PHILADELPHIA — Romeos and Juliets die by the dozen in the great wide world of ballet.

Since Tchaikovsky composed “The Sleeping Beauty” in 1890, astonishingly only two full-evening ballet scores have found a permanent, classic place in the ballet repertory. Both have music by Serge Prokofiev.

They are “Cinderella” and Prokofiev’s ballet commentary on Shakespeare’s doomed lovers “Romeo and Juliet.”

Today most major ballet companies across the country and, indeed, across the world, boast some production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

The only question is, which one? Do you use a local choreographer to run one up, or do you try to acquire one of the well-known standard versions?

Usually the best, if more expensive, course is to play safe and take the road more traveled.

This is the course the Pennsylvania Ballet has wisely followed, and at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music they have been showing off its impeccable staging of “Romeo and Juliet” by the British choreographer John Cranko, complete with its lushly Renaissance scenery and costumes by Jurgen Rose.

From top to toe, this is a splendid production — otherwise given in North America only by Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada — but the really good news from Philadelphia is the way these Pennsylvanians dance it.

This company has had its ups and downs since its 1963 founding.

But now, for the past six years under the artistic direction of longtime company member Roy Kaiser, its dancing standards are clearly on an up.

I saw two performances of this “Romeo,” and they were both compellingly stylish.

At one, the star-cross’d lovers were danced by a young soloist, Martha Chamberlain, making a dewy-fresh and eloquent debut, partnered by the company’s forcefully elegant Russian-born leading dancer, Alexei Borovik.

The other Juliet was the elegant Leslie Carothers — who has danced the role in New York with the Joffrey — strongly partnered by a somewhat stolid David Krensing.

Best of all, the lesser roles were all handsomely filled — and I especially noticed a company veteran of 25 years, and now its balletmaster, Jeffrey Gribler, in a piquantly danced and dramatically apt account of Mercutio.

Though our neighbor, the company — possibly for good reason — has not been in New York for more than 10 years, I suspect the time is ripe for a return visit.

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THE PENNSYLVANIA BALLET