Mills movement vocabulary merged the classical with the new-found. Edgy and abrupt shifts of silhouette altered with moments of formal grace. Small, almost quotidian gestures by one dancer came in between sweeping dramatic movements by a group.

Belle comes to love the Beast and chooses to stay with him after recognizing that she has her own beast within. “You might consider it an animal aspect or you might consider it a different facet of her personality,” Mills has written.

There’s no scary, hairy-faced beast transformed, no perfect happily-ever-after. Mills’ version is dark, passionate and psychologically complicated, with choreography rooted in modern classical ballet but with gestures and movements that at times feel almost feral.