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Before the program, Helgi Tomasson appeared before the curtain to say that 60 companies throughout the world are performing Balanchine's work during the celebration of his birth centennial. He also announced that we would enjoy Stravinsky's orchestration of Happy Birthday, which we did, every striking, emphatic note.

Sandra Jennings provided Serenade was a sculpted mounting, infused with a remarkable musicality by the principals and a corps drilled within the proverbial inch of its life. Every second of the performance, Serenade looked as if it could last forever, a more magnificent illusion in a ballet hard to conjure. Feijoo brought her wonderful dramatic qualities to the role of late arrival and the woman who gets left behind, despite a skillful pas de deux with Vilanoba. Sarah Van Patten gave one of her best performances to date with the company as what was titled The White Angel, her languorous port de bras and rather distant stage persona well suited for the creature who leads the man on and off the stage. Tina Le Blanc's Russian danced with her usual swift and utterly joyous classical clarity, a tiny but glowing presence. Vilanoba, looking a little less nervous than usual, partnered Feijoo with empathy and Stephen Legate gave his usual steady, well delineated air as what was listed as The Dark Angel.

As Dance Magazine subscribers are aware from the March 2004 cover, Gonzalo Garcia was the chosen principal to dance Apollo after its long hiatus from San Francisco Ballet's repertoire. My mental time warp carries memories of the first trio of women to dance the three muses; their interpretation stands the time test, although I acknowledge loyalty may well be a factor.

Garcia provided us with his usual dynamic dancing and an awareness of the role, bound to deepen with repetition. His eloquent eyes matched the initial gropings of his body following its release from the swaddling clothes by handmaidens Dhalene Bramer and Joanna Mednick. Mother Pauli Magierek gave birth from the ladder in an electric blue leotard and from the flattest stomach imaginable. Would I be amiss in suggesting Grecian draperies might assist the mythic fiction?

Perhaps it's my love of Greek mythology, but Garcia excepted, I did not feel the Muses had ever opened the accounts of either Robert Graves or Bullfinch. Nothing may matter but the music and the choreography, but this trio are the progenitors of the entire tradition of Western classic dance and music; they are muses for a god celebrated down the line of classical and Renaissance sculpture for his beauty, lyricism and command. There were definite hints of this mental perspective in Yuan Yuan Tan's smiling delivery, the clear articulation of line. Van Patten retreated into her lyric remoteness and Zahorian's Polyhymnia did not show a clear distinction to her role the night following in Who Cares? Garcia conveyed the exaltation, but I'm afraid I wanted a tad more maturity in the Muses.

Don't get me wrong, it was quite an auspicious performance, the revival long overdue in the company (Possokhov I understand has danced it elsewhere, but is not on the roster to perform it. But my Greek history classes bestowed a benchmark; I just wonder if Jacques d'Amboise or Sandra Jennings included a thumb nail reprise of the mythology while coaching the dancers.

Four Temperaments, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy some full-fledged comprehension by the principals, particularly Nicolas Blanc and Damian Smith, with Maffre close behind. (I somehow expected Muriel to be first cousin to Tanaquil le Clerq, but the body dynamics differ). Julie Diana came close to the sustained lyricism one sees in the clips of Mary Ellen Moylan in Sanguinic, although Diana frequently throws away the final extension and dynamic in the fingertips.

The corps de ballet throughout did itself proud, and the overall quality of performance could not be faulted.

The audience was treated to birthday cake following the performance, nice squares of sponge flavored chocolate, strawberry or lemon, cream as well as flavor. It's another of those touches evidencing the distinction Helgi Tomasson brings in his leadership, vraiement, une geste comme il faut.