More than 50 dances of all ages will be taking to the stage for Douglas Ballet Academy's first full-length ballet production.
The Burnaby-based dance school is staging Coppelia on Feb. 25 and 26 at the Inlet Theatre in Port Moody.
The show features all levels of dancers, from those in just their second year of training to young women who have danced at Douglas Ballet Academy since its doors first opened.
Alongside the students will be three guest artists and three academy teachers.
"Dancing not only for but also with their teachers builds in the students a sense of camaraderie and establishes a close connection among all the participants," a press release notes.
Douglas Ballet Academy was established in 1992 by Kelly Douglas, a Vancouver-trained dancer and teacher who also studied with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Banff School of Fine Arts and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
It first found a house in the basement of a church on Cliff Avenue and has now grown to a studio with 13 teachers and 350 students, offering classes in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, street jazz and Irish dancing.
Douglas is working alongside veteran dancer and Robert Policarpio, along with a host of teachers and volunteers, to stage Coppelia, the school's first-ever full-length production.
The show runs twice, with a gala evening performance on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets are on sale through Douglas Ballet Academy, 604-420-0204, or the Port Moody Arts Centre, 604-931-2008.
For more information, see www.douglasballet.com.
