There once was a time when Philadanco was simply eager to please, with celebratory dances that had to be consumed at a delirious pace. The company that returned to the Byham Theater Saturday night after too long an absence is all grown-up now, deeply committed to its rich African roots, but not without its ever-present generosity and a little sass ladled on top.

This was the first large public performance for the fledgling African American Cultural Center, an event in itself and well-supported with a sizable and enthusiastic audience despite the flooding in the area. For the occasion, Philadanco artistic director Joan Myers Brown assembled a well-balanced program for one of her strongest troupes to pass through here.

The format was unusual, shifting between the men and the women, a battle of the sexes in some ways. First Eleo Pomare's "Back to Bach," part of the company's "We Too Dance: African-American Men in Dance" project, featured a male ensemble clad in flowing white pants and shirt. It was a work with a quiet sense of dignity, cast about in the swirling patterns. No hard edges here -- even the smooth floor work had a continuity about it. This had to have the utmost control in execution, and that's where the ensemble had an occasional bobble, but the pairing of the fleet-footed Bach's Brandenburg and Pomare's weighted African accents provided a delicious textural contrast.

The men would return at the end of the program with another segment of "We Too Dance," this time in "Blue," taken from James Frazier's quote, "He who is at once boy and man, grace and power exists between ocean and sky and the enormity of blue." Christopher Huggins' choreography acceded to the men's physical prowess, gradually stripping away a skirted jacket that accentuated numerous pirouettes, then the long pants. Dressed only in white shorts, the men executed their muscular dance feats in a powerful aerial display at the end.

But the real intensity emanated from Ronald Brown's "Gatekeepers," a fascinating kaleidoscope of rhythms that draws from African tribal dances and then adds a complex, contemporary overlay. Last seen here with an all-female cast, the women allowed Ahmad Lemons into their ranks this time. Brown extrapolated a series of solos, each seemingly a personal statement, from his material. Occasionally they would connect in duets or vigilantly patrol the stage, the individual history and strength always apparent.

But where they were once disciplined and forceful, the women did an about-face in Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's "The Walkin', Talkin', Signifying Blues Hips, Lowdown Throwdown," a title that just about says it all. But this was no shake 'em loose kind of dance -- these were women playfully toying with their sexuality and still in control.

And the point of it all was that Zollar's choreography always had an underlying pinion of intelligence and craft, something that a new breed of African-American artists, including upcoming performers Brown and Ralph Lemon, will be showcasing this year with the Cultural Center.