The story is easy to follow, even if you're unfamiliar with the play. Puck, a mischievous fairy, is sent by the fairy king Oberon to play a trick on fairy queen, Titania. Confusion and comedy ensue when a quartet of human lovers and a troupe of amateur actors wander into the forest and cross paths with the prankish Puck, danced on opening night by Christian Poppe, who seemed to levitate with glee each time he caused havoc in the human and fairy worlds.

Act I tells Shakespeare's story with impish joy, and it's made even more charming by the dozens of children who run on tiptoe to Mendelssohn's pizzicato violins, flapping their fairy wings and surrounding the principals with a miniature cloud of mystical creatures.

More than in other story ballets, these principals are called upon to be dramatic actors in addition to world-class dancers. Kyle Davis performed King Oberon's electrifying dance passages with the mixture of nobility and malice that the role requires. Elizabeth Murphy, in the role of Titania, had the double responsibility of portraying a haughty queen as well as the bedazzled lover to Bottom, a humble character that Puck has turned into an ass (yes, a donkey). Her graceful dance with the clunky, floppy-eared Bottom, performed by Ezra Thompson, brought the house down with its ingenious combination of pathos, humor, charm, and winsome dancing.

The other half of the story that Shakespeare weaves so cleverly into this tale of mistaken identity is of two pairs of lovers taking a stroll in the forest, presumably to have a little private time to themselves. That plan is upended when Puck sprinkles magic flower dust into one boyfriend's eyes to swap his affections from one girl to the other. Helena, danced by the willowy Cecilia Iliesu, is now being pursued by both Lysander (James Yoichi Moore) and Demetrius (Mies Pertl), while Hermia, danced by the beautiful Leta Biasucci, dashes around in the forest in comical despair. How it all comes together into a second act of happily wedded fairies and humans is the stuff of great writing, great music, great choreography, and an army of brilliant dancers.

Only in the world of ballet is the story sometimes told in the first act and a celebration of the story then told in the second act. Both The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream take this form, which allows the ballet company to do what they do best: perform the fascinating, intricate, kaleidoscopic feats of dance that Balanchine choreographs so well.

After intermission in the beautiful lobbies and promenades of McCaw Hall, the audience returns to Mendelssohn's familiar wedding march, as all the happy couples get married in a veritable extravaganza of fascinating dances. Balanchine is a master of shapes — circles that become squares, squares that become lines that twirl like batons and march like armies, armies that break up into couples who transform into waves — so it's all absolutely entrancing, and done with a level of precision that only a great ballet company like PNB can achieve.

The original costumes of Martin Pakledinaz dazzle the eyes, and his scenic designs trick our eyes — with giant mushrooms, flowers, and snails — into seeing the tiny world of fairies. As always, the PNB orchestra, led by Music Director Emil de Cou, continues its world-class excellence. Coming to PNB means hearing a wonderfully performed concert at the same time you're seeing a world-class ballet.

Seattle is a major center for great music and dance. Treat yourself and the children and young-at-heart in your life to this forever ballet — the one you will always return to whenever it comes around again. And if you know any kids, give them this special treat. They need to know that there's more to ballet than the (admittedly fabulous) Nutcracker. There is the elegant, funny, spectacular adventure of A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Pacific Northwest Ballet, through April 23 (streaming digitally April 27—May 1).