ACROSS history a mass of adaptations of one of the great folk stories has continued to enchant, dazzle and inspire audiences around the world.

Cinderella, the archaic tale loved by generation after generation for its motivating narrative, which pitches the story's heroin against the belittling nature of her inherited family, will forever be remade, repackaged and rebranded due to its all-encompassing style.

This latest incarnation comes courtesy of Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) - a stunning company led by its director David Bintley CBE.

It's a well-known story. A woman forced to wait hand and foot on her two stepsisters and stepmother is visited by a fairy Godmother. The Godmother helps morph this woman into an alluring princess who visits the ball of The Prince. The one condition is to be back by midnight when her transformation back to reality occurs. The Prince ultimately finds the woman again. This is Cinderella in a nutshell. But BRB's main strength is in how it adds drama, intrigue and subplots through the rhythm of dance.

Samara Downs, portraying Skinny - the sassy stepsister tasked with ensuring Cinderella's life is miserable - and Laura Purkiss, Dumpy - the larger than life other sibling of Cinderella, were so in-sync is was impossible not to believe they were actually sisters. The underhanded love rivals always on the hunt for their newest man, the consistent outdoing and ultimate arguments that follow - these were the real stars of this visually stunning show.

Cinderella, depicted as Momoko Hirata, was glamorous; the wistfulness of her life before and after meeting Joseph Caley's The Prince a real winner throughout.

What is a cornerstone of most BRB productions, with previous runs of 'Aladdin' and 'The Nutcracker' springing to mind, is the enormity of its sets. The vast clockwork that emerges from nowhere, stripped down to bare cogs and immense hands, to depict the countdown towards midnight above the plethora of soigné dancers in never-ending dresses and trim suits; the delicate carriage that delivers Cinderella to the ball; the grotty lair that our understated heroine constantly cleans before and after her party shenanigans - all a perfect complement to the divine movement that moves before it.

During the three acts of this ballet, there is constant progression and hardly a dull a moment. What in some instances could be a simple story, simply done, BRB have ensured that this timeless tale is given the dissection it deserves.