Talk about timing. The movie Black Swan wasn't on anyone's radar when City Ballet of San Diego presented Tchaikovsky Spectacular in 2007, but ticket sales are brisk for its reprise at the Spreckels this weekend. The big draw is the Black Swan pas de deux, followed by Swan Lake Act II. Clearly, the company is benefiting from the success of the Oscar-winning psychodrama.

Two darlings in the local ballet community, Arianna Samuelsson and Janica Smith, alternate as the Swan Queen Odette and her evil twin Odile. Those who have only the movie for context will find it hard not to compare them to dueling ballerinas Nina and Lily, played by actresses Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Tutus and makeup are very similar, and there's no shortage of tension, but seeing dancers live on stage is a different experience. They aren't acting, and you can't gloss over the grueling physical work that they do for their craft.

In Aronofsky's film, Portman's character dances both roles, and many ballet companies follow that tradition. The idea is to find a highly talented dancer who can embody both angelic and lustful characters. City has two dancers share them, which honestly is not as exciting, because you don't see the radical transformation, unless you attend more than one night. Because it's not a full-length ballet, there is not tragic ending, which in my mind, is the best part of Swan Lake. So this program is more like a classical ballet primer. And it's rated G. Put it this way: you would not want to watch the movie Black Swan with your mom - no- but you would like to take her and your kids to this program, especially if your mom was willing to pay for tickets.

On Friday, March 4, Smith danced the Snow Queen with John Henry Reid as the prince in Act II, and Arianna Samuelsson danced the Black Swan with Gerardo Gil as the prince. Smith was a suffering princess trapped by the sorcerer Von Rothbart's spell, which was seen in her mournful eyes and fluttering body. Reid was impressive with strong jumps and overhead lifts. Several times he sent Smith up over his head with ease. She arced back dangerously far, but he always kept her safe. The two offered tender adagios, especially as she drew her quivering foot up into passé, and folded forward into deep penche arabesques.

The Four Little Swans (Emily Kirn, Megan Nichols, Melissa Roetker, and Karin Yamada) nailed the tight footwork in the iconic linked arm formation. It was no easy task, as they had to keep a perfect rhythm while following a live orchestra.

Samuelsson was a seductive Black Swan and wowed the audience with the expected 30-plus fouettees and a few doubles. She almost spiraled off her pointe, but one has to appreciate her fearlessness. She didn't hold back, and that made her even more appealing. Gil never looked better in turning jetes and he looked into the eyes of his evil princess - outlined by a mask of thick black eye makeup - with enchanted curiosity.

The City Ballet Orchestra, conducted by John Nettles, accompanied the Swan Lake excerpts, and for the most part was pleasing to the ear. Tchaikovsky's lush music is perfect for romantic themes and soaring lifts, and City's smart leading men and women ably interpreted the score, even when tempos seemed to shift unexpectedly.

The program also included Tchai Celebration; a collection of 12 miniatures that were originally short piano pieces published each month in a St. Petersburg magazine (The Nuvellist, 1876). Set to The Seasons, Opus 37b, a quartet, the Bunnell Strings and pianist Nina Deering, played live on stage, a big improvement from a recording for its 2007 debut.

Nettles introduced each section with a few lines from the poems, unfortunately his reading became a comical intrusion due to his delivery of the melodramatic text. He also directed the quintet, which was an unnecessary distraction.

Celebration revealed the versatility of City's talented dancers and belongs in the company's repertoire. Still, some months were ho hum, and the year began to drag on. I caught a few people counting down the months.

Groups seemed to have the most trouble and visually seemed messy, in part because the musicians were behind them. There were too many bodies and shapes to look at. Except for the final December piece, a rousing celebration for five couples in black and gold brocade, timing was off in several ensemble pieces.

All elements worked best for duets, such as Samuelsson and Reid in June, filled with complex and daring lifts, and August had an almost jazzy quality danced by Sayaka Otani and Geoff Gonzalez in metallic gold, who drummed with sticks and seemed to float in smooth sequences with flexed feet and angled hands.

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