AFTER sitting centre stall for Saturday's staging of Coppelia, at Preston's Charter Theatre, I decided youth ballet audiences were by far the best fun.

Families laughed, gasped and clapped with joy throughout the classical French choreographed production before giving a standing ovation at the end of the show.

The English Youth Ballet's production of Coppelia was fabulous in a pantomime way -- with little tots fluttering around in twinkly tutus, pretending to be night-time.

The story is about the drunken toy maker, Dr Coppelius, played by Roddie Patrizio, who falls in love with one of his creations -- a beautiful doll he longs to bring to life.

Franz, a young villager played by Kasper Cornish, one day spots the doll and, believing she is real, decides this is the woman of his dreams.

Julianne Rice gave a coquettishly sparkling performance as Swanilda -- Franz's spurned and envious fiancee who finds Dr Coppelius's key and decides to take a look at Coppelia -- just as Frank is climbing a ladder to a window with a similar intention.

The graceful magic and different textures of the dancing at all age levels is punctuated with sublime performances from the characters who span, dipped and vaulted around the stage like birds of prey.

With more than 100 young dancers on the stage at once, the finale was a costume carousel of pink flamingos, princess brides, handsome soldiers and merry maids May-polling around the newly wed Franz and Swanilda.