English National Ballet: Triple Bill, Palace Theatre, Manchester IF you fancy a change from a full length ballet, then why not sample English National Ballet's Triple Bill at the Palace Theatre.

The three one-acters on offer are Les Sylphides, Encounters and Who Cares? And what a contrast they make to your usual Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty.

Les Sylphides starts off in classical mode, using the music of Chopin, but Who Cares? is a Gershwin tribute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Encounters is danced to Paul Simon's songs, choreographed by one half of that famous ice dancing partnership, Christopher Dean!

The dancers of English National Ballet adapted well to the three musical idioms of classics, pop and jazz, with the elegant white tutu world of Les Sylphides giving the principals and senior soloists a chance to shine.

Lead dancers Greg Horsman and Lisa Pavane turned on the fireworks with Encounters as we listened to Paul Simon's recorded singing of The Sound of Silence, Slip Slidin' Away, Mother & Child Reunion, Still Crazy After All These Years, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover and Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Who Cares?, again with Lisa Pavane, was a show stopper with all those wonderful Gershwin numbers. All in all, the company must be congratulated on a wonderfully entertaining evening.

Triple Bill is repeated tonight and Adam's ever popular Giselle runs from tomorrow until Saturday. JOHN GRIFFITHS

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