Valentine's Day comes early to the University when capricious creatures scatter love through a mystical midsummer's forest.

Twenty-seven local children will participate as fairies, elves and sprites in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's performance of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," at 8 p.m. tomorrow and 3 p.m. Sunday.

The plot centers on young lovers in the mystical land of the king and the queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania, where an elf named Puck deviously makes the characters fall in love with the wrong people by sprinkling an aphrodisiacal flower juice.

Stage careers for the youthful dancers began four weeks ago when about 50 local children auditioned for Bruce Wells, resident choreographer for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Patricia Heigel-Tanner, assistant professor of sports and exercise science and one of the children's rehearsers, said children were eligible if they completed one year of dancing school and were less than 4 feet 10 inches tall.

The artistic director for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Patricia Wilde, said Wells chose children who were able to take direction and could maintain concentration.

For two hours every Friday, Heigel-Tanner and several local dancers have rehearsed the children for their appearances in Act I and the finale. The 26 girls and one boy range from ages 6 to 13.

Wilde said it is common for dancers to develop their talent at a young age. "You can spot their wonderful desire and concentration," she said.

Known as one of America's foremost classical ballerinas, Wilde began her dancing career at the youthful age 14. She danced for 15 years with the New York City Ballet and established a comprehensive training program for young dancers as the first director of the Harkness House of Ballet in New York City.

She said children should cultivate an appreciation at an early age for dance by seeing a professional dance company. She said people tend to feel that ballet is an elitist art form; often the public is afraid they are not going to understand dance.

"People tend to want to see a story ballet," she said.

For some of the children this is not the first performance with the dancers of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Last December about 15 of the children performed with the company in the "The Nutcracker."

Tonight, for the first time, the children will practice with the professional company. The children will also be fitted for their costumes, Heigel-Tanner said.

Wilde said the professional dancers, who remember how it felt to be young dancers, enjoy performing with the childen. "The dancers want to be helpful with them," she said.

Heigel-Tanner said the most important parts for the children to remember are their music cues and when to enter and exit.

Wilde said that if one of the children suffers from stage fright, the professional dancers will help direct the children. This usually happens in performances which require children under the age of 3 to perform, such as "The Nutcracker," she said.

Since the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre premiered the ballet during its 1989-90 season, "Midsummer Night's Dream," has been very successful. The dancers, who will perform to the music of Felix Mendelssohn, will wear color-coded costumes to help the audience know which couples belong together.

In addition to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform a newly premiered piece, titled "Soujourn," choreographed by Paul Abrahamson. The twenty minute piece is set to Benjamin Britten's "Four Sea Interludes" from the opera "Peter Grimes."

Before the performance, Bruce Wells will speak as part of Artistic Viewpoints, a free lecture series for the audience. Wells will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Greenroom of Eisenhower Auditorium.

Tickets for "Midsummer Night's Dream" are $24, $20 and $18 for adults and $20, $16 and $14 for students. For more information, call the Center for Performing Arts, 863-0255.