Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Coolest show in town is also the hottest
AS A young girl, Olga Sharutenko, wanted to be a figure skater like her mother, so she began training on the ice at the age of six.
Now, Sharutenko travels the world with The Imperial Ice Stars performing shows on ice.
She plays the role of Cinderella in Cinderella on Ice which is on at the Artscape Opera House. There are four shows left, today at 3pm and 7.30pm and tomorrow at 2pm and 6pm.
The Imperial Ice Stars tells the story of Cinderella, a humble chorus dancer who receives attention as a prima ballerina and catches the eye of the handsome mayor’s son with her graceful performance.
But her mean stepsisters try to steal his heart.
Luckily, her father and a gypsy fortune teller ensure true love triumphs.
The cast comprises mostly Russian skaters, many of whom have been trained by Russia’s leading coaches, from as early as age four.
But the fortune teller, played by Fiona Kirk, is from Cape Town. She began training on ice at the age of seven.
The troupe boasts 25 championship skaters who between them have won more than 250 competition medals.
This is their seventh visit to South Africa where they have many fans
Cinderella on Ice is their third production. The audience has been entertained by stunning skating feats, some seen in Olympic arenas. This includes breathtaking high speed throws and incredible lifts.
It takes 14 tonnes of ice to create the frozen stage – the same weight as nearly three elephants.
In a theatre, the ice rink takes more than 140 hours to build but only 30 man-hours to dismantle.
The show has glorious costumes and awesome special effects including fire and rain, and scenery depicting a town square in icy Siberia.