DANCE ON TELEVISION

The highlight of the usual Christmas television dance bonanza this year must surely be Adventures in Motion Pictures' widely acclaimed production of Swan Lake (Boxing Day 8.30pm-10.30pm BBC2). Commonly dubbed an all-male ballet it is, in fact nothing of the kind. What is male about it is Matthew Bourne's corps of big, half-naked male swans (left). Bourne, having spotted that the swan is not a skinny, fluffy little thing but a large aggressive bird with a nasty streak, decided that the swans should be danced by men. His prince is an unhappy man in the long shadow of his mother, a career queen with no time for emotional relationships. She makes time for sexual ones, and swans around her court talent-spotting among the palace guard. Emotionally crippled by this less-than-ideal domestic set-up, the unhappy prince goes off into the night in search of human contact. What he finds is a large male swan (danced by the incredible Adam Cooper) who provides him with a glimpse of wider horizons. In the second half of the work, Bourne subverts the familiar scenario of the Petipa/Ivanov Act III by having the Black Swan arrive in the ballroom in black leather and proceed to flirt aggressively with every woman in the room. The performances are exceptional, Brotherson's designs are witty and sharp, and the choreography for the swans is inspired. Be prepared to laugh moderately throughout, and weep at the end.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 is running Just Dancing Around (27, 29, 30 Dec 7.30pm-8.30pm), an ambitious series of three films which profile leading contemporary choreographers William Forsythe, Trisha Brown and Richard Alston.

Carlton, in a bid for the culture vote, presents Dance! (27 Dec 4.10pm- 5.10pm ITV), fronted by Torvill and Dean, which will feature large chunks of the enduringly popular Euro-jigging Riverdance and Darcey Bussell and Igor Zelensky in a sensational account of Balanchine's Tchaikovsky pas de deux.

New York City Ballet's reverence for its founding choreographer, George Balanchine, can be glimpsed in New York City Ballet Salutes George Balanchine (New Year's Day 2.30pm-3.55pm BBC2).