Peek Inside Storybook Ballet Camp Day: Coppélia

Dancers and Camp Instructor Pose with their Paperdolls for Coppelia Ballet Camp Day!

A dancer chooses her Paper Doll pieces.

One of the most magical parts of our Storybook Ballet Camp is introducing young dancers to the stories behind some of the world's most beloved ballets. On Day 3, we step into the enchanting world of Coppélia, a playful ballet filled with dolls, adventure, and imagination!

Coppélia tells the story of a young woman named Swanhilda, who is engaged to marry Franz. One day, Swanhilda notices Franz blowing kisses to a beautiful girl sitting in the window of Dr. Coppelius's workshop. Curious and concerned, Swanhilda and her friends decide to investigate.

When they sneak inside the mysterious workshop, they discover a surprising secret—the beautiful girl isn't a real person at all. She's a life-sized doll named Coppélia! The ballet follows Swanhilda's clever plan to teach Franz a lesson while helping Dr. Coppelius realize that friendship is more important than creating the perfect doll.

Filled with humor, mischief, and delightful dancing, Coppélia has become one of the most beloved story ballets for children.

At camp, we bring the story of Coppélia to life through creative movement, dramatic play, and

A picture of a Dance to Learn Coppelia movement Card with dancers marching like a Wind Up Soldier.

hands-on activities. Dancers explore how different types of dolls might move by experimenting with a variety of movement qualities.

Some of our favorite doll-inspired movements include:

• Floppy rag dolls

• Stiff mechanical dolls

• Surprising jack-in-the-box dolls

• Elegant jewelry box ballerinas

• Wind-up dancing dolls

• Sleeping dolls that magically come to life

As dancers switch between different doll characters, they build body awareness, creativity, and expressive movement skills while having lots of fun.

One of the highlights of the day is designing and assembling our own ballerina paper dolls. This hands-on craft allows campers to connect with the doll theme while encouraging creativity and fine motor skills.

Each dancer creates a unique ballerina that they can take home as a special reminder of their Coppélia adventure.

A dancer places rhinestones on her Paper Doll Tutu.

To finish the day, campers embark on a giant Coppélia-inspired obstacle course. Together, we pretend to sneak into Dr. Coppelius's workshop, carefully tiptoeing past inventions, balancing through challenges, and exploring the mysterious dollmaker's world.

This imaginative obstacle course encourages problem-solving, coordination, balance, and teamwork while helping dancers become active participants in the ballet's story.

Storybook Ballet Camp combines classical ballet stories with movement, creativity, crafts, and imaginative play. By experiencing the story through dance, children develop a deeper understanding of ballet while building confidence, coordination, and a lifelong love of movement.

Day 3's Coppélia adventure is always a favorite because it invites dancers to step into a world where dolls come to life, mysteries are solved, and imagination takes center stage.

Explore our Storybook Ballet Camps