With Robert Cole as conductor, The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra provided the music.

The company, led artistically by Nina Ananiashvili since 2004, is the descendant of the illustrious work of Vakhtang Chabukiani, who revolutionized male choreography at the Kirov during the ‘thirties. Although a Georgian Ballet Theater had existed since 1852, Chabukiani and Andrey Balanchivadze, Balanchine’s brother, established the State Ballet of Georgia in 1935. The state-supported school in the Georgian state capitol of Tblisi is named for this Soviet-era male virtuoso. Calvin Kitten, currently a Joffrey Ballet principal, spent at least a year at the Academy.

For the one evening of one acts two American premieres were scheduled: Alexei Ratmansky’s Bizet Variations and Yuri Possokhv’s Sagalobeli with Chaconne and Duo Concertant, two of the eleven Balanchine ballets Ananiashvili has brought into the company’s repertoire.

Apparently, Balanchine Trust permission did not require the Georgians to replicate the costuming for Chaconne; save for the wispy white draperies, it looked as though the wardrobe mistress utilized a few costumes here and there; one principal’s tutu was described by a friend as an ornamental cabbage. The corps wore wilted white with timid light blue ruffles.

Many dancers, male and female, fall into the short, squarely-built category, in startling contrast to soloists and principals. There are at least four principals whose technical command and presence could fit into the upper ranks of companies anywhere. In Chaconne, Anna Muradeli and Vasil Akhmeteli were distinctive and small-boned Mariam Aleksidze in the pas de cinq. Shorena Khaindrava also caught my eye in a larger ensemble. Wishing I had another production for comparison, having only seen the Dance of the Blessed Spirits with Farrell and Martins, the contrast of costuming and the dancing level made me think Chaconne another of Balanchine’s seasonal goulashes.

Duo Concertante fared much better with Nina Gogua and Lasha Khozashvili, both slender,attentive to the music, dancing as if Balanchine was their birthright. Khozashvili's cheekbones come straight from Michelangelo's David.

Alexei Ratmansky created a pas de six to Georges Bizet’s Chromatic Variations; it permitted lavender-costumed Nina Ananiashvili to move with her customary authority, grace, striking postures and flashing her eloquent dark eyes to maximum advantage. Ratmansky devised multiple partner changes; rushing steps lent diversion and interest; compared with his San Francisco Ballet contribution it’s not a major statement. Bowing, pianist John Parr looked like a young boy whose hair cutter used an inverted soup bowl.

Yuri Possokhov and Nina Ananiashvili were classmates at the Bolshoi Ballet School; she asked him to create a ballet based on the music of Tbilisi’s urban folk lore. Using fourteen dancers and the recorded music of the Sagalobeli ensemble, Possokhov rendered the men in heroic style, the women as strong, graceful supporting figures. Resembling Greek folk songs, the steps also not far removed; equally evoked was the Scythian Empire and the idea ancient Colchis was actually Georgia. A rope between two men commenced a reciprocal display of sustained virility. Anna Kalatozishvili dressed the men in beiges, browns and boots. The bodices of the women’s tutu length chiffons sported broken diagonal bands of browns and sepia. Georgian folk movement, heel, stiff-legged prancing movement punctuated some lateral stage movements; the women’s port de bras, arms at the sides to the elbow, forearms outstretched finished in icon-like simple palms held out and down; in partnering they were lifted as if flags, vigorous turns splaying their legs, proclaiming the men;s vitality. Sagalobeli obviously struck a responsive chord and demonstrated the company’s enormous potential.

The Sunday matinee of Giselle displayed the company’s tall, handsome dancers Anna Muradeli and Lasha Khozashvili as Giselle and Albrecht, Shorena Khaindrava as Myrta. Irakli Bakhtadze was Hilarion for all three performances; so also were Teona Charkviani as Berthe, Iuri Sorokin as Wilfred, Giorgi Takashvili as the Duke of Courland, Maia Alpaidze as Batilda.

Costuming again was surprising. Feature peach toned satin with lace for a hunting excursion, or scarlet and royal blue hoop skirts, the metal circle obvious underneath the material. Salvador Dali’s mustache on the Duke of Courland? Wilfred doubled as Albrecht’s squire and the lead individual for the ducal party. I suspect a language problem may be responsible for the daylight lighting of Act II.

Other stylistic differences? Wilfred has to pay a peasant woman to sequester Albrecht’s sword; said woman refuses refuge for Albrecht as the hunting party approaches. Albrecht has a refined tunic inducing a curtsey from Berthe. Hilarion’s tunic doesn’t fit; one sees loops of white between buttons; Giselle’s blouse is decidedly decollete. Giselle’s friends sport shiny satin orange skirts with blue aprons.

Still impressive random touches occurred; one particularly was when the bench was moved in Act I to accommodate the solos, a young man saw the daisy Giselle had picked; puzzled by its condition, he shrugged, then tossed it, sharpening the action.

Muradeli and Khozashvili made a handsome pair, dancing with belief. They faced a formidable enemy in Shorena Khaindrava’s Myrta, strong, elegant, implacable.

In a short time we should be able to roll off the endings of vili, eli, dtze and iani as easily as we pronounce Smith and Jones.

Ananiashvili, Muradeli, Gogua, Bakhtadze, Aleksidze, Khozashvili, Khaindrava, Akhmeteli