FOLLOWING their success in 2000 with The Nutcracker and last year with Cinderella, Ballet Creations returns to the Regent Centre on Wednesday (Dec 18) with a sumptuous production of Delibes' delightful ballet, Coppelia.

The crazy old toymaker, Dr Coppelius, has created a beautiful clockwork doll, which he calls Coppelia.

Problems begin when a young village girl, Swanilda, catches her fianc blowing kisses at the doll, who he believes to be real.

Filled with a jealous rage, Swanilda breaks into the toymaker's workshop, where she discovers that Coppelia is simply a lifelike doll.

Suddenly the old toymaker returns and Swanilda quickly disguises herself as the doll and tricks him into believing that his creation has come to life.

The cast is truly international, with principals coming from Brazil, Spain and Germany to perform in Christchurch, and a number of local schools have been invited to take part in the production, with the children acting as villagers in various scenes.