Coppelia

I have to admit that I didn't see the entire story; I was bouncing back and forth between channels. What I did see was a unique blending of ballet with a sci-fi themed storyline. Beautiful visuals and masterful dancing combined with interesting music - I will have to revisit it.

There's nothing wrong with the staging, and the video overlay process is a great success. Not being a dance specialist, I can't comment on the quality of the choreography or the quality of the performance. In any case, the dancers seem to be giving it their all. It's all very pleasing to the eye. The big problem with this production is the musical adaptation. Why have the subtle and dynamic melodies of Léo Delibes been replaced by flat, expressionless music? And why break the unity of the ballet by jumping from one musical style to another? It's like a potpourri of styles. A pity, it could have been a success.

This is an excellent update of the original 1870 ballet. The sets and the mix of CGI, real actors and the score make this visually very watchable. At a shade over 76 minutes long it kept my attention without feeling drawn out. The modern take of Dr Coppelius being some sort of cosmetic surgeon rather than a toymaker is well thought out and the ballet touches on modern issues such as social media pressure, self image, and inner happiness & peace. The music fits the story well and the colour schemes and costumes are well thought out. I'll watch this again sometime and would recommend it to those who maybe haven't seen a ballet brought up to date for the modern age.