Reviews & Press Clippings

If you're a highbrow ballet purist, shudder, turn up your nose and look away.

But should you be an open-minded lover of dance looking for a fun night out at the theatre, this show may be just the ticket.

That's not to denigrate The Sleeping Beauty on Ice to that of another "cheap-and-nasty" production; a show for the unsuspecting masses who would not know their Trotsky from their Tchaikovsky.

On the contrary, if you consider it has been the only ice show to date that has played at Sadler's Wells, the UK's foremost dance theatre venue, it's clear that this is no fly-by-night production.

It is a perception that producer James Cundall is at pains to clarify as he repeatedly pushes the "strong production values" envelope during our interview:

"The director, Tony Mercer, has been designing ice shows for 10 years and is at the top of his game. Choreographer Tatiana Terasova is one of the top skating coaches with more than 40 gold medals to her credit.

Eamon D'Arcy was the production designer of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony while all 23 skaters themselves have represented Russia in one form or another at international level," Cundall rattles off.

It is this pedigree that Cundall and Mercer have sought out - something which he believes sets The Sleeping Beauty on Ice apart from the random labelling that so many "ice" shows find themselves lumped under.

That and the fact that it is presented in a genuine theatre environment.

The show, which is been co-produced during its South African leg by Pieter Toerien, will be staged at the South African State Theatre in Pretoria and the Artscape in Cape Town.

"We are providing world class ice skating in the intimacy of the theatre. A lot of the skaters liken it to skating on an ice cube - but we are trying to provide people with everything you would normally see in an arena in the Winter Olympics," says Cundall.

This ice cube Cundall refers to is a 15-20 metres in diameter ice rink that requires two chillers, over 16 kilometres of refrigeration pipes and 14 tons of ice.

All good and well, but is it ballet?

"No," retorts Cundall.

Then, as quickly, he softens and elaborates: "We do perform to the music of Sleeping Beauty from Tchaikovsky, but we also cut out the boring bits. You must remember that it is a very fast show and although we do have what you can describe as 'ballet on ice' we bring in other elements. It is its own art form."

Of the elements that Cundall refers to, and something he feels that ballet cannot provide, is the fluidity of movements that only world-class skaters can display on ice.

On more than one occasion, he likens it to the kind of show audiences that saw Riverdance or Cirque du Soleil will enjoy.

"It appeals to a wide cross section. Lovers of musicals, sports lovers who can appreciate the athleticism, and there is also a lot of eye-candy on offer for those who appreciate the good things in life," he says with a smile.

The Sleeping Beauty on Ice is touring Europe and will be performing in Kualu Lumpur before it opens in SA.

It will run at the SA State Theatre from October 12 to November 16 and at the Artscape Opera in Cape Town from November 21 to December 10.

Booking at Computicket.