Its symbiotic lovers, poignantly danced by Jenny Mendez and Manelich Minniefee, are elegiac heroes.

There was a more mellow quality to the comfortable lovers danced by Kyra Nichols and Mr. Luders.

Mr. Sims reappeared as the slightly more sober-minded lover in the bittersweet central duet, danced with an elegant Renee Robinson to Gillespie's "Lisbon."

The lovers, danced by Carla Körbes, Jennifer Tinsley, Jonathan Stafford and Jason Fowler brought freshly dramatic and comic life to the midsummer maelstrom.

Happily, Ms. Ringer, as the mother, soon shed her drab outer clothes and rollers, revealing a pretty party dress underneath, and became her vivid, lyrical self in duets with a remembered lover, danced by City Ballet's Stephen Hanna.

"Frio en el Alma" is that duet's opposite, an eerily teasing near-tango for a dying man and his grieving young lover, danced by Jonathan Riedel and the luminous Mary Ford.

"Begat, Begat" is a charming duet for two playfully battling lovers, danced by Rachel Berman Benz and Hernando Cortez, guests from the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Giselle's high-born faithless lover, danced by Eddie J. Shellman, enters in a novel manner into the swamp where Giselle's ghost and other maidenly spirits reside.