The English National Ballet's production of Coppelia is a treat from start to finish. Coppelia is a lovely ballet, with not too much plot and a mad inventor who makes toys, and the production enriches every aspect. The peasant dances, which can sometimes feel like so much filler, here almost eclipse the lovers' pas de deux in beauty and spectacle.

The plot is a great one for children - Swanilda (Tamara Rojo) and Franz (Yonah Acosta) are due to marry. But Swanilda catches Franz blowing kisses up to the balcony of Dr Coppelius' house, where a beautiful and demure woman sits reading a book. Well, the wedding's off, and she even breaks into the house with all her friends to go and confront the strange woman that no-one knows. But it turns out to be one of the mad Doctor's automata, which he'd rather like to bring to life...

The plot hails from a Hoffman story, and an age bewitched with automata and transfixed by the possibility of making life - the same sort of era which also gave rise to Frankenstein. The Doctor's layer is suitably spooky for a production showing in Halloween week, but the automata are more charming than alarming. The Doctor's machine for transfusing life force into his doll is like something out of Bagpuss - again more fun than fearsome.

The live orchestra are perfect throughout. It's a treat to have the real thing there (and a large orchestra too). They played sensitively, and with great range - at times you could hear the blocked shoes on the stage, at times a thunderous richness emerged. In short they do the lovely score justice.

But it's the dancing that quite rightly stays with you. Rojo and Acosta are both marvellous: Acosta's Franz is mischievous and still a rogue even after his sobering adventure. Rojo's Swanilda will clearly have her work cut out to keep him straight, but is every bit up to the task. It's an unusual chemistry, and perhaps one borne of the fact that Rojo is also Artisitic Director of the ENB. It works well, whatever its source.

The corps de ballet are superb. It's rare to see 12 dancers in perfect sync, high kicks all at the same time and angle. It's just as it should be. It really feels like every part of the ballet has been lovingly worked on. And all those brilliant physics-defying moments are there: dancers seem to weigh nothing, momentum is defeated as someone moves fast and comes to a complete stop balanced en pointe, limbs you know have bones in seem to curve at will. Ballet is a mad art form, but one that combines such lovely elements. It was pretty packed for First Night, but there are still tickets available. It's on till Saturday, and is definitely worth catching.