The emphasis on 19th-century Russian operas, plays and ballets may simply reflect local taste and a desire for reassurance in an unsettling period.

Unlike the Quartet, which concentrated on ballets by its own members, the second group also drew from outside choreographers.

They worked on many commercial jingles, ballets and advertisements to strengthen their profile.

LEAD: Movies based on ballets are back in vogue.

Since they collaborated on ballets there in the 1750S it is possible that Roman performance ideas were incorporated in Paris.

This season, American Ballet Theater has concentrated on full-evening narrative ballets, usually performed at least five times in succession.

By contrast, in recent years the Bolshoi has concentrated on ballets "created specially for the company," he said.

In his defense of the classical idiom and his emphasis on pure-dance ballets, he remains unapologetically Balanchine's heir.

The Theatre of West Pomerania puts on plays, ballets, concerts, operas, operettas and musicals.

He has decreased the emphasis on plotless ballets.