La Fille mal gardée

Frederick Ashton called La Fille mal gardée his most perfect ballet, and audiences have agreed for over sixty years. One of the sunniest and most irresistible works in the entire repertoire, it tells the story of Lise, a farmer's daughter determined to marry her sweetheart Colas against her mother's wishes. Ashton's 1960 production for the Royal Ballet — set to a lilting score by Ferdinand Hérold, orchestrated by John Lanchbery — is filled with wit, warmth and technical brilliance, from the famous ribbon pas de deux to the unforgettable clog dance. Based on a ballet first created in 1789, it remains a joyful celebration of young love triumphing over parental interference.