Sunshine Coast Daily, Australia
by LISA KITHER
SWAN Lake On Ice left me gobsmacked.
As I rose to my feet for the standing ovation I felt invigorated having gone on possibly the theatrical ride of my life.
It’s a show with everything: stunning costumes, incredibly ornate sets, flips and acrobatics on ice, rings of fire, skaters on stilts pulling off some amazing moves, skaters flying through the air on wires, blacklight-illuminated glowing swans, and some of the most breathtaking choreography.
All backed by Tchaikovsky’s most loved music and the fabulously romantic story of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful swan, the classic tale is delivered by The Imperial Ice Stars — 26 Russian champion skaters who hold more than 200 Olympic, world, national and European medals between them and boast stunning ability, grace and emotion as they glide over the relatively small stage-turned-ice-rink.
Since opening night on Wednesday this show has wowed fans and critics alike and I wish I was lucky enough to see every performance. It’s sheer beauty in artistry, admired between gasps and cries of "phwar" at the mind-blowing aerial gymnastics, toe loops, double axels, death spirals, bielmanns and triple throw axels all at spectacular high speeds liftsflips that are made to look all too easy, alongside toe-pick dancing and even ballet en pointe on the ice.
If you ever wanted to introduce your kids or partners to the beauty of Swan Lake without the barrage of whining about watching ballet, this is the ticket that could change everything. There are just four performances before this must-see experience leaves Brisbane so make sure you secure your seats ASAP. and take the whole family!
Swan Lake On Ice performs today at 1.30pm and 7.30pm and tomorrow at 1pm and 5pm at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre.