In a small provincial town lives an ingenious inventor, Dr. Coppélius, and his "daughter", Coppélia, who often sits on her balcony, reading a book and watching the townsfolk below. Young and carefree, Frantz is the subject of all the town girls’ desires, most notably his betrothed, Swanilda, our heroine. One day, mistaking Coppélia’s silent gaze from atop the balcony for love, Frantz’s affection shifts to Coppélia. Blinded by desire, Frantz, and Swanilda, riled with suspicion and envy, separately decide to break into Dr. Coppélius’s laboratory to find and meet Coppélia.

Once inside, they discover a terrible secret: Dr. Coppélius has been creating automatons—lifelike humanoid machines—which he aims to embed with a life force, and Coppélia is one of them. In a dramatic turn, Frantz is captured, and Swanilda becomes his last hope as Dr. Coppélius attempts to transfer Frantz’s life force into Coppélia. Rising to the occasion with cunning and ingenuity, the pair save themselves and each other. Struck by the fear of losing one another, Frantz and Swanilda confess their love and marry at the town’s Festival of the Bells, honoring the town’s six distinct bells rung for various occasions—work, prayer, war, peace, dawn, and golden hours—during the divertissement-filled Act III.

Based on short stories “The Sandman” and “The Doll” by 19th-century German writer, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Balanchine’s Coppélia maintains the spirit, plot, and structure of Marius Petipa’s prominent 1884 version in Acts I and II, but his unique Act III stands apart as a testament to his narrative skill and craft. Coppélia is additionally unique in Balanchine repertoire as a rare full-length narrative ballet. Rather than paring down the narrative, he enriched the story with detailed choreography, emotional depth, and cultural relevance. He introduced new male roles, invited students to perform alongside the company, and emphasized one specific aspect overlooked in the original ballet—war. Just months after the original ballet’s 1870 Paris premiere, Napoleon III declared war on Prussia, beginning the Franco-Prussian War. As a result, Coppélia became the last ballet of the French monarchy, and the dominance over ballet aesthetics shifted to Imperial Russia, marked by Petipa’s restaging of Coppélia in Saint Petersburg.

It was during this time of prominence in ballet aesthetics that Balanchine trained before defecting from the USSR during the Bolshevik Revolution and later emigrating to the United States, establishing the American ballet aesthetic. Through reimagining Act III to include reflections on themes of war, Balanchine honored the historical context behind ballet aesthetics, culture, and Coppélia’s place as the marker between the French and Russian eras of ballet. This is primarily demonstrated through the entrance of Valkyries during the divertissement of Act III. Mythical Norse fighters, dressed in armor, helmets, and feathers, Valkyries chose the fallen and guided them to the afterlife. They appear unexpectedly, evoking the chaos and confusion of wartime.

Coppélia is revered as an exemplar of the transition of ballet aesthetics from France to Russia, and Balanchine's version further adds to the history of the piece, as his formation of the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet established a new American classical form, culturally influenced by past and present. His 1974 revival of Coppélia is nothing short of remarkable, not only preserving its timeless charm but also solidifying its place as one of the most treasured works in ballet’s classical canon for new audiences.

Coppélia will delight audiences of all ages with its foolish fantasy and cleverly crafted humor. At the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from March 21-23, 2025. Tickets available now!

Program notes by Margaux Nicolas.