Scottish Threesome

If the Autumn Tour lacks the high profile of either their International Festival appearance or annual Christmas show, it represents them at their most interesting. Kicking off with Balanchine's Rubies, a new addition to the repertoire shared with major international companies, and concluding with Pastor's favourite In Light and Shadow, the bill demonstrates their enthusiasm for the modernist, contemporary edge of ballet. Rubies, ironically, is a slow start. Balanchine's dazzling jazz inflections are not given enough zip, and only the costumes, deep red and bejewelled, glitter and shimmer. Eve Mutso shines but for a piece filled with passion and humour - Balanchine communicates easily despite the intelligence behind the moves - this is a surprisingly stolid opening. As seen in September, Forsythe's Workwithinwork suits Scottish Ballet. From dry beginnings, the dissident clockwork choreography builds subtly into a visual treat, executed with loose-limbed flair and seriousness. On the cusp of Forsythe's experimental work, it harks back to classical ballet, having the flavour of wild European dance without loosing technique or discipline. Pastor fuses Balanchine's geometric fascinations with a Russian emotionalism for In Light and Shadow. By turns ecstatic and reflective, it elegantly illustrates Bach's music and allows the corp de ballet to display rigour and the soloists their precision. After a shaky Carmen and an uncertain Ashton, this programme plays to Scottish Ballet's ability. The weakness of Rubies suggests that they don't quite have the strength in depth, yet the bill is erudite and fun, revealing a confident company, contemporary and exact.