51.   The dancers were eager and attractive, yet several performances had rough edges.

52.   The commission had put the company on notice that its performance had to improve.

53.   The instinctive reaction of many an older manager, particularly in this bull market, is that such performance may have something to do with risk.

54.   The Kirov performances had a political point, of course.

55.   The performance has a precision, a sense of dramatic intensity and a clarity of line that make it even more inviting than the original.

56.   The performances had their ups and downs, but even the downs were mostly good enough, while the ups were amazing.

57.   The performance had shape and vitality, but the ensemble was frequently shaky.

58.   The performance had a palpable sense of long-arched structure and continuity.

59.   The performances had Kennedy on the phone Sunday night with general manager Dan Duquette animatedly begging for players who will work hard and not wilt under pressure.

60.   The recent performance also has experts concerned about what appears to be deep pessimism among buyers.