What: Sleeping Beauty on Ice
Where: The Civic, to June 28
Reviewer: Janet McAllister
The athletic villains steal this Imperial Ice Stars storybook show from the start. You can detect the baddies by their black netting and heavy metal head scarves, and by the dry ice preceding their every arrival.
The "witch", complete with Craig David-esque beard, is played as a mad magician alchemist by Yahor Maistrou, relishing his overlord status. Also charismatic is his henchwoman Maria Mukhortova, who sneeringly bares her teeth while whizzing around on Maistrou's shoulders.
The bad guys get all the fun of exciting lifts, often in complicated patterns of threes, fours, even fives - a variety of dynamic configurations compared to pair-obsessed ballet. In contrast, at the christening, Aurora's sisters (standing in for fairy godmothers) do some pastel Sunday afternoon tea dance twirls.
Early in the second half, genuine thrills more than make up for awkward landings on one or two jumps in other scenes. Literal fire on ice gives way to wires on ice - fast-spinning aerial work. This would be impressive even if there weren't skate blades threatening to cut silks and skin. The Olympics roster urgently needs to include flying ice skating.
