Ice Skaters Dazzle With An Exhilarating Performance
By Radhika Vyas and Tee YingZhi
The Imperial Ice Stars are back in Singapore to present The Nutcracker on Ice. The show, which will stage at the Grand Theater in Marina Bay Sands from the 23-28 October, has a 26-strong cast of Olympic, European and national championship ice-skaters.
The artistic Director of the show, Tony Mercer, is thrilled to be back in Singapore for the fifth time. Prior to this, the team had performed Sleeping Beauty, two versions of Swan Lake and Cinderella. With promising performances including high-speed leaps and throws, this show is certainly on its way to engage the audience with an exhilarating show.
On a stage made of ice, the performance was brilliant, spectacular and energetic! Sitting a few rows away from the stage, we felt so close to the cast as they hit the ice en masse while Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet score was played at speed and flurries of snow were thrown between actors. The vibrant costumes and wondrous music stole our breath away. In fact, an occasional oh-my-god at the high-speed leaps, throws and uncountable number of spins was common amongst the 
audience.
Herr Drosselmeyer, the godfather of Maria, made a magical stage appearance via a wired suspension and proceeded to the party with his equally mysterious assistant. After a party with actors showing off their ice-skating talent, you can expect more after with a pack of racing rodents, tin soldiers and quartet of costumed Cossacks while the handsome Nutcracker comes to life.
Act II is much more satisfying with fire-twirling Spanish dancers and be sure to keep a lookout for the Arabian duo who soars over the scene with rope suspension! As they soar overhead, limbs entwining and dis-entwining, their gymnastics and amazing aerial artistry will keep you at the edge of your seat! This is bound to win over even the most cynical theater goer!
We managed to chat with the lead of the show, Marie, played by 22-year-old Anastasia Ignatyeva. Anastasia began her skating journey at the age of 3 and has since taken part in many competitions. She came first in the Grand Prix Cup of Russia and then became a member of the Russian National Team. When asked about did she like Singapore, she quickly replied that she loves the weather and the spicy food available here. She added that she hopes the audience enjoys their performance for which the whole team has worked really hard.
This performance is certainly a captivating one with the dramatic music and exhilarating displays of stunts! Tickets for the Nutcracker on Ice are on sale now at Sistic. Don’t miss it!
