Skittering, fluttering and scampering across the Academy's big stage, an assortment of fairies, fireflies and magical beings courtesy of Pennsylvania Ballet are in residence on Broad Street through the weekend. Midsummer Night's Dream is perhaps George Balanchine's tightest, most carefully constructed story ballet. Just two acts and under two hours long, it manages to tell Shakespeare's whole complicated story in the first act. Done. Period. The much shorter second act is reserved for a very grand pas de deux and dazzling finale. Take that, Shakespeare.

Midsummer is Puck's tale, a sassy interfering sprite who creates, and resolves, magical confusions among the humans. High-flying Phillip Colucci, recently promoted and in top form, sashayed through the part. It was a pleasure opening night to see Alexander Iziliaev, as Oberon, finally fully back on form; he polished off a rapid fire series of turns, battement and jetes that brought gasps. Retired Jeffrey Gribler (famous for years as Puck) stepped in as Bottom, the townsman transformed into a donkey, making this character clumsily sympathetic. Arantxa Ochoa was an elegant Titania, a part which unfortunately requires the heroine primarily to walk about and gaze into the distance; she actually looked her most appealing in her duet with Bottom.

As Helena, Riolama Lorenzo created a riveting dance-acting portrait of romantic confusion and anger. And Christine Cox, as Queen of the Amazons, had her own big moment as she swept through a perilous series of fouettes (turning rapidly on pointe, while making fast beats with the free leg—dangerous stuff). Probably as much as anyone, Midsummer belongs to the large corps of children who lightly flit through the scene like the living embodiment of Mendelssohn's delicious score, with the glorious voices of the Philadelphia Kantorei suggesting the deeper adult emotional undercurrents at work.

The second act pas de deux is constructed to showcase grand adult dance fireworks—some showing-off with no suggestion of having anything to do with the story. There were no skyrockets for Martha Chamberlain and Alexei Borovik, however, who seemed ill at ease in this long, technically demanding variation. They're likely to settle into the roles, but these two fine dancers were all concentration and no dazzle the first time out.

It was those flickering, perfectly on-the-mark little fireflies and fairies scampering back onstage plus the magic of Puck that brought back the magic, brought down the curtain, and the house.

(j_anderson@citypaper.net)