Between the lover and beloved lies the fleeting "instant of desire." This theme is explored by Toronto Dance Theatre’s Pteros Tactics, choreographed by long-time artistic director Christopher House.

These four shows heralded the first time in 20 years that TDT has appeared in the city — reason enough to celebrate. But even more so was seeing an impressive company of 10 strong dancers —including five men — performing in the intimate Rachel Browne Theatre.

Based on classical scholar/poet Anne Carson’s essay Eros the Bittersweet, the mythology-inspired piece focuses not on Eros (think Cupid) but alter-ego Pteros, described by Homer as possessing a "wing-growing necessity." Thus, we see more the action of love than the object of desire itself.

The playful, often intense work unfolds (mostly) as a series of smaller ensembles that teem with both seduction and aggression.

The company — Sarah Wasik, Pulga Muchochoma, David Houle, Linnea Wong, Kaitlin Standeven, Brodie Stevenson, Alana Elmer, Yuichiro Inoue, Naishi Wang and Syreeta Hector — evokes an ancient Greek chorus whenever all its members appear together.

Muchochoma and Inoue attack each other like martial-arts warriors, grunting and grabbing at each other with exploding intensity.

The sight of all 10 dancers viscerally rutting in pairs like crazed rams while hollering at the top of their lungs bordered on downright violence.

By contrast, Wasik and Wang’s supple duet felt suspended in time.

A quartet of women sighing and crying like sirens while luring their male prey became unworldly.

Spoken phrases of text such as "I want you," and "I have beautiful legs" were woven throughout the show like erotic come-ons. There is a sense of wry irony when Wang reports to the audience he "has no back fat," as if House is poking fun at the oft-clumsy art of seduction itself.

Perhaps the show’s cleverest aspect is the use of little hacky sacks in lieu of Cupid’s arrows. As the balls are tossed about onstage, they physically symbolize the capricious act of choice, power and control. The dizzying, hyperkinetic ensemble section in which multiple balls are thrown — and caught — by dancers who spin like quarks is riveting as much for its glorious combustion of movement as for the nail-biting synchronization of bodies and balls.

The production also included award-winning composer Phil Strong’s electronic score which, along with evocative lighting by Roelof Peter Snippe, created both mood and mystery.

This is an ambitious work you want to like. However, the one-hour show often felt fragmented with momentum stalled by several lengthy silences. In the end, as with the vagaries of fickle love, Pteros Tactics was more to be admired than truly adored.