Philadelphia Dance Theater it Is

Philadelphia Dance Theater It is an interesting fact that the state of Philadelphia has more than thirty excellent and dynamic Dance Companies, and theaters as well, and some of the nations' oldest dance theaters are in existence in the state today. These theaters are based in Philadelphia, and they tour globally. For example, the Pennsylvania Ballet is today celebrating its fortieth year of existence, and the Group Motion Dance Company and the Philadelphia Dance Company are today preparing for their thirty fifth anniversaries.

Although all these theaters and dance companies have been growing through a number of changes over the years, its artistic view point is as strong as it ever was. However, it must be noted that the newer and later hip hop dance companies are thriving in Philadelphia as well, and one reason for this is the nurturing type of nature of the Philadelphia Dance Community as such.

(Group Motion Press Room, Kick up your Heels) The Philadelphia Dance Theater includes modern ballet, jazz, tap dancing, modern dance forms, flamenco, African-American, Indian, and other types of folk and ethnic dance forms. Philadanco, or the Philadelphia Dance Company, is already at the performing end of another ballet named the 'Horse's Mouth', and this is also reputed to be a first arte performance by Philadelphia's young artistes.

This year's performance of the 'Nutcracker' by the Philadelphia Dance Theater, just like its previous ones, would allow families during the Holiday Season a few hours together to enjoy, uninterruptedly, the magical world created for them by the choreographers and the directors and the performers of the play. (Group Motion Press Room, Kick up your Heels) The Dance Theater of Pennsylvania today is more than twenty seven years old, and it still continues its traditional practice of staging beautiful and timeless ballet productions.

The 2005 to 2006 season is under way today, and this is the season in which the Nutcracker is generally staged. (Dance Theater of Pennsylvania) The Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania is a non-profit, and a regional ballet company that was formed in the year 1978 by the famous and renowned Marilyn Budzynski.

Based in Pennsylvania, this dance theater serves Buck County and other surrounding areas, and it was established with the basic mission of providing extremely valuable pre-professional stage experience for dancers and also for, more importantly, offering quality and affordable dance performances to the country, where everyone would be able to view them and enjoy them tremendously. (About Dance Theater of Pennsylvania) The Philadelphia Theater Company, presently in its thirtieth year of inception, was founded in the year 1974, as mentioned earlier, as the Philadelphia Company, by Robert Hedley and Jean Harrison.

This Company was one of the first of the city of Philadelphia's performing arts companies, which was in fact able to produce bold and dynamic and innovatively new work, with young dancers. The Philadelphia Theater Company in fact also invites its audiences to take part and actively participate in its developmental process, a standard that was set at that time, and which is even today being followed in most regional settings of theater.

The Director being 'Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik' from the year 1982 onwards, the Philadelphia Theater company has managed to produce more than a hundred world and also Philadelphia premieres, and is today the most popular home of more than dozens of nationally and at times internationally recognized artistes. This famous and renowned Theater Company is a member of the League of Resident Theaters, the Theater Communications Group, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Theater Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

(Philadelphia Theater Company) This year, the magic and the splendor of the Holiday Season would be welcomed by the Philadelphia Dance Theater, which would perform with a hundred artistes, the ever popular holiday season play, the 'Nutcracker'. It must be noted that the very first Nutcracker Ballet performance was given in the year 1892, and it is the story of a young and lonely orphaned German girl named Laura, who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince.

This particular production by the Philadelphia Dance Theater Company was choreographed by the 'Artistic Director', Joy Delaney-Capponi, and a very important feature of the play is the profusion of lavish Victorian hand made costumes that the actors on stage wear during their renditions.

(100 dancers to welcome the Holiday Season November 12 when The Nutcracker comes to Horsham stage) One costume in particular is certainly eye catching, and this is the eight feet by ten feet wide skirt that Mother ginger wears during the play, with the purpose of hiding eight children under her skirt during the play.

Some of the other dazzling features of the production by the Philadelphia Dance Theater are the 'growing tree', which literally expands from a mere eight feet to a massive twenty feet as the play and the scenes unfold.

The fact is that the audience is literally drawn into the story that is unfolding in front of them, and when special effects like, for example, falling snow, fog rolling on to the stage when there is a battle being enacted are added to the show, the effect created is that of a wonderland and a mystical setting that would amaze and surprise the viewers.

The primary dance style in the Nutcracker by the Philadelphia Theater Company is that of Classical Ballet, and at times during the play there is character dancing, with an additional international flavor. For example, sweets and hot chocolate are presented as from Spain, tea as from China, coffee from Arabia, and candy.