So far this season, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has taken audiences from the concentration camps of Nazi Germany with "Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project" to the jitterbug joints of 1940s America in "Company B," with bits of fantasy and fiery Tharpian choreography sprinkled along the way. The company will conclude its 40th anniversary with the classic tale of good, evil and love ever after, "Swan Lake."

"I thought it was a wonderful way to close the anniversary season because it has been an important part of PBT's repertoire since the company's inception," said artistic director Terrence Orr. The production's run this Friday through Sunday at the Benedum Center, Downtown, marks the fourth time Mr. Orr has staged the ballet during his tenure.

"I don't feel pressure about raising the bar, but I do like to raise the bar. It's a natural progression," he said.

"It's always exciting to revisit a ballet because you always want to push the limits," said Alejandro Diaz, a corps de ballet member who will be dancing in his first PBT production of "Swan Lake." His previous performances of the ballet were with Boston Ballet II.

"You're always trying to get [to the leading roles]. You start from the bottom, and you work your way up," he said.

"Swan Lake" is a quintessential ballet for dancers to gauge their professional progress, with many artists starting with the corps de ballet and moving through the cast's hierarchy. For women, the ballet's pinnacle role is the dual part of Odette, the princess living under an evil spell that can only be broken by eternal love, and Odile, whose physical resemblance to Odette aims to keep her from the romance that could change her life.

"The challenge is that they are opposite characters," said Julia Erickson, a principal dancer reprising the Odette/Odile role for the second time. "You really have to get into the head space of Odette, who is kind of the definition of innocence and beauty, and jump right out of that and go into this kind of evil, total opposite character of Odile."

For men, the coveted part is Siegfried, the prince who makes the ultimate sacrifice because of his love for Odette. Preparing for the part brings "a range of emotions," principal dancer Christopher Budzynski said.

Mr. Orr boasts that each show will feature different artists portraying Odette/Odile and Prince Siegfried. "It's going to make it interesting because every night it's going to be a different kind of performance," he said.

Moving up through the ranks of "Swan Lake" no doubt brings with it a great deal of memories for dancers.

"Typically ['Swan Lake'] is one of the most challenging ballets for the corps de ballet," Ms. Erickson said. "I remember my feet cramping on stage, and I actually had the urge to run off stage, but I resisted it. When you prevail, that makes the performance that much more meaningful."

"Being that it's my first time doing it with PBT, the music is what brings it all back," Mr. Diaz said. "That is what's helping me revisit this ballet this time around."

The PBT orchestra, conducted by Charles Barker, will perform the ballet's iconic Tchaikovsky score. The orchestra "is just that added element of live theater," Mr. Diaz said. "Anything can happen."

The just under three-hour ballet will feature PBT's full roster of dancers, including some from the company's pre-professional/graduate division dancing parts of the corps de ballet. The beauty of the ballet's classical choreography will be complemented by new tutus the swans will be donning. While the production will maintain its traditional essence, there are some other small surprises scattered throughout the performance, Mr. Orr said.

To commemorate the season finale, an auction benefiting PBT will take place at each performance. Local artists were invited to design works from pointe shoes, and the top 20 pieces will be up for bid over the weekend. As with other PBT productions this season, discussions about the ballet and the company led by members of PBT's artistic staff will either proceed or follow each performance.

"I want [audiences] to be just so pleased with what they have seen that they want to see their family members participating in [the arts]," Mr. Diaz said. "I think above all it's going to be up to the dancers to really be able to bring that message across to them and to show that the arts are very important and it's very important to keep them alive in our community."

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.