This was the first night of the 50th anniversary revival of Frederick Ashton’s full length ballet, Ondine. The work was created as a showcase for Margot Fonteyn, who had great success in the leading role of the eponymous water-nymph who has no soul, but can gain one by marrying a mortal, though he will die if he kisses her. The mortal in question is Palemon, originally danced by Michael Somes. Palemon deserts his fiancée Berta to follow his nymph (shades of La Sylphide), but he is relentlessly pursued by Berta. There is no room here for the intricacies of this fanciful plot, but its importance lies in the highly imaginative choreography that Ashton made for Fonteyn, expressing her connection with the sea. To a score he commissioned from Hanz Werner Henze he created a role full of aqueous imagery: rippling movements, arms crossed in a fish-tail shape, and a long solo in which Ondine floats in the remarkably realistic waves, supported by an unseen partner as she swims and rises above the water.

Alexandra Ansanelli coped beautifully with the smooth-flowing, lyrical movement required, and brought a considerable amount of pathos to a work that does not really touch the heart. She was ably partnered by Valeri Hristov (pictured with her, right), who danced well, but caused me to wonder that Somes did not complain about not having enough to do. Laura Morera, always a dramatic dancer, was Berta, and bravely followed Palemon – even aboard ship.

Eventually, she won his hand, after he thought that Ondine had died when superstitious sailors chucked her overboard. (Why would a water-nymph drown?) But Ondine appears again at the end; Palemon kisses her after a long duet, dies, and is seen united with her forever in her watery home. The dances Ashton has made for the corps de ballet of water nymphs are terrific: flowing at one moment, frozen in groupings reminiscent of the work of Bronislava Nijinska at others. At times they are like Wilis of the ocean, chasing poor Berta this way and that, and giving her a very hard time indeed.

Ondine remains in the Royal Ballet’s repertoire for some time to come.