Movement trumped emotion in BalletX's November program at the Wilma Theater, featuring three world premieres that frequently relied on pace, rather than interpretation to transmit.

With all-star choreographer Matthew Neenan (co-artistic director with Christine Cox) providing consistent works supplemented by guest choreographers of note, BalletX programs have become known for their edgy playfulness, danced by some of the city's ballet veterans. The November program however, hosted a cast of new faces, many of whom have not gone through the traditional rite of passage of Pennsylvania Ballet corps dancing. The new lineup featured the kind of quick, athletic energy that was suited to technical pieces; missing however, was the grace accrued through seasons of performances.

Meredith Rainey, whose own long, sleek lines are as familiar as Neenan's quirky flexed-foot stylings, experimented with androgyny in his ocean-wave inspired "They Break," with floating costumes designed by Martha Chamberlain that purposefully disguised male from female. By eliminating gender, the dancers were able to mirror each other's moves without regard to traditional roles, and some of the best segments in "They Break" occurred in the bold, daring leaps executed. Rainey favored strong, reactive lines which sometimes descended into domino-like chaos, counteracted with facial expressions that were blank to the point of being belligerent.

Ketley's "Silt" flirted with the gradual erosion of order, represented by strong four-count beats slowly corrupting expected notions of time and order in a manner evocative of the marchers bringing down the Walls of Jericho.  An awkward silence opened the piece, and it was a relief to hear the first strains of a three-part instrumental track. Ketley enlisted elements of speed, agility and precision in this work, occasionally spliced with languorous interludes. Through it all, an uncomfortable undercurrent pulsed, sometimes belligerently interrupting with noises like snapping fingers, at other times  engaging two dancers in a boxing ring-esque tableau, with two fighters warily circling. Newcomer Colby Damon was often the catalyst in these moments, moving across the stage with rapid, aggressive energy. Damon was used similarly by all three choreographers, and began to take on a Jermel Johnson-esque persona; while Damon's leaps don't match Johnson's grace en l'air, he brings a signature energy to the stage that functions in a similar manner.

The use of speed and agility worked well for the majority of the dancers in this younger cast, though one missed the elegance imbued by years of experience. As usual, though, Neenan knows exactly what looks best on his company, shown in the perfectly tailored "Last of the Year." He asked for athleticism, rather than elegance, but incorporated his ever-present sense of humor into the movement in a fashion that is both whimsical and effective. While the younger troupe was not as capable of absorbing his awkward, flexed-feet and bent-elbow styles, Neenan still reached for — and achieved — a whirling, engaging work that showed off his dancers to the best of their abilities.

If at times, the November BalletX program felt more mechanical and less polished, it still inspired admiration for both dancers and choreographers. The level of technical mastery this new-looking company achieved was high; emotional maturity is likely to follow.