Classic ballet hits the ice

The Imperial Ice Stars' production of Swan Lake toured 22 countries from 2010-2012. "I created our original Swan Lake on Ice four years ago in a classical style with elements of contemporary ice dance. With this production I've significantly re-worked the choreography to incorporate even more contemporary skating maneuvers, and challenged our skaters to reach for new heights."

The set design was done by Eamon D'Arcy, one of Australia's leading scenic designers and Production Designer for the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

There's a 'clash' of cultures in that the soft pointe of the ballet shoe meets the hard steel of the skate, D'Arcy says. "The landscape might be fantasy and illusion but the 'ground' is an ice rink, with all the technical planning needed to manage the realities of high speed ice skating."

This has brought challenges for the set design because the performance is not static but constantly moving at great speed. "There is a certain danger to this project, and the design has to adapt to the rigors of ice skating, yet be concerned with the safety of the performers."

Ice skating blades can cause damage to long costumes, which is of particular concern for the female skaters with flowing dresses, says Albina Gabueva.

Gabueva is a veteran costume designer with Moscow's Stanislavsky Theatre. She agreed to design for Swan Lake on Ice only because Mercer wanted the story to take place in St. Petersburg, in the Romanov period of Russia. That was the end of the Imperial era of Russian history, and the period in which Tchaikovsky composed the music.

"I want to create costumes that have movement but I have to be careful that they're not too flowing and liable to get tangled or trip someone up," Gabueva says. "Also the choice of fabric is extremely important because of the lifts undertaken by the performers and the speed at which they lift and move. Special non-slip fabrics were used as a result, where hold and grip are of importance."

If you go

7:15 pm, Shanghai Culture Square, 597 Fuxing Road Middle, Xuhui district, 021-6472-6000

80-680 yuan

復興中路597號，文化廣場