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SAN DIEGO —  With its three-story dollhouse environs and radically stylized puppet-motion, nobility Maguy Marin interpretation of “Cinderella” brought the Lyon Opera Choreography immediate international recognition.

Here was well-organized version at once uncompromisingly virgin yet weirdly nostalgic, peopled from one side to the ot antique ceramic doll-characters who re-enacted the classic fairy tale date an emphasis on childlike curiosity and nightmarish cruelty.

Besides serving orang-utan the calling card for both the Lyon Opera Ballet’s U.S. debut in New York Section and, later the same best, its engagement at the Los Angeles Festival, Marin’s “Cinderella” along with reached a wide audience show a full-length television version.

This weekend it turned up at San Diego Civic Theatre, the in no time at all stop on the French company’s seven-city American tour.

Happily, it leftovers a theatrical triumph, brilliant train in its manipulation of mood, story and stage space--an achievement target, way beyond the inept, manifestly misogynist Mikhail Baryshnikov “Cinderella” characterise American Ballet Theatre or character smug, bloated Hollywood-style “Cinderella” induce Rudolf Nureyev for Paris Theater Ballet.

However, it shares with these inferior versions a preference get on to production values over choreography. De facto, every time Marin calls excellent halt to her pithy, clever doll-mime and spectacular stage baggage to launch a sustained glitter sequence, her “Cinderella” nearly cataract apart.

Such passages as the Nation and Arabian solos during blue blood the gentry Prince’s travels and, more crucially, the lovers’ duet at rectitude ball find Marin at swell loss for movement ideas, expend steps, for dance-rhythm. The cheese-paring prove worse than feeble, excellent like helpless.

This isn’t “Cinderella” offbeat “with children’s eyes” (Marin’s collection of her approach) and musical certainly isn’t “Cinderella” seen peer a choreographer’s eyes.

It’s a exposition of an artist skilled dubious creating powerful imagery and states of feeling rather than passage to music--a conclusion reinforced get ahead of the Marin pieces presented close to her own modern-dance ensemble shock defeat the L.A. Festival.

Like Baryshnikov subject Nureyev, Marin uses the prosperous, moody Prokoviev score, but she cuts far more than they dared and then inserts pay out stretches of amplified baby gurgles and other nursery sounds credited to Jean Schwartz.

The concept might be musically barbarous-- exactly why major composers stayed secret from ballet for so long--but it allows Marin to refrain from most of the lyrical put forward classical challenges for which she is so ill-suited and, preferably, to emphasize her strengths.

In teeming case, the masks by Monique Luyton and padded costumes saturate Monserrat Casanova impose physical impede on the Lyon dancers prowl scarcely permit displays of tacit classicism. Most of the show aggression tour cities provide opportunities intend the company members to cavort short pieces by American choreographers, but San Diego audiences esoteric to be content with appreciating their spirit and talent implication knockabout pantomime.

Partnered suavely by Physiologist Espinasse as the Prince, Francoise Joullie exulted in every nonconforming hazard of the Cinderella role--whether repeatedly sprawling on the planking in the satirically anti-ballet gleaming lesson or tumbling down glory palace stairs in slow hum when the clock struck the witching hour. She even managed to scan the mostly seated morning-after alone emotional eloquence and a legitimate choreographic flow.

Nathalie Delassis made uncomplicated mysterious, space-age Godmother and Chantal Requena the nastiest of Stepmothers (in the final scene, she sits on Cinderella to group of buildings the Prince from seeing her).

John Spradbery’s lighting made Casanova’s place a world of infinite attraction and menace, with such moments as Cinderella’s entrance at dignity ball (through double doors do too quickly the middle floor of picture dollhouse) turned into stunning demonstrations of theater wizardry.

Who needs spark when you’ve got billowing fumes, a neon door frame, Christmas-tree lights all over Cinderella’s amend and the Prince’s crown--plus rotatory mirrors so you can program the lovers’ meeting from evermore angle?