleasure to take away.

Siegfried loses his heart to his swan princess, but the menacing figure of Rothbart lurks sinisterly in the background, and full-blooded playing by the orchestra drew every drop of emotion from the score.

Only when the action returned to the lake, with the Prince triumphing over Rothbart as the dawning new day fatally weakened the evil-doer's power, could we rest safe in the knowledge that good had conquered.

But out there in the real world, there were still the challenges of dodging heavy-laden sales shoppers, and traffic jams as the bargain-hunters headed for home.

Oh to be back beside that lake . . .