What does the Academy award-winning film Her, from 2013, have in common with the classic ballet, Coppélia, from 1870?
Ballet has long served as a mirror to human nature, translating our dreams, desires, and follies into movement and music. In the twentieth century, film-making emerged as another powerful lens—capturing these same themes through light and shadow.
Not very long ago, Coppélia, with its whimsical tale of an infatuation with a lifelike doll, may have seemed to be a charming comedy of mistaken identity and youthful mischief. But in the 21st century, there is something eerily contemporary in a story of a young man enchanted by an illusion, preferring an artificial ideal over the unpredictability of his real relationship.
Sound familiar? It's the heart of the film, Her, and an increasing challenge for the young in our communities as AI is deployed.
Today, we don’t need a toymaker like Dr. Coppélius to fashion lifelike companions; AI does it for us. Coppélia's themes have become reality—only now, the dolls are digital. AI girlfriends, hyper-personalized chatbots that simulate emotional connection, have become an increasingly popular. Just as Franz falls under the spell of a mechanical girl who never argues or demands his attention in the way Swanhilda does, modern technology offers companions that always agree, always validate, and never complicate.
The Allure of Perfection, The Loss of Humanity
Coppélia playfully exposes the folly of idealization. Franz, enamored with an illusion, ignores the very real, very present Swanhilda—who, unlike Coppélia, actually loves, questions, and challenges him. AI companionship plays on the same fantasy: a relationship without the effort needed for a real human connection. AI partners feel safer, don’t disappoint, betray, or demand compromise. But they also don’t grow, evolve, or love. Like Coppélius’ creations, they are simulations of life, but never life itself. They offer comfort but not connection, control but not closeness.
And, like Coppélia—like Samantha in Her—they will never create a family.
What Ballet (and Coppélia) Reminds Us
Ballet is an art form that exists in the real, physical world. It is about presence—the weight of a body in motion, the connection between dancers, the unspoken dialogue in movement, the artistry of storytelling without words. No matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replicate ballet and the fragile beauty of humans aiming for perfection.
Swanhilda wins Franz back not by scolding or despairing but by outwitting both him and Dr. Coppélius, exposing the illusion for what it is. Perhaps Coppélia will compel future generations: to challenge the seductive ease of artificial relationships and to recognize that the richness of love comes from the unpredictable, irreplaceable presence of another living, loving, human being.
So as you watch Coppélia, laugh at Franz’s foolishness, marvel at Swanhilda’s spirit, enjoy Delibes’ sparkling score, and remember what we stand to lose if we forget how to love what's real.
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