Blood & ballet?

IN OCTOBER, we enjoy vampires in all forms, from live performances of "Nosferatu" to screenings of campy films such as Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows." But nothing can outdo Bram Stoker's original opus, "Dracula." Watch a performance of the tale in an unexpected form this weekend, produced by West Chester's Brandywine Ballet.

The ballet, choreographed by the company's own Nancy Page, takes one liberty with Stoker's original plot: The story is reimagined as a tragic romance between the characters Mina and Dracula. While die-hard fans of the gothic horror novel might be skeptical of this take, a forbidden romance does seem more fitting for a medium such as ballet.

The performance boasts multiple grandiose aspects, true to the roots of the gothic genre: sword fights and Victorian costumes and set design. Tim Early and Hannah Telthorster, resident dancers of the Brandywine Ballet, perform as Dracula and Mina.

Brandywine Ballet, "Dracula," 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, 700 S. High St., West Chester, $25-$40, 610-696-2711, brandywineballet.com.

- Mary Sydnor

Art Attack, a partnership with Drexel University, is supported by a grant from the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge and administered by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.