Holiday Ballet Watchlist: Copellia

Let's finish off the watchlist with something truly lighthearted!  Here is the Bolshoi Ballet's production of Coppélia.  This ballet premiered in 1870 at the Paris Opéra, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Léo Delibes. Based loosely on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story “The Sandman,” the ballet blends comedy, charm, and classical technique, standing apart from the more tragic romantic ballets of the era.

Delibes’s score was groundbreaking for its richness and musical sophistication, helping elevate ballet music to a new artistic level. Coppélia remains beloved for its warmth, humor, and opportunities for character-driven dancing, particularly for the ballerina in the role of Swanilda.

In a lively village, Swanilda becomes suspicious of her fiancé Franz, who appears infatuated with Coppélia, a beautiful girl who sits motionless on a balcony. Swanilda discovers that Coppélia is actually a life-sized doll created by the eccentric inventor Dr. Coppélius. After comic mishaps and disguises, misunderstandings are resolved, Coppélius is placated, and the ballet ends with a joyful celebration of Swanilda and Franz’s wedding.