Cinderella on Ice
April 1, 2009
Date reviewed: 31st March 2009
Reality television has a lot to answer for. Not only does the current vogue for ballroom dancing owe much to the Saturday night schedules, but ice dance has achieved a fascination with the public that far outweighs its significance as an artform. Or so I thought.
Then ice dance entrepreneur Tony Mercer brought his Imperial Ice Stars to Derngate. He built a square rink on a projected proscenium stage, dressed his huge team of skaters in fabulous one-off costumes and created perhaps the most beautifully expressive interpretation of the Cinderella story to have graced a theatre since Charles Perrault dreamed up his definitive version of the fairytale more than 300 years ago.
Told without words, this worldwide touring production relies heavily on a combination of Mercer’s own thrilling choreography and a sumptuous new score from composers Tim A Duncan and Edward Barnwell. There are lush melodies, vast, sweeping string arrangements and some incredibly evocative moments in the music, and it’s all reflected and intensified by the stunning performances on the ice.
More than 20 hugely talented skaters create memorable image after memorable image as the story unfolds, with a strong central theme of time holding it all together effectively. Both in individual displays of technical excellence and ensemble routines of dazzling style, the Imperial Ice Stars reveal a fluency and flair for their art that constantly catches the breath and amazes the eye.
Alongside set pieces of impressive scale – including a wonderful monochrome art deco ball – there are heartstopping moments of sheer beauty and tenderness. Flying has never looked so graceful or natural as in Cinderella’s final touching duet with her hero. Olga Sharutenko and Andrei Penkine make a handsome couple, matching their blade skills evenly with sincerity and passion, and Vadim Yarkov as her father leads a supporting cast of highly polished entertainers to deliver a fantasy of breathtaking proportions. Even a technical hitch requiring instant ice repairs – which allowed the genial Mr Mercer himself to chat informatively to the audience for a few minutes – only served to enhance the experience.
So even if Dancing on Ice did nothing for you, then at least allow the Imperial Ice Stars to show you exactly how powerful, elegant, majestic and moving this artform can be.
- Michael Davies
