Neenan dissected Shostakovich's complex music, finding things in it not readily apparent to the casual listener. Neenan showed us that the composer's abrupt shifts, atonality, thuds and squeaks were full of romance, even humor—and that the music could send the trio of Philip Colucci, Tara Keating and Christine Cox whirling across the stage like magical beings. Riolama Lorenzo revealed the Russian's sultriness, while Amy Aldridge personified his quicksilver and shifting speeds. And, gosh, Jermel Johnson showed us how Shostakovich created sounds that enable a dancer to sit on air. Neenan pointed ballerinas' feet upward, and like the composer, made his inversion lovely. He created true choreography in, and not on, the music.

Beautifully lit by in-house designer John Hoey, one color totally suffused the drifting white curtains and entire stage—and then, in an instant, rose red became limpid blue or gold. Dancer Martha Chamberlain designed elegant costumes that seemed to transform with the lighting changes.

Neenan's 11:11, a suite of dances to Wainwright's lilting songs, got a luscious performance from the buoyant, charged-up dancers who'd originated the roles in 2005. Julie Diana and Meredith Rainey were virtually boneless flying through the songwriter's "Vibrate." When the whole cast whirled across stage to "Oh What a World," you were seeing PAB at its best. (Wainwright came to opening night and rushed backstage to congratulate the company, saying he was going to forget his Judy Garland project and just do ballet.)

Christopher d'Amboise's "Symposium," a carefully thought-out abstract dance taking its inspiration from the painter Mondrian, opened the program. Dancers moved against a simple backdrop of black-and-white lines that looked like one of the famous artist's paintings. Arantxa Ochoa and Alexander Iziliaev were superb, executing sharp linear moves. But d'Amboise came off a little earnest in comparison to the verve and flair of the in-house choreographer. Keep that fast train going!

PENNSYLVANIA BALLET June 7, Merriam Theater