In Glen Tetley's newly choreographed version of the classical story, the Firebird, a beautiful girl, is kept in an enchanted garden and is guarded by a Victorian family. Gradually, she liberates herself from the strict traditions and loosens her bonds: each pas-de-deux she dances with her lover, brings her nearer to being human. In a dramatic scene, the lover kills the garden's keeper and is at last reunited with his Firebird.