Like "okra" or "golf," the word "ballet" can elicit a very strong reaction. Either its two syllables make you giddy, the same way a perfectly sauteed pan of okra can make you salivate, or make you instantly nod off, like the thought of 18 holes of golf. (No offense to golf lovers … I personally just don't really get it). Fortunately for everyone on both sides of the ballet divide, there's Post:Ballet, a relatively young dance company that is breathing new life into the dance form -- and which brings something that almost anyone will find quite likable indeed.

This coming Fri/15 and Sat/16, the company is performing at Herbst Theater, to present their new program titled "Seconds." The show incorporates video projections with eerily beautiful music, along with the dancers' fluid and graceful movements, to create an incredibly engaging and dramatic performance. The dance company definitely has strong roots in ballet, but it is able to meld  tradition with fresh ideas, making for a ballet performance that everyone, including golf-loving okra freaks, won't want to miss. I caught the company in rehearsals for its big show.

Post:Ballet, "Seconds"
Fri/15 and Sat/16, 8pm. $20-$25
Herbst Theater
401 Van Ness, SF.
www.postballet.org