Ballet in the Snow World

The troupe comprising 30 Russian artistes,who have visited UK,Czech Republic,Denmark,Kuwait,Jordan and other places across the globe,and are renowned for their ballet and acrobatic performances on ice,are in the city until March 10,presenting Snow White and their iconic Cirque de Glace. They tell the classic tale with a spell-binding display of ballet and acrobatics. The special effects make the story all the more enjoyable,but it is the performers who bring the magic,romance and intrigue to the show.

The witch is truly evil; wild and untamed,and cold and calculating. As she whips across the stage in her black and wine-red dress,her angular movements seem at once reckless and controlled. She is a terrifying beauty,a woman of power and secrets. Her step-daughter Snow White on the the other hand,prances around,light as a feather and innocent as a doe. She has the pure and unassuming air of unspoiled youth and it’s easy to see why everyone adores her. Everyone except the evil witch.

“There are no words in the performance. There is a lot of acting involved in it,because the artistes have to tell the story through their body language,” says Claire Bournet,the production manager for the Pune tour. The act is a combination of graceful classical ballet,and gravity- defying acrobatic stunts and these feats are made all the more difficult because it all has to be done on ice. “The cast is a mix of ballet skaters,gymnasts and circus performers. Some of them were trained to be in the circus and are not great skaters,but they learn with time. Then there are some skaters,who didn’t know acrobatics or ballet but they’ve learned that too,” explains Bournet. The troupe spent about six weeks in creating the show; choreographing it and fine-tuning the scenes. Another two weeks were spent in final rehearsals on the stage.

It’s not just the performers who have to adapt their skills to the act. The show can only be performed on an ice rink with at least a seven cm-thick ice sheet. A network of cold pipes is laid down,and fresh water is poured on the ground and frozen ice shaving and snow is cleared after every act. The troupe will be performing Snow White till March 10,after which it will perform the famous Cirque de Glace ballet until April 17. While Snow White is a classic fairy tale,Cirque de Glace has a more modern subject — the plant’s evolution. “This show is very different from the others. This is our first time in India and we hope people enjoy the show,” says Bournet.

Snow White and Cirque de Glace will be staged at Aamby Valley City till March 10).