In just four weeks, the Imperial Ice Stars are due to arrive in South Africa to perform in The Teatro at Montecasino from 2 December to 10 January.

Cinderella on Ice will be perfect holiday entertainment for the whole family!

Interesting Facts & Figures:

There are six working couples on the tour and 3 children.

The Imperial Ice Stars are the only ice skating company to have won a theatrical award – they were awarded the Manchester Evening News ‘Best Special Entertainment’ for their production Swan Lake on Ice in 2007.

Some of the skating moves performed by The Imperial Ice Stars have never been attempted before, either in competition or on the stage (not even at the last Winter Olympics), and are so complex they haven’t been named yet.

Most of the daring moves performed in the show would normally be performed in an arena of approximately 60m x 60m. The stage the performers skate on in the theatre is only 15m x 15m.

44 people tour with the show including, performers; technicians; and a doctor, with a further 17 people required in each venue.

The performers rehearsed nine hours a day, six days a week, for seven weeks to pull the show together, and they rehearse for three hours each day before the show.

25 pairs of skates and 50 sets of blades are carried with the troupe on tour.

14 tonnes of ice are created in the production – the same weight as nearly three elephants. 2 500 litres of anti-freeze are used – enough to fill 100 car cooling systems. The ice reaches temperatures of minus 15 degrees C, three times colder than your household freezer. The ice rink takes over 140 man-hours to build but only 30 man-hours to dismantle.

The Cinderella on Ice set is one of the most expensive ever created for a theatrical ice show anywhere in the world. It incorporates three-dimensional scenery; fire; rain; flying; and state-of-the-art projection.

The sumptuous scenery and props in Cinderella on Ice has been designed by Eamon D'Arcy, who was Senior Production Designer for the acclaimed Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony and Designer for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. He is one of Australia's top scenic designers and has created sets for drama; dance; and musical theatre in both Australia and Asia over the last 25 years.

The scenery and props were originally created in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, and take up two 40ft containers when they are shipped from country to country on the tour. They have taken 6000 man hours to create.

There are 77 lavish costumes in Cinderella on Ice, designed by renowned Russian costume designer, Albina Gabueva, head designer at Moscow’s famed Stanislavsky Theatre. It has taken one year to design and create all the costumes. No two costumes are the same – each one is individually designed and made, cut by the famous Bolshoi Ballet costuming department. Ten of the costumes cost more than £4 000 each to make, and incorporate luxurious fabrics and intricate detailing. There are two wardrobe mistresses who tour with the company to maintain the costumes in perfect condition.

The specially commissioned score for Cinderella on Ice has been composed by Tim A. Duncan and Edward Barnwell, both of whom are highly regarded contemporary composers. It took nine months to compose and arrange for the orchestra and piano.

The music is performed by the 72-piece Moscow State Cinematic Orchestra, and 10 soloists from the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, together with Tim A Duncan, Edward Barnwell (piano) and David Alexander (percussion). It took three days to record, using the latest digital technology to achieve the best possible sound quality.
The music has to be recorded as the timing must be absolutely exact for the skaters to perform their manoeuvres. If the music was conducted live, even slight changes in tempo would cause the skaters to become out of step, which given the speeds involved, could have disastrous consequences.

Some of The Imperial Ice Stars started skating from as young as three years of age.

The performers between them have won over 250 competition medals.

The creative team behind Cinderella on Ice comprises some of the world’s most respected ice coaches and choreographers, including Tony Mercer, widely regarded as the world’s leading director and choreographer of theatre on ice; Evgeny Platov, dual Olympic gold medallist in figure skating (1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics and 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics) and four-time World Champion (1994-1997); and Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski, ice dancing World Champions in 2006 and 2007.

Bookings are now open at the Theatre.

Visit the official website at www.cinderellaonice.co.za.