Get ready to buckle your swash and tackle the fungus among us at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre ("The Three Musketeers") and Pittsburgh Dance Council (Pilobolus).

But there are other big plans afoot during the 2010-11 dance season. Try to keep up with Attack Theatre's 15th-anniversary season with more than two dozen performances at various scintillating locations and Dance Alloy's 35th, where the company will remember where it came from and where it's going. Or take in a dance on the wild side at the Kelly-Strayhorn with the likes of Sreyashi Dey, Sidra Bell and the newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival. Will you remember to attend the Pillow Project's six-week run, titled "Paper Memory"? Or see the students at Point Park's Byham show, with choreography by Balanchine and Bill (T. Jones)?

Some other kids who Think They Can Dance will invade the Consol Energy Center for the first terpsichorean performance there. But then there's someone Who Knows He Can Dance -- Daniel Ulbricht, star principal at New York City Ballet and one of America's finest male dancers, who will bring a lineup of equally stellar NYCB friends to the Byham.

-- Former PG critic Jane Vranish: jvranish1@comcast.net

ATTACK THEATRE If you haven't been acquainted with Attack, now is the time. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the popular dance group invades Questions Night Club in the Strip District and puts a new spin on some signature events, performed to no less than four bands (Chatham Baroque included) during its two-week run Sept. 16-25. The prolific Attackers will offer "Game Night Plus" (fun, games and dance previews for a nominal sum) at Attack Theatre Intergalactic Headquarters (AKA Pittsburgh Opera) Oct. 1, Nov. 6, Dec. 3, March 5, April 16. Added treats include Dinner + Dance (Oct. 19 and March 1, Location TBA). 412-281-3305 or www.attacktheatre.com.

BODIOGRAPHY Artistic director Maria Caruso will be aiming for a new full-length ballet in collaboration with the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine in February. But in the meantime, enjoy an encore performance of "Heart (Function vs. Emotion)" at Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin (Oct. 9-10) and "Multiplicity," with works by company members and guest artists at the Kelly-Strayhorn (Nov. 6-7). 412-521-6094 or www.bodiographycbc.com.

CONSERVATORY DANCE COMPANY Point Park University's performing dance arm hits the Byham in a big way in February with an all-star lineup featuring works by Bill T. Jones, man of the moment in Broadway's "Fela!," Trey McIntyre, ballet's man of the moment, and George Balanchine, who is always in style. This season the Pittsburgh Connections will feature Dionna Pridgeon, Craig Kaugman, Kassandra Taylor, Gina Patterson and Justin Myles, all with local roots (George Rowland White Performance Studio, Nov. 12-14, 19-21). Returning will be Kiesha Lalama-White's hit from last season, "The Bench" (Pittsburgh Playhouse, Dec. 10-12, 17-19), the Student Choreography Project (GRWPS, Oct. 1-3). 412-621-4445 or www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.

DANCE ALLOY THEATER The group's 35th anniversary highlight this season is the Fall MainStage program (New Hazlett Theater, Dec. 3-5) where the company will look to the past with works by artistic director Greer Reed-Jones, Andre Koslowski and surprise guest artists. Also, Alloy on Alloy where the dancers themselves construct the program (Nov. 5-6), "Unblurred," an informal studio performance featuring "Movin' and Groovin' with DAT" (Oct. 1). Audiences can also look "Behind the Curtain" for a sneak peak (Oct. 22, April 1), all at DAT's spacious Friendship studios. 412-363-4321or www.dancealloy.org.

DANIEL ULBRICHT AND NEW YORK CITY BALLET DANCERS He's the closest thing to the cool physical efficiency of a Baryshnikov. New York City Ballet principal dancer Daniel Ulbricht brings some of his NYCB company mates with him to the Byham Oct. 15. They happen to include three Pittsburgh natives: former City Ballet principal dancer and now playing the older Billy in Broadway hit "Billy Elliot," Stephen Hanna, and luscious corps members Faye Arthurs and Stephanie Zungre. An undeniable bonus treat for ballet aficionados. 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.org.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TAMBURITZANS The Tammies will cover the country from Sarasota, Fla., to Las Vegas, but will be around for performances in Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center (Sept. 11); Cornell High School (Sept. 18); Westmoreland County Community College (Oct. 9); Norwin High School (Oct. 17); Ligonier Town Hall (Oct. 23) and Carson Middle School (Nov. 21). 412-396-5185 or www.tamburitzans.duq.edu.

GUITAR SOCIETY OF FINE ARTS Flamenco dance is a proven commodity with GSFA, which will present the rising young artists of Puerto Flamenco (Oct. 8) at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. 412-281-1910 or www.gsfapittsburgh.org.

KELLY-STRAYHORN THEATER Ready for something different? Challenge your dance senses with Sreyashi Dey's Srishti Dances of India (Sept. 18) just for openers. Sidra Bell Dance New York brings the premiere of a work conceived at KST (Oct. 8-9) and Staycee Pearl dance project (Nov. 19-20) showcases new choreographic talent. 412-363-3000 or www.kelly-strayhorn.org.

PERFORMING ARTS EXCHANGE The East Coast's premiere marketplace for touring in the performing arts opens its doors to the public for a number of performances, where they can see juried showcases at the August Wilson Center (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). Independent showcases will go on at various locations, including Kun-Yang Lin/ Dancers, Dance Alloy Theater and MillerDANCE (Peirce Studio,Trust Education Center, Sept. 30), Attack Theatre, Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble and Pasion y Arte (Bricolage, 937 Liberty Ave. Oct. 1) and more. www.paesoutharts.org.

THE PILLOW PROJECT Artistic director Pearlann Porter will construct "Paper Memory," a full-length multi-media story of memory, imagination and reality unfolding like the pages of a book. It will run Oct. 9-Nov. 20 at The Space Upstairs in Construction Junction. 412-225-9269 or www.pillowproject.org.

PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE Artistic director Terrence Orr has come up with a new wrinkle on the full-length ballet with Australia Ballet's "The Three Musketeers" (Oct. 22-24) to go along with "The Nutcracker" (Dec. 10-26). 412-456-6666 or www.pbt.org.

THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST The Trust increases its diversity quotient tenfold with this series, which will include an extra performance of Pilobolus (Byham, Oct. 30 matinee) and Bellydance Superstars (Byham, Nov. 17). 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.org.

PITTSBURGH DANCE COUNCIL America's favorite fungus, Pilobolus, is the headline attraction this season, riding a continual wave of popularity into the Byham Oct. 30. The Pils and their companion companies on the PDC season at the Byham show the range of dance in America, with the lush musicality of Rioult (Oct. 1). 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.org.

PNC BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA "Burn the Floor" capitalizes on the current ballroom craze during the holidays Dec. 28-Jan. 2 at Heinz Hall. 412-456-6666 or www.pgharts.org.

SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY The Rock has its own robust dance department, featuring SRU Faculty and Guest Artist Dance concert (Miller Auditorium, Oct. 26), Jazz and Tap Dance Ensemble (Swope Recital Hall, Nov. 13), SRU Department of Dance Fall Concert (Swope Recital Hall, Dec. 4-5). www.sru.edu.

SLIPPERY ROCK PERFORMING ARTS SERIES There are a couple of dance-related programs with the Golden Dragon Acrobats Sept. 10 and the powerhouse young talent of Ailey II Oct. 29 at Miller Auditorium. www.sru.edu.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE They're ba-a-ack and this time the top dancers from the popular reality series will move over to a larger venue at the Consol Energy Center. Oct. 22. www.consolenergycenter.com.

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