Dance Today
by Katie Gregory
Any modern-day interpretation of Swan Lake - one of the bestknown and well-loved ballets in history - is naturally going to prompt comparison with the many versions that have gone before it. Re-record and slice up Tchaikovsky's score, doublecast the roles of Odette and Odile, hack off the original ending to replace it with a happy one, and in theory what's left is more of an abomination than an interpretation. Add the fact that the whole thing is on ice, and you've got a pile-up of balletomanes at the exit.
But, sit through the Imperial Ice Stars' Swan Lake on ice and you'll be surprised at the result, as despite how it sounds on paper, this production manages to rise above comparisons to its ballet-based plot and emerge as an entertaining piece of theatre in its own right. Watching 26 world-class Russian skaters (including the sumptuous Olga Sharutenko as Odette, and Anton Klykov as a menacing PVC clad Rothbart) effortlessly command such a tiny stage space without missing the edge and spinning into the audience was breathtaking in itself. The front row in the Milton Keynes Theatre may have felt a little differently of course.
The wow-factor of this production is sky-high - from the off, the skaters continuously spin and jump in high-risk choreography that pins you to your seat, and the special effects throughout were certainly ambitious for a venue on the wrong side of the M25. The effortless gliding motion of the swans across the stage was brilliantly emphasised by the ice, however there were elements where the ice/dance fusion was somewhat less seamless.
For a dancer, there's something inherently wrong with a body that, as it is lifted into space in a lilting pas de deux, with graceful, floating arms and beautifully held torso, leads to a leg extension that is abruptly interrupted by a flexed, clunky boot. In light of that, I can see why director Tony Mercer presumed that a brief section of pointe work would satiate the audience's desire for clean, finished lines, however a complete lack of any technique had me cringing in my seat so much that I was grateful when the skates went back on. Rather than a nod to Swan Lake's balletic roots, this was an unnecessary apology. This isn't ballet and the sooner this fact is realised, the sooner The Imperial Ice Stars' production will be viewed as a possible turning point from ice dance's cheesy theme park reputation, to a serious, credible art form worth keeping an eye on.
This is a pleasingly accessible piece of theatre that's perfect for the whole family. And if one of them happens to be a ballet purist, a well-timed moment of popcorn-passing should successfully prevent any unattractive outbursts.