10:34am Friday 12th March 2010
By Jayne Bennett
RIDING high on the current wave of popularity, this year’s Wild Rose ice dance show at the Bristol Hippodrome saw a virtually full house last night.
Anyone who can’t wait for each week’s episode of Dancing on Ice will have been blown away by the talent and grace of the Russian Ice Stars as they spun their way across the stage - tiny, compared to a normal ice rink - squeezing in hundreds of complicated and incredibly difficult moves, lifts and spins whilst also gaining a seemingly impossible turn of speed.
The Grimm fairytale seems to have gained more than a passing influence from Russian folklore for its ice show interpretation and it flowed beautifully - although those who turned up expecting a Disney extravaganza may have been disappointed.
With no narrative and music from Italian composer Maestro Silvio Amato , the Russian Ice Stars rely on their superlative skills to keep the audience hooked and the exquisitely painted backdrops take away the necessity for many complicated props and paraphernalia.
The cast are all professional ice skaters and figure skaters and have more than 200 championship medals between them at national, world and Olympic level.
Yes, a few of the skaters missed their footing a couple of times, but this is as near to ice dance perfection as you are ever likely to see at a regional venue. Even the children were captivated by the magic of these flashing blades, despite the lack of a narrative voice (and, of course, those dwarves!).
Special mentions must go to European champion Valdis Mintals who left the audience dizzy with a selection of spellbinding spins and lifts in his role as Prince Charming and Yuri Kuprin, whose mid-air acrobatics with Ekaterina Belokopytova left the audience spellbound.
Snow White on Ice runs until Sunday, March 14 at the Bristol Hippodrome, with two performances on Saturday. Tickets cost between £15.50 to £28.50. Call 0844 847 2325 or for more details, log on to:
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