Louisville Ballet to Present "Coppelia"

"Coppelia," one of the last Romantic ballets staged before the end of the Second Empire in France, will be presented February 21-22 by the Louisville Ballet in the Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

One of ballet's classic masterworks, Coppelia is set to the music of Leo Delibes, who was considered the first great ballet composer, and uses choreography by Marious Petipa which has been reproduced by Louisville Ballet's Associate Artistic Director Helen Starr.

Coppelia is a love story that includes comedy and mystery as it tells the tale of Dr. Coppelius, an eccentric toymaker who tries to bring his favorite doll to life. Because she is so lifelike, Dr. Coppelius unknowingly becomes involved in a lovers' quarrel between Swanilda and Franz, the hero and heroine of the story.

Coppelia was first performed at the Paris Opera on May 25, 1870, and made its American debut in 1887 at the Metropolitan Opera House, in New York. The Louisville Ballet first performed this work in 1987 and received outstanding critical and audience acclaim.

Coppelia, a ballet for the entire family, will be performed on February 21 at 8:00 p.m., February 22 at 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and February 23 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from $14 to $40 and are available through the Kentucky Center Ticket Service, (502) 584-7777 or (800) 283-7777.