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Ballet West dropped in on the Utah Symphony this weekend, the latest collaboration with another leading local arts organization as part of the orchestra's 75th-anniversary celebration.

At times, the two art forms seemed to compete for audience attention in the same way the three office workers compete for one another in "Games," the evening's headlining work. On the other hand, it's good to be reminded that orchestral works such as Claude Debussy's "Jeux," the music paired with Helen Pickett's choreography in "Games," originated as ballet scores.

"Games" is a sly story of romantic gamesmanship involving two women and a man in and around a New York office. (The year 1913 engraved on the cornerstone of the set is a nod to the year the ballet premiered with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky.) This being the 21st century, cellphones also are involved. Dancers Allison DeBona, Christopher Ruud and Arolyn Williams were appealing in their roles at Friday's performance, though it was hard to care about any of them when they swapped partners every two bars. The Utah Symphony, under Thierry Fischer's direction, gave a nimble and nuanced performance of the Debussy score.

The two other danced pieces on the program featured the talented Swiss-Chinese pianist Louis Schwizgebel as a bonus. Schwizgebel gave a debonair performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, with equally elegant accompaniment from Fischer and the orchestra. (Special mention goes to Louise Vickerman for her stunning harp playing.) The concerto's second movement brought Sayaka Ohtaki and Rex Tilton onstage to dance the evening's most mesmerizing choreography, Gerald Arpino's "Sea Shadow." Ohtaki floated across the stage with breathtaking grace, partnered to fine effect by Tilton.

Schwizgebel and the orchestra were also in fine form in Louis Moreau Gottschalk's "Grande Tarantelle," with invigorating choreography by George Balanchine. Jenna Rae Herrera and Joshua Whitehead were a delightful tag team as they executed these feats of athleticism with abundant verve and seemingly little effort. As exciting as the dancers' contributions were, though, let's hope the orchestra invites Schwizgebel back soon so listeners can better savor his musicianship.

The evening opened with a polished, if brisk, performance of George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," which featured some especially stylish solos from concertmaster Ralph Matson. —

Utah Symphony

Dancers from Ballet West join the orchestra in works by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The orchestra also performs George Gershwin's "An American in Paris."

With • Conductor Thierry Fischer and pianist Louis Schwizgebel

Where • Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City

When • Reviewed Friday, Feb. 26; repeats Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Running time • 2 hours, including intermission

Tickets • $23-$85; discounts for students, groups and people under 30; utahsymphony.org