The tug of war between accessibility and personal artistic vision has bedeviled dance companies back to the days of Diaghilev. Do you pay the bills or stay true to the muse•

BJM Danse Montreal seems to leap nimbly over this dilemma. The former Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal presented three fiercely individualistic, but entertaining, works Saturday at the Byham Theater, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Dance Council. Whatever narrative could be inferred from the opener "Jack in a Box," choreographer Aszure Barton's piece was simply a blast to watch. The nine dancers, grouping themselves into diagonals or trios, progressed from the fragmented, dervish energy of an unsupervised kindergarten class to a mature and less exciting cohesiveness. The final tableau had them seated together, banging on a long table. After watching them bounding and flinging and pirouetting, it seemed a shame for them to grow up and sit down.

The next piece, "Locked Up Laura," was a languid and lyrical backstage duet that evoked the taxing demands of a dancer's life. Dancer James Gregg coaxed an exhausted Celine Cassone onto the stage. Cassone, a native of France, was the evening's standout, equally capable of turning to liquid in her partner's arms or balancing gracefully on one long, marbled leg. Closer "Zip Zap Zoom" had a faint whiff of gimmickry, with the dancers playing avatars in a video game whose commands were projected on the screen behind them. Nevertheless, the energy and charisma of the dancers put the number across.

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