The performance is a homecoming for Budzynski, a Bucks County native who performed as a young dancer with Dance Theatre, founded by Marilyn Budzynski, a former dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet.

If you’ve seen our productions of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, you’ll want to treat yourself to this classic ballet comedy that children adore. The legendary choreographer George Balanchine once wrote, “Just as Giselle is ballet’s great tragedy, so Coppelia is its great comedy.”

Kochis will dance the role of the inquisitive Swanilda, with Budzynski playing her clueless suitor, Frantz. With music by Leo Delibes, the ballet is set in a village that houses the mysterious workshop of Dr. Coppelius. He’s a toymaker who has crafted a beautiful life-size, mechanical doll named Coppelia. The lonely inventor treats the doll like a daughter.

Frantz does not realize that Coppelia is a doll and is mesmerized by her beauty. Swanilda grows jealous of her rival. At night, she breaks into the doctor’s workshop with her friends. Dr. Coppelius finds the intruders and throws them out. But Swanilda is up to trouble. She impersonates Coppelia and pretends to come to life, dancing a Scottish reel and Spanish fandango. At first thrilled to think his doll has transformed into a real girl, Dr. Coppelius plunges into sadness when he realizes Swanilda’s prank. But as with all good ballets, the story ends happily-ever-after with the wedding of Swanilda and Frantz and a village celebration.

Also appearing in our production of the ballet are Stephen Hadala of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in the role of Dr. Coppelius; Christine Jones, formerly of the Pennsylvania Ballet; and Jennifer Goodman, formerly of the Joffrey Ballet.

To order tickets, visit www.dtopa.org or call (215)348-7175.  Prices are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors, students and groups of more than 10.

Posted: September, 2009

Keating, a graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, is on the faculty of Dance Theatre’s affiliate school, Budzynski Studios in Plumstead. Her repertoire spans both classical ballet and modern dance. Keating previously danced for choreographer Twyla Tharp’s dance company, “THARP!”, as well as the American Repertory Ballet.

Keating performed with the Pennsylvania Ballet for 10 years, rising from the corps de ballet to soloist in 2003.

Dance Theatre is bringing its acclaimed production of The Nutcracker to CB South in Warrington for the first time. Based in Doylestown, Dance Theatre is the region’s premier pre-professional dance company and includes 30 dancers from Bucks and Montgomery counties, as well as Philadelphia.

Performances are 11 a.m and 3 p.m on Dec. 12 and noon and 4 p.m. on Dec. 13. For more information and tickets, call (215)348-7175. Or you may order online at this website.

A veteran teacher, she strives to be pleasant, fair and understanding.

But soon, Woodbury will put those traits aside — and become pure evil.

On May 9, she’ll perform the role of the wicked fairy Carabosse in Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania’s full-length production of “Sleeping Beauty” at 3 and 7:30 p.m. at Central Bucks South High School in Warrington.

In the fairy tale, Carabosse is an outcast with a big grudge.  Miffed at not getting an invitation to the christening of Princess Aurora, Carabosse puts a curse on the child — at 16, she will prick her finger and die.  Carabosse is the queen of mean — and Woodbury can’t wait to step into her slippers.  Playing evil, she says, is just plain fun.

“I get to let a side out that I can’t always let out,” says Woodbury, who has been performing characters in Dance Theatre’s productions for more than two decades.

In the company’s annual staging of “The Nutcracker,” she plays Mrs. Silverhaus, Clara’s elegant mother.  “This is such a departure,” Woodbury says. “I get to do a character who’s the total opposite.”

“Sleeping Beauty” continues Dance Theatre’s tradition of bringing some of the region’s top names in ballet to perform with the company’s pre-professional students from Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Alexandra Kochis, a principal dancer with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, will star as Princess Aurora. In the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s past season, Kochis performed the leading female roles in “Romeo et Juliette,” “Cinderella,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Peter Pan” and “The Nutcracker.”  Kochis will share the stage with her husband and fellow Pittsburgh Ballet principal, Christopher Budzynski, a native of Erwinna. He will dance the role of Prince Desire and is appearing for the fourth year in a row with Dance Theatre.  The couple recently danced the lead roles in “Romeo et Juliette” to sold-out audiences in Pittsburgh. A dance critic for the Pittsburgh Tribune wrote that their roles were “brilliantly performed” and said when Juliette grieves Romeo’s body at the end of the ballet, “there couldn’t have been a dry eye in the house.”

