``Giselle'' thrives on integrity and discipline.

The Kansas City Ballet has grown into such a versatile company that we sometimes forget the extent of its achievements in the very style it purports to espouse: ballet.

Thursday's performance of "Giselle" at the Lyric Theatre reminded us of this company's strengths in the classics. The integrity of line and form in their telling of this 19th-century tale made the almost-too-conventional story ballet into something compelling.

“The Nutcracker” tries to be two things at once: a community effort with lots of kids onstage and a classical ballet. The synergistic cohabition of these two elements has made it a perennial success in nearly every city in America, including Kansas City.

At Friday's opening of the Kansas City Ballet's monthlong run of this holiday favorite, it was the professional dancers who gave the performance its special energy. Their seasoned and at times exceptional dancing was the real reason ballet fans will want to see this show.