When Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake made its debut in 1995, it surprised and delighted with its all-male leads.
The decision to have a man in the traditionally female role of the swan proved inspired, adding a whole new dimension to the tale of the prince and his quest for freedom and love.
Over the years the ballet has proved a regular visitor to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle , building up a loyal fan-base.
And its return this week - a new production of what's become a contemporary classic - will no doubt see a packed house right up until the end of its run on May 18.
But it doesn't rest on its laurels. It's still working hard and the result is that it feels just as fresh and energised as it did when I first saw it years ago.
Beautifully styled, it has costumes ranging from nightclub wear - with the female ensemble in heels and sparkling gowns - to flamenco and feathers, as well as grand sets, a favourite of mine being the lake shore scene, with its effect of rippling water, moonlight and a canopy of stars - plus a 'don't feed the swans' sign: an example of the ballet's trademark humour.
With Liam Mower and Max Westwell in the lead roles of The Prince and The Swan, this is the setting for their meeting and an electric pas de deux, with the latter's imposing swan at turns aggressive and graceful.
Westwell also plays the character of the Stranger where, wearing leather trousers and an air of danger, he's the focus of attention in a sexually charged ballroom scene.
Against the backdrop of the famous Tchaikovsky score, choreography and dancing throughout are as technically brilliant as you would expect, while the expressive cast perform with tons of personality and humour, as with Katrina Lyndon's witty and scantily-dressed Girlfriend.
Music and dance soar and swoop in perfect harmony.
In a story that takes several twists away from the traditional Swan Lake tale, there's much that stands out: the male ensemble as swans, complete with clacking and hissing, and the fun and stomping - in place of the usual ballerina grace - in the dance of the cygnets which had everyone laughing.
The ballet-within-a-ballet scene - which has the royals watching a traditional performance - is also played for laughs, while the pas de deux between the prince and his mother (Nicole Kabera) is pure edge-of-seat tense drama.
Use is made of striking silhouettes and there are lots of quirky touches, references and imagery: the seedy Swan-ky (or whatever) nightclub scene, for instance, and the fading billboard poster for Swan (Vesta) which briefly comes alive with colour.
Mention must go to Paule Constable for lighting and to designer Lez Brotherston while all the dancers are deserving of the standing ovation which the show received at its opening night on Tuesday, with Mower and Westwell's powerful lead performances especially compelling.
As for the old 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' adage, award-winning artistic director Bourne is clearly never one for convention.
He keeps audiences, never mind the dancers, on their toes and this production felt both familiar and fresh. It’s an extraordinary and memorable ballet - at times not ballet-like at all - and anyone seeing it for the first time is extra lucky.
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