I’ve been in the mood for ballet lately, so today, I am bringing you the full-length 1870 ballet, Coppelia, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet. Let me start by saying that I find the plots of nearly all ballets and operas to be idiotic, and this is definitely no exception. That said, the music and the dance and the costumes are so fantastic, I can usually power through without thinking about the story too much.

The plot of the ballet is this: There is a little blue stocking named Coppelia who spends all her time with her nose buried in a book. A boy named Franz nonetheless notices and falls for the oblivious Coppelia, even though he is already engaged to someone else. His fiancé Swanhilda (how’s that for a handle?) is understandably fussed by Franz’s obsession with Coppelia, until she realizes her rival is actually an animated doll, created by the village mad scientist (because ballet). Swanhilda then decides to impersonate the doll to gain back Franz’s attention. Personally, I would have just let Franz know he was into an inanimate object, but I guess there’s a possibility that could backfire. Also, she could do something about that unfortunate hair. Is that a mullet? Anyway, there is an eventual wedding (the doll is not the bride, happily), and much jubilant leaping about ensues.

You can see more of the Bolshoi’s brilliant work and find tickets to their performances on the Bolshoi Russia website.