CEBU, Philippines - Magic is when your heart skips a beat, when you hold your breath, and when you find yourself frozen in awe for a moment you wish could be suspended in time. Magic is what officially heralded the Christmas season as the Imperial Ice Stars, one of the world's premier theatrical ice skating companies whisked everyone at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theater in Singapore straight into the heart of magic in one of the world's most beloved Christmas classics, the Nutcracker.
Magic was exactly how I felt and more as I dared not blink when two of the skaters lay suspended feet from the frozen stage in a feat that was inarguably at the pinnacle of human performance.
Having been in the business of adding a contemporary twist by reworking classical ballet pieces into ice skating obramaestras, the 26-strong ice skating company made up of no less than Olympic, World, European, and National Championship skaters elevated this Christmas favorite into a mesmerizing display of high speed leaps, throws, and breath-taking acrobatics that left the audience awestruck.
Led by its acclaimed artistic director Tony Mercer who is the world' leading creator of contemporary theater-on-ice, the Nutcracker was set to take everyone back into 19th century St. Petersburg, into the home of Maria, the little girl who receives a Nutcracker doll from her mysterious godfather on Christmas Eve. After dozing off following her attempts to fix her gift, Maria awakens to find herself in the midst of a series of adventures after being rescued by an enchanted prince from the clutches of the Mouse King. Maria and her prince find themselves in the Land of Sweets after a fitting welcome from the Sugar Plum fairy.
Interestingly enough, the original tale of the Nutcracker which was penned in 1816 by the German author E.T.A Hoffman, was never meant to become a children's Christmas classic as its deep and dark undertones were meant to symbolically talk about the dark side of human nature. However, following its adaptation by the French writer Alexandre Dumas and its later transformation into a ballet by famed Russian composer PyotrIlyich Tchaