At the heart of the plot of the Léo Delibes ballet Coppélia lies the story of a careless youth who nearly trades his lovely bride for a mechanical doll.
In the 150 years since its premiere, the show’s choreography has undergone numerous changes. In creating his version of Coppélia for the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Mikhail Messerer used elements of productions by his great predecessors in the world of classical ballet — Arthur Saint-Léon, Marius Petipa, and Alexander Gorsky, while his own sense of taste, imagination, and knowledge of tradition helped him create a show that functions as a cohesive whole.
This lively ballet, with elements of pantomime and colourful distinctive variations, but with strictly classical dancing at its core, makes for ideal family viewing.