While the Washington Ballet serves as D.C.’s hometown ballet ensemble, every year, the New York City Ballet, among other touring companies, sweeps into the Kennedy Center to steal the show. This spring, dueling performances by the Washington Ballet and City Ballet presented samplers featuring a total of six different choreographers. Together, the two companies’ selections showcased the diverse currents active in American ballet.

City Ballet came to Washington during the first week of March with a big group of its principals and soloists and offered two different programs. The first, “Balanchine and Robbins,” focused on works created by its former Ballet Masters George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and the second, “Four Voices,” offered pieces by Balanchine, Robbins, current Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and rising choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.

This weekend, the Washington Ballet counters with its program “High Lonesome,” named for the second piece of the three-part show. The real triumph of the show, however, is the final ballet, “Fives.”

“Fives,” choreographed by Choo-San Goh in 1978, was at one point considered the Washington Ballet’s signature piece, but this weekend marks the first time that it has been performed in a decade. The dancers seemed to be aware of the importance of the occasion and delivered an excellent performance. “Fives” is known for the introduction and interludes where the female dancers dance without music, and during those parts, every footstep was in sync.

The costumes also contributed to the drama of the ballet, as all 15 dancers were outfitted in bright red sleeveless unitards.

“Fives” was preceded by “High Lonesome,” which is set to songs from the album Odelay by alternative rock band Beck. It was created by Trey McIntyre, an up-and-coming choreographer, in 2001 and is meant to be somewhat autobiographical.

Whereas Balanchine is concerned with technique and bold movements, McIntyre wants to convey ideas through dance. Sometimes, McIntyre’s choreography could be a bit too literal, but it could also be really entertaining. There were many acrobatic jumps and lifts, and he often had the five dancers on stage do completely different movements at the same time, which made for a dazzling effect. Jonathan Jordan performed the role of the unnamed lead with charisma and lots of energy. Erin Mahoney-Du, who had a solo in “High Lonesome,” is an excellent dancer, but it would have been nice to see more expression in her face.

Wheeldon, who created the opening piece in City Ballet’s “Four Voices” program, is a good foil for McIntyre — they’re both youngish choreographers with very personal styles who are trying to get their own ballet companies off the ground. Wheeldon is more traditional but no less innovative. “Carousel (A Dance),” which led City Ballet’s performance, made a big splash when it was first performed in New York in 2002. The large ensemble literally creates a carousel effect during the ballet, as dancers bob up and down while revolving in a large circle, but it was impressive.

“Zakouski,” Martins’ contribution to the program, was probably the weakest of “Four Voices.” “Zakouski,” the Russian word for hors d’oeuvres, is a duet set to movements by four great Russian composers — Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. The choreography, though, seemed a little mismatched; the dancing would be drawn-out when the music was quick, or it would be fast when the music slowed down. The movements seemed cumbersome for the dancers, Yvonne Borree and Benjamin Millepied, although their effort showed.

The link between the two groups is Balanchine. City Ballet presented “Agon” in its “Four Voices” program, while the Washington Ballet chose “The Four Temperaments.” These ballets were avant-garde back in the ’50s and ’60s when they were first performed, and they still feel that way today. The costumes for each are simple leotards, shirts and tights in black and white, with sharp movements and flexed feet abound in the choreography.

Washington’s Elizabeth Gaither, Morgann Rose and Laura Urgelles shined in the first three themes of “The Four Temperaments,” which included some extremely difficult moves. In particular, the dancers had to do a series of pirouettes en pointe with their supporting knee bent — a position which requires a lot of strength, even with a partner to help.

The one disappointing aspect of the performance was that the dancers overall were not always in synch, which reduced the power of the movements.

Balanchine is known for his challenging technique, and it is his own City Ballet who has mastered it best. “Agon” has no plot, so it’s really all about the dancing. Balanchine put a lot of really interesting formations in “Agon,” and the dancers were particularly good at precisely hitting each new position with the staccato beat. Sean Suozzi’s jumps were powerful and beautifully executed in his solo; he had so much lift and control that he looked like he was floating.

The intensity of “Agon” feels just as demanding on its audience as it does on its dancers. The ballet, which followed Robbins’ “The Concert (Or, the Perils of Everybody),” was a fitting way for City Ballet to end its program on a cheerful note.

“The Concert” was, dare I say, actually really funny. It is a spoof of ballet, poking fun at the pomp that surrounds ballet and the various pretentious types that frequent performances. The exuberant Sterling Hyltin was the perfect choice for the featured role of an overly expressive dancer, and Andrew Veyette was hilarious as the man who keeps trying to seduce her when his wife isn’t looking.

One memorable scene in “The Concert” was about every dancer’s worst nightmare — being in a big group on stage and turning the wrong way or doing everything a few beats too slowly. Even though the joke was repeated over and over, the audience laughed every time.

But the reason why the dancers in that scene get off-beat, and why, in another gag, Hyltin stays perfectly still when her chair is taken out from under her as she dreamily listens to the piano, is because they are lost in the music. That feeling of getting lost in the music was Robbins’ inspiration for “The Concert,” and the comical situations that result attach the audience to the dancers, breaking down the third wall.

The Washington Ballet’s “High Lonesome” continues through Sunday. For more information, visit www.harmancenter.org.