They oughta be in pictures.

For the first new full-length ballet commissioned by New York City Ballet since George Balanchine made Jewels in 1967, Broadway powerhouse Susan Stroman is choreographing Double Feature, an homage to silent film. At a typical rehearsal with sixty dancers, Stroman's three assistants are constantly reviewing the counts; her trusty collaborator Glen Kelly is at the piano; and principal dancers Tom Gold, Maria Kowrowski, and Damian Woetzel are bursting with enthusiasm. When Stroman demonstrates a step, whether crisp footwork or classical port de bras, her ballet training shines through her baggy, fleece jacket and baseball cap. Watching the dancers and conferring with Kelly, she often breaks into a grin or a chuckle.

During a recent interview, Stroman likened silent film stars to ballet dancers. "Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were both in complete control of their bodies, and were able to tell stories through movement without any words," said the mastermind of Contact (see "Stroman Makes Contact," DANCE MAGAZINE, February 2000, p. 64). The first act of Double Feature, a drama called "The Blue Necklace," has songs by Irving Berlin. The second act, "Makin' Whoopee!," based on the Keaton movie Seven Chances, in which the hero gets chased by hordes of brides, has songs by Walter ("My Blue Heaven") Donaldson.

While discussing the new" ballet's role in the Balanchine centennial celebration, Stroman mused about Balanchine's work on Broadway and in Hollywood movies. "Balanchine has theater genes," she said. "It is rare that a choreographer in the theater creates an iconic dance that becomes so transfixed in people's minds as the pas de deux from On Your Toes. We all remember that moment when she's in a backbend and kicks her legs."

Stroman, who choreographed one other ballet for the company in 1999, glows about how the dancers amplify the movement beyond her wildest dreams. In one part of the story, principal dancer Janie Taylor's character suddenly dances with abandon. "When I turned around to see what I had taught her, she was flying through the air! It was thrilling. What's great about working here is that the dancer is the most important thing, and that's very different from the theater."

THE FAMOUS "Stro" humor that streaks through all her work, from Crazy for You to The Producers, graces Double Feature too. In order to cast the show, she observed classes as well as performances. "They all can dance, so what I was really observing was their personalities. You have to have a certain twinkle in your eye to get through some of that comedy."

An added attraction for Stroman is that NYCB was also Jerome Robbins's home company. (In fact, she is rehearsing in the Jerome Robbins Studio.) "He is a big reason I am in the theater," said Stroman. "He never imposed his own style. It was always about the character and the story."

Principal dancer Alexandra Ansanelli plays the love interest to Tom Gold's Keaton character. "She lets you explore what you feel about your role," Ansanelli said of Stroman's approach, "and then she'll polish it. She has a wonderful eye." Stroman's staff includes a prop man and an animal trainer. Ansanelli has had many dramatic roles, but this is the first time she has to command a Boston terrier to "heel" and "sit" on stage.

Stroman's Double Feature debuted on January 23. See www.nycballet.com; or call 212-870-5570.