The Sarasota Ballet celebrates the holidays with a special production of La Fille mal Gardee ("The Wayward Daughter") at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Dec. 19 and 20, bringing Sir Frederick Ashton’s interpretation of this classic tale to the Sarasota stage, accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra. Following the romantic hijinks of farmer’s daughter Lise, who falls for a handsome farmer over her mother’s wishes for a more established suitor, La Fille is a comedy in the classic sense, humorous and heartfelt.

“It’s the most accessible ballet for everyone to come and see,” said Sarasota Ballet Director Iain Webb, who selected the family-friendly show specifically for the holiday season. “Hardened ballet fans know that this is one of the greatest and for those who have never experienced ballet or have not really taken to it, this is the opportunity to come.”

A seminal work in the world of international ballet, Ashton’s reinvention of La Fille in the 1960s gave the story a particularly English bent along with his trademark comedic sensibility, resulting in what Webb calls “one of [Ashton’s] greatest full-length ballets.”

With costumes and sets shipped in from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the production marks one of the Ballet's yearly collaborations with the Van Wezel. Larger stages and higher capacity theaters enable productions that would otherwise be impossible.

“We need to have the Van Wezel,” said Webb, who expressed doubt the Sarasota Opera House would let him bring a pony on stage, something he plans to do this weekend for La Fille. “It means I can bring in these big productions.”

Incorporating many influences into the choreography, from folk dance to romantic ballet, La Fille also marks a distinct opportunity to see the company’s talent in top form, such as Logan Learned, who was singled out last week by The New York Times for one of the top performances by a male dancer in 2014.

La Fille mal Gardee runs from Dec. 19-20 in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Showtimes: Dec. 19 at 7:30pm; Dec. 20 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets start at $35.