There may be slim pickings for many dance fans this summer, but you wouldn't know it from Attack Theatre's jam-packed schedule, with no fewer than three performances simultaneously being produced for the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the 2008 Carnegie International and Nine Mile Run Watershed.

The Pillow Project also will instigate its brand-new "Second Saturdays," a performance-based gallery-style monthly happening at Construction Junction's The Space Upstairs that will incorporate a number of Pittsburgh artists. Out of a strong showing from local professional schools, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company celebrates its 25th anniversary at Upper St. Clair High School.

-- Jane Vranish, Post-Gazette dance critic (jvranish@post-gazette.com)

• PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE SCHOOL: A pre-Professional showcase will feature students at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre studios in the world premiere of Robert Sund's "Ravelesque" and Alan Obuzor's "Feel of Fire" in addition to student choreography (May 16-18). 412-281-6727.

• PITTSBURGH YOUTH BALLET COMPANY: A 25th anniversary means a program that looks back, like the seminal "Who Owns the Sun?" and George Balanchine's "Waltz of the Hours and "Stars and Stripes," symbolic of the school's close ties to New York City Ballet. But artistic director Jean Gedeon is looking forward with new pieces like "Finale From St. Paul's Suite" and "Hopak," both a result of the group's recent collaboration with Pittsburgh Youth Chamber Orchestra, at the spring performance at Upper St. Clair High School (May 24-25). 724-969-6000 or www.pybco.com.

• PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE SCHOOL: The "Spring Performance 2008" at the Byham Theater features choreography by the PBTS faculty plus "Graduation Ball," Frederick Franklin's "Tribute" and Anastasia Wovchko's "Four Seasons" (May 31). 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.org.

• ATTACK THEATRE: The Attackers begin the summer at the Three Rivers Arts Festival (June 6-15), where they swing and dangle over shipping containers in a new site-specific work. Called "The Heist," this dance-theater work begins with the theft and destruction of a work of art, includes a chase scene and culminates with the audience interactively re-creating the art. 412-281-8723 or www.artsfestival.net. The 2008 Carnegie International gets in on the act with the first installment of the three-part "Remainder" (June 19) at Carnegie Museum. Audiences will move to phase two at Attack's studios Aug. 1, with the piece concluding in January (TBA). 412-622-3288. On June 21, Attack will be the featured performance of Nine Mile Run Watershed Association's fund-raiser "A Midsummer Night's Stream" at Frick Park's Fern Hollow (www.ninemilerun.org). And the company will be part of the festivities at Pittsburgh Pride Festival (June 22) in a free performance curated by Richard Parsakian on the 10th Street stage, Downtown. 412-441-8444 or www.attacktheatre.com.

• THE PILLOW PROJECT: The Second Saturdays roster will include, besides Pillow Project artists, "On the Fly" (June 14) with Gia Catalano, H2O Contemporary Dance Company, Michelle Gregio and Jon Fornof; "Remix, Reuse and Recycle" (July 12) with innovative junk art and choreographic re-inventions; "The Second Dimension" (Aug. 9) with live 2-D performance art (Jillian Canastraro and The Pillow Project) and sophisticated graffiti (Samantha Thorp and Jaison Schafer among others); "The Silent Saturday (Sept. 13) with LABCO and Mary Miller Dance Company. 412-225-9269 or www.pillowproject.org.

• INTERNATIONAL SUMMERDANCE: Point Park University's summer program finishes with a flourish from choreographers sycg as Keisha Lalama-White, Kiki Lucas, Francis Petrilli and Karl von Rabenau at the Pittsburgh Playhouse (Aug. 1-2). 412-621-4445.

• PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE: The annual performance at Hartwood Acres will feature highlights from the past season with a few surprises on the program (Aug. 21). Free.

• DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TAMBURITZANS: The Tammies close out the season at South Park with their unique blend of Eastern European song and dance (Aug. 22). Free.