Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal dancer Jennifer Langenstein was among the dancers and friends who, in an engaging twist, supported the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra on Thursday night at Hartwood Acres.

Wearing bright green T-shirts emblazoned with "We Need Your Voice" and "Save the Ballet ... Keep It Live," they passed around petitions and information about the PBT board's decision to eliminate the orchestra.

Ironically, the most telling moment came in "Le Corsaire" during the pas de deux. Although both dancers and audiences are accustomed to taped music at Hartwood, soloist Daisuke Takeuchi, apparently running on a shot of adrenaline, could have used the flexible resources provided by a conductor and orchestra for his entrances.

Although brilliantly danced, with Takeuchi confidently tossing off his sky-high jumps and pinpoint pirouettes and partner Maribel Modrono contributing beguiling pointe work, a knowing viewer could pick out several instances that could have benefited from a live orchestra. In such circumstances, the dancer's motion leads the accompaniment. Here the dancers had to follow the set tempo of the tape.

Salvatore Aiello's "Magnificat" opened the program. Set to Bach's towering score, it always seemed to be too respectful of the music. But the PBT dancers tapped its innate nobility, particularly in the radiant performance of Julia Erickson and the seamless phrasing of Erin Halloran and Jiabin Pan.

The program concluded with the vast African expanse of Dwight Rhoden's "Simon Said," set to the music of pop legend Paul Simon. With Michael Korch's imaginative lighting design missing, the focus was on the choreography.

This is the best of the three original works that Rhoden has created for PBT. Full of a rippling energy that sends shock waves throughout the body, Rhoden's shifting sands of constant motion can be difficult to coordinate with an ensemble of dancers. But the PBT dancers appeared to operate in a very cool comfort zone at Hartwood, improving on the world premiere last March. The women's group in "Cecilia" made their own nifty statement with risky slides on the tips of their toes, while Christopher Bandy went toe-to-toe himself with Takeuchi in "Me and Julio."

Ying Li showed that she is regaining top form in a riveting "Bridge" with Dmitri Kulev, and Kumiko Tsuji set a new personal standard throughout.

With the company returning virtually intact -- three corps dancers have been replaced by a pair of apprentices and one new dancer to come -- the Hartwood performance provided a substantial launching pad for the season to come.