The School of Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras team up once again to present “Coppélia” on May 31 at 2 p.m. and June 1 at 1 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix. The next generation of artists will present one of the best-known comedic ballets, which is regularly performed around the world.

“Coppélia” is a charming ballet that tells the story of a young man named Franz who is infatuated with a beautiful girl named Swanilda. However, Franz’s attention is drawn to a mysterious girl named Coppélia, who is a life-sized doll created by the eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppélius. As Swanilda becomes jealous and curious about this enchanting doll, she and her friends decide to sneak into Dr. Coppelius’s workshop. There, they discover the secret of Coppélia’s true nature.

“Coppélia” represents the first “feminist” ballet, breaking the romantic tradition of portraying the female heroine as an otherworldly creature and replacing her with a witty, earthy woman, Swanilda, who knows how to get her way. The story of “Coppélia” is taken from the short story “Der Sandmann” by E.T.A. Hoffman (1776-1822).

Tickets for “Coppélia” can be purchased online at https://balletaz.org/performance/coppelia/2025-05-31/ or by calling Ballet Arizona’s box office at 602-381-1096.