Designed to be performed as a three-piece bill but able to be pulled apart and presented in pieces, George Balanchine’s Jewels is a clever and beautiful work (set of work?) that showcases the full company of the National Ballet of Canada from the dancers to the designers to the orchestra through three distinct styles and aesthetics.

The romance of Emeralds calls for the long flowing skirts reminiscent of Giselle and lovely languid movement highlighted by the ever-reliable Tina Pereira performing one of the section’s most important roles while visibly pregnant, which is about as close to super-heroic as I can possibly imagine.

Rubies is more modern, almost jazzy, with bedazzled short skirts, sharp angular movements, and atonal Stravinsky taking over the orchestrations. The unexpected height pairing of the company’s favoured star Siphesihle November with the lovely Koto Ishihara adds a welcome wink to the unconventional middle act.

Finally, strict classicism takes center stage for the tutu-clad Diamonds with its vibrant Tchaikovsky score, large synchronized corps, and scene-stealing tableaux. The piece is a great showcase for prima Heather Ogden who is one of the last remaining icons of the sublime Karen Kain era and it’s nice to see her get the spotlight she deserves. She pairs well with newer principal Ben Rudisin whom I sincerely hope has many years left with the company despite the troubling exodus of many of his peers of comparable stature. I’m not holding my breath but I’d love for him to stay.

A storyless showcase of technique and versatility, Jewels is intellectually engaging and impressive if not the most enthralling of ballets. Having sorely missed Don Quixote last month, I was glad to be able to catch the ballet in any form before their long summer hiatus.