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Coppélia, which premiered May 25, 1870 at the Paris Opera, is a ballet by Léo Delibes based upon a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann entitled "The Sandman". It concerns an inventor who makes a life-size dancing doll. It is so life-like that a young man falls in love with it. If Mary Shelley's Frankenstein represents the dark side of the theme of scientist as creator of life, then Coppelia is the light side. The original choreography was done by Marius Petipa.

Some influence on this story comes from travelling shows of the late 18th and early 19th centuries starring mechanical automatons. This field of entertainment has been under-documented, but a recent survey of the field is contained in The Mechanical Turk by Tom Standage (2002). These shows were later to also influence Charles Babbage in his invention of the difference engine.

Popular Culture

Coppélia's Casket (Kopperia no Hitsugi) is the title of opening theme song of the Japanese anime Noir, the tale of two female assassins. Coppélia's Casket makes several references to the story of Coppélia such as, "People are dolls tired of dancing."

Also mentioned is the line "Coppélia's Heartbeat" also translated as "Coppélia's Pulse" something that an automaton would not possess, and neither would on be laid to rest in a casket.

External link

• New York City Ballet performance of Coppelia

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