She has a congenial Prince, too, in Dmitri Gruzdyev – a handsome partner who shares her Petersburg schooling. They are just one of several casts performing at ENB's temporary home in Hammersmith.

The most important thing, though, is the splendid spirit with which the company as a whole brightens this over-wide auditorium.

Michael Corder's production has more choreography than drama, which is what some people like about it. Others, meanwhile, would welcome fewer steps and more acting. But either way, the enthusiastic zeal the dancers offer is just what it needs.

I could single out the unexpectedly smiling eagerness which Simone Clarke and Sarah McIlroy bring to the stepsisters' ambition, or Ivan Dinev's crisp neatness as the dancing master. But equally worth mention are the vigour and polish of the ensembles and the way corps de ballet dancers, such as Jessica Saund playing the fairy godmother, hold their own beside established principals.

Artistic director Matz Skoog can be proud of the achievements of his ballet staff, less so of his orchestra under Anthony Twiner, who – maybe the hall must share some of the blame – let Prokofiev's most lyrical ballet score sound stodgy.