AREA TROUPE TO STAGE COMEDY-BALLET.

Byline: Mary Schubert Daily News Staff Writer

Dancers in toe shoes, tights and tutus will perform the comedic ballet ``Coppelia'' this weekend at Valencia High School.

A romantic tale with humorous elements, ``Coppelia'' is based on a story of the same name by 19th century German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann - the same author who wrote ``The Nutcracker,'' which was adapted into Tchaikovsky's famous ballet.

The Santa Clarita Ballet Company will stage the musical production at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the campus theater at Valencia High, 27801 N. Dickason Drive.

A group of 15 dancers ages 12 and older, the ballet company will be augmented in its presentation of ``Coppelia'' by about 100 students from the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy, said Corinne Glover, executive director.

``Coppelia'' is the story of ballerina Swanhilda and her fiance, Franz. A toymaker in town, Dr. Copelius, has made a lifelike dancer that he calls Coppelia and displays in his shop window, Glover said.

``Franz sees Coppelia sitting in the window of a toy shop and doesn't realize it's a doll,'' she said. ``He begins to flirt with the doll, upsetting Swanhilda . . . and she cancels the wedding.''

In the scenes that follow, Swanhilda and her friends break into the toy shop and discover that Coppelia is only a doll. When the toymaker returns, they scatter and hide, Glover said.

Later, Franz comes to the store looking for his fiancee but encounters Dr. Copelius instead. ``He gets him really drunk and Franz passes out . . . while Swanhilda is hiding in the closet,'' Glover said.

The ballerina pretends to be Coppelia, fooling both Franz and the toymaker.

Performing the lead roles in the Santa Clarita Ballet Company production will be professional dancers Lisa Gillespie as Swanhilda, Abelardo Cisneros as Franz, Bryan Wallk as Dr. Copelius and Carol Guidry in the title role. The group's credits include stints with the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet and the Pasadena Civic Ballet, Glover said.

The dancers will plie and jete to recorded musical accompaniment - the score written for ``Coppelia'' by 19th century French composer Leo Delibes.Since its debut in Paris in 1870, ``Coppelia'' has been a staple of ballet troupes worldwide, Glover said.

Tickets to the two-hour production - which includes an intermission - are $12 for adults and $7 for children and senior citizens. For information, call the box office at [phone].

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Photo: (Color) From left, Anna Carnes and Jessica Gosda, both 12, prepare for a production of ``Coppelia'' with their teacher, Corinne Glover.

Terri Thuente/Daily News