Sunday Mail, QLD, Australia
By DOUGLAS KENNEDY
WHEN Russian skater Olga Sharutenko was 16 she had to make a tough decision which nearly broke her heart. The youngster, who had been training as both a figure skater and ballerina for a decade, was told she could do only one or other of the art forms if she was to excel at either.
"It was such an agonising choice because I loved both dancing and skating, but in the end I opted for the ice rink as my mother had done years before," says the 28-year-old champion. "I had a good career in figure skating but now I have found a new art form, which allows me to dance and skate at the same time, and I feel so lucky about that."
Sharutenko, who won more than 20 national and international gold medals, is nowadays one of the principals of the Imperial Ice Stars. This elite group of artists and champions - the 26 performers have won a total of more than 200 medals - is returning to Brisbane with Swan Lake On Ice as part of a national tour. "This is our third visit to Australia and I am so happy about that," Sharutenko says. "When I am in Australia I feel as if I could stand and watch the ocean forever. I just love it."
Sharutenko, who has also appeared in shows such as Peter Pan On Ice and Barnum On Ice before joining the Imperial Stars in 1999 to star in classic ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker On Ice, says ballet on ice is like discovering a new art form. The series of Imperial productions, produced by James Cundall and Tony Mercer and seen in more than 10 countries, has been described as a fusion of dance, ice skating, ballet, gymnastics and acrobatics. The producers also boast a level of intimacy which is difficult to see when figure skaters are performing in large arenas.
Sharutenko, who performs the role of Odette in Swan Lake and previously Clara in Nutcracker, says while she has not had formal acting training, she has worked with directors to fine-tune her dramatic skills. "My mum had to stop skating at 16 and do other things, but I was determined to continue skating with my partner, Dmitri Naumkin, and then later with my present partner, John Barrowman." The couple are huge throughout Europe, and in January the stars featured in the television spectacular Dancing On Ice, seen by more than 10 million viewers in the United Kingdom alone. "John is a wonderful singer and actor as well as a great skater so one day I'd like to perform with him in a musical on ice," says Sharutenko, adding she would love to stage her own musical shows one day.
While some of Sharutenko's colleagues travel with their partners and children, she says she is first and foremost married to her art. "I am still a single woman," she says. "I am one of those lucky people who has the chance to do the things in life that they really love and I would not give that up for the world."
The Swan Lake on Ice will be performed against lavish backdrops and scenery created by one of Australasia's leading scenic designers, Eamon D'Arcy, known for his spectacular staging of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony and Australian productions of Cabaret, Singin' in the Rain and Saturday Night Fever. The production also features a lighting design by Gavan Swift, one of the Australian theatre industry's leading lighting designers. Artistic director Tony Mercer has assembled a team of ice choreographers, all of whom have coached international medal winners, including skaters seen at the recent Winter Olympics in Italy. Each choreographer specialises in the particular disciplines seen at the top level of skating.