Swan Lake on Ice

Facts

Everything you wanted to know about the Imperial Ice Stars but were afraid to ask: Ice Facts, Cinderella on Ice, Swan Lake on Ice, Sleeping Beauty on Ice, Nutcracker on Ice

The Imperial Ice Stars have performed to almost four million people across five continents and have toured in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, UK, Germany, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Finland, Monaco, South Africa, Canada, Russia, Romania, Hungry, Serbia and even in Cyprus in an outdoor amphitheatre in temperatures of 40C!

  • The Imperial Ice Stars are the only ice skating company to have won a theatrical award – they were awarded the Manchester Evening News ‘Best Special Entertainment Award’ for their production Swan Lake on Ice in 2007.
  • Some of the skating moves performed by The Imperial Ice Stars have never been attempted before, either in competition or on the stage (not even at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics), and are so complex they haven’t been named yet.
  • The performers between them have won over 250 competition medals.
  • Some of The Imperial Ice Stars started skating from as young as three years of age.
  • 44 people tour with the show including performers, technicians and a doctor, with a further 17 people required in each venue.
  • An average member of the company has travelled approximately 185,000kms. In a Boeing 747 that would take 230 hrs and is the equivalent of going around the earth nearly 5 times.
  • The performers rehearsed 9 or more hours a day, 6 days a week, for 7 weeks to pull the show together, and they rehearse for 3 hours each day before the show.
  • 26 pairs of skates and 52 sets of blades are carried with the troupe on tour.
  • To freight the whole show is approx 25,000kg or the equivalent of 70 grand pianos.
  • During a year, our flying pieces on stage will move approx 27,000m during shows.

 

Ice facts

 

  • 14 tonnes of ice are created in the production – the same weight as nearly 3 elephants.
  • 2,500 litres of anti-freeze are used – enough to fill 100 car cooling systems.
  • The ice reaches temperatures of minus 15 degrees C, three times colder than your household freezer.
  • In a theatre, the ice rink takes over 140 man-hours to build but only 30 man-hours to dismantle.
  • The show always requests a hot water supply when “dressing” the ice rink because hot water freezes quicker than cold, the Mpemba effect.
  • In the last year during our show dismantling, there has been approximately 26,500 shovelfuls of ice deposited from the stage.

 

Cinderella on Ice

 

  • The Cinderella on Ice set is one of the most expensive ever created for a theatrical ice show anywhere in the world.  It incorporates three-dimensional scenery, fire, rain, flying and state-of-the-art projection.
  • The sumptuous scenery and props in Cinderella on Ice have been designed by Eamon D'Arcy who was Senior Production Designer for the acclaimed Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony and Designer for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.  He is one of Australia's top scenic designers and has created sets for drama, dance and musical theatre in both Australia and Asia over the last 25 years.
  • The scenery and props were originally created in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, and take up two 40ft containers when they are shipped from country to country on the tour.  They have taken 6000 man hours to create.
  • There are 77 lavish costumes in Cinderella on Ice, designed by renowned Russian costume designer Albina Gabueva, head designer at Moscow’s famed Stanislavsky Theatre.  It has taken one year to design and create all the costumes. 
  • No two costumes are the same – each one is individually designed and made, cut by the famous Bolshoi Ballet costuming department. 
  • Ten of the costumes cost more than £4,000 each to make, and incorporate luxurious fabrics and intricate detailing.
  • The specially commissioned score for Cinderella on Ice has been composed by Tim A Duncan and Edward Barnwell, both of whom are highly regarded contemporary composers.  It took 9 months to compose and arrange for the orchestra and piano.
  • The music is performed by the 72-piece Moscow State Cinematic Orchestra, and 10 soloists from the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, together with Tim A Duncan, Edward Barnwell (piano) and David Alexander (percussion).  It took three days to record, using the latest digital technology to achieve the best possible sound quality.
  • The music has to be recorded as the timing must be absolutely exact for the skaters to perform their manoeuvres.  If the music was conducted live, even slight changes in tempo would cause the skaters to become out of step, which given the speeds involved, could have disastrous consequences!

 

Swan Lake on Ice

 

  • There are over 110 costumes in the production.
  • The Lavish Costumes in Swan Lake on Ice have been designed by renowned Russian costume designer Albina Gabueva, head designer at Moscow’s famed Stanislavsky Theatre, and made by the famous Bolshoi Ballet costume cutters.
  • The team who worked on the show no longer count sheep jumping to help them sleep…..they count swans!!
  • Swan Lake on Ice has 143 lighting cues, 22 fly cues, 89 follow-spot cues and 7 scene changes.
  • The Eastern Europe tour of Swan Lake on Ice visited 4 countries, over 26 days in 10 venues, performing 18 fantastic shows.

 

Sleeping Beauty on Ice

 

  • The UK tour was toured over 104 days in 13 locations across Britain, performing 101 shows.
  • Sleeping Beauty on Ice has 98 lighting cues, 17 flying cues, 94 follow-spot cues and 7 scene changes.

 

Nutcracker on Ice

 

  • Nutcracker on Ice has 122 lighting cues, 19 fly cues, 111 follow-spot cues and 8 scene changes.
  • The Spanish tour of Nutcracker on Ice, performed over 49 days in 8 venues, playing 51 performances and travelled 5543km to reach each destination.

 

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