Dance Theatre’s production also features members of the company faculty: Chris Jones, a former dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet; Maria Phegan, a former member of the Houston Ballet; and Michael Krochak, a principal artist for the company.

“This is probably the 10th time I have staged this production in 35 years and I never get tired of it,” says Marilyn Budzynski, Dance Theatre’s artistic director and a former dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet.

“Sleeping Beauty is truly one of my favorite ballets because it incorporates the majesty of the story of Aurora and her Prince with the very comical third act that includes vignettes from Mother Goose rhymes, a sassy white cat in Puss ’n’ Boots and a salivating wolf from Red Riding Hood.”

Among the senior student dancers performing as fairies are Emily Ancona of Newtown, a senior at Villa St. Joseph Academy; Corinna Stieg of Doylestown, a junior at Mount St. Joseph Academy; Christine Bontempi of Jamison, a junior at Central Bucks South; and Victoria Stauffer of New Hope, a junior at Villa.

Other guest dancers are Nikita Rosencranz and Jonathan Tavares, who are members of the Metropolitan Ballet Company.

Woodbury says most children are familiar with the story of “Sleeping Beauty,” but the ballet version brings some different elements to the tale. The fairies, who are Aurora’s godmothers, are more prominent characters in the ballet.  “When you see the ballet,” she says, “it gives you a lot more detail to the story.”

Woodbury, 56, a Richboro native and married mother of two, has mixed dance and teaching for many years. A teacher in Quakertown for 15 years, Woodbury studied dance at the prestigious Boston Conservatory before earning a doctorate in education at Temple University.

Woodbury says the role of Carabosse requires more mime than other characters she’s performed.  “You just get into character and let yourself go,” she says.  In addition to Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker,” Woodbury also performed as the evil stepmother in the company’s production of “Cinderella.”  “Hey,” she says, “I’m getting typecast!”

Tickets: $25; seniors and students, $20; groups of 10 or more, $15 each.

The school is at 1100 Folly Road.  

Information and reservations: 215-348-7175

Posted: June, 2007

Christopher Budzynski, soloist with Pittsburgh Ballet, charmed not only Cinderella, danced by his wife, Alexandra Kochis, but our DToP audiences as well with his performance as the "Prince". Our June production of Cinderella was a fairy tale for all. Be sure to view the photos!

Christopher is the son of DToP Artistic Director, Marilyn Budzynski.

Alexa Kochis, also of Boston Ballet, performed the role of "Cinderella". Alexa, who is married to Christopher Budzynski, delighted audiences as well as her "prince" of a husband.

December 12, 2009

For more information about this event: Please call us at (215)348-7175.

Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania is bringing its acclaimed production of “The Nutcracker” to a new venue in the Doylestown area on Dec. 12 and 13. For the first time, we will be performing a full version of the two-act ballet classic at Central Bucks High School South in Warrington, Bucks County. This production will showcase the 30 pre-professional members of Dance Theatre and feature opulent costumes, detailed sets and our original choreography. Nutcracker showtimes are 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Dec. 12, and noon and 4 p.m. on Dec. 13. Prices are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors and $15 for groups of more than 10. Join us for the Nutcracker. It’s a show that will quickly become a holiday tradition for your family!

November 8, 2009

For more information about this event: Tickets are $25 for children and $35 for adults and may be ordered online or by calling (215)348-7175.

What better way to usher in the holidays than with an old-fashioned tea party? For more than five years, Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania has brought its “Nutcracker Tea” to the James-Lorah House in the heart of Doylestown. We would like to welcome you to this year’s tea. We’ll bring you highlights from our show, a fashion show for young girls and boys and, of course, tea sandwiches and sweet treats! All proceeds go to our non-profit pre-professional dance company to fund our community performances in the Bucks County area. The tea is an excellent chance for children to see a ballet production close up. So join us. We’ll supply the teapots, you supply the cheer!