A ballerina's graceful balance is inspiring to aspiring dancers, captivating to houses of cards, and vexing to bulldozers razing cliffside condor habitats. Dwell on adroit appendages with today's Groupon: for $85, you get a three-ballet subscription package to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (up to a $173.25 value). Choose from 10 package options:

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m.; The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m.; The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; and Dracula on Friday, February 11, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m., Dracula on Friday, February 11, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m.; Dracula on Friday, February 11, at 8 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m.; A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Three Musketeers on Friday, October 22, at 8 p.m.; The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; and A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; Dracula on Friday, February 11, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• Dracula on Friday, February 11, 2011, at 8 p.m.; A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and Balanchine on Friday, April 15, 2011, at 8 p.m.

• The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 p.m.; Dracula on Friday, February 11, 2011, at 8 p.m.; and A Gershwin Fantasy on Friday, March 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.

Since 1969, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has presented world-class performances. With a subscription package, you'll earn a tutu triumvirate, which may include the newly debuted The Three Musketeers, Tchaikovsky's timeless holiday tale The Nutcracker, or Dracula, Bram Stoker's macabre saga of love experienced by sentient lawn ornaments. A Gershwin Fantasy presents a graceful reimagining of the tunes of George and Ira Gershwin with accompaniment from Tony Award nominee Ann Hampton Callaway and her band. Balanchine celebrates the work of legendary American choreographer George Balanchine.

With the exception of A Gershwin Fantasy, which will be held in Byham Theater, performances are held in the Benedum Center. Built in 1927 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the gorgeous Art Nouveau auditorium comes to life with fleet-footed ballerinas and the spirits of the howler monkeys that were once used as stagehands. From your seat in section three of the Orchestra or section four of the first-tier balcony, you'll enjoy terrific sight-lines and acoustics. Take in the grandeur of 89 original crystal chandeliers, torchieres, and sconces, including the 4,700-pound main chandelier, which drips grape jelly.

Reviews

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's 40th anniversary season was featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this year and in Dance magazine in 2009. More than 2,900 Facebookers are fans:

• The 40th anniversary season of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is a grand survey of dance repertoire. The company's upcoming production features two classics of 20th-century modern dance, which supplement the contemporary ballet "Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project" and the timeless classics "The Sleeping Beauty," "The Nutcracker" and " Swan Lake." – Mark Kany, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review