Michael Corder's Cinderella has been in the repertory for five years, and in that time has never quite managed to cast a convincing spell. It is packed with pretty steps and romantic effects, but Frederick Ashton's near-definitive British setting of Prokofiev's score casts a shadow that seems to loom larger the more valiantly Corder tries to evade it.
Ashton's 1948 ballet is a classic partly because of its flukily engaging mix of pantomime farce, English social comedy and grand classicism. Corder wisely steers clear of Ashton's narrative style, but he gives such a cautiously wide berth to jokes and idiosyncracies of character that the people in his ballet are essentially dancing ciphers.
Cinderella is, de facto, a goody two shoes; without the moments of bleak heartbreak and rebellious humour that Ashton's production portrays, she is little more than a pretty victim who gets to put on a princess's dress. Only a radical rewrite could make her interesting. The Ugly Sisters flounce and sneer with gusto but there is almost nothing to differentiate them. Only Jane Haworth as the Stepmother musters a spark of real, predatory viciousness - not least because she bears a startling resemblance to Glenn Close in a powdered wig.
As a pure choreographer of steps, Corder is musical and inventive. Ashton himself would have lusted after some of his best effects - when one dancer wheels around her partner as if floating down a helter skelter, for instance. But Corder's ballet is too crammed with dancing; it lacks the spaciousness, the dynamic changes and surprises that would allow individual images to sing.
Even so, the lead couple can bring the choreography close to music, as Agnes Oaks (Cinderella) and Thomas Edur did on the first night. Oaks has a tendency to lose heart and stamina at odd moments, but her partnership with husband Edur is a unique and riveting thing. Edur's own dancing is a beguiling blend of modesty and virtuosity, and as a partner he knows exactly how to frame his ballerina. He and Oaks share such telepathic instincts for music and phrasing that every pose they strike is photo-perfect.
Under their new director Matz Skoog, the rest of the company are on generally good form, a lot less brittle and anxious than a year ago. Yosvani Ramos takes every chance to shine in the role of the Dancing Master, and Begona Cao's boldly stated elegance as the Summer Fairy stands out. David Walker's designs, as pretty as Corder's choreography, ensure that this is a reliably pleasing evening. It just isn't one that sticks in the imagination.
· In rep until January 19. Box office: 020-7632 8300.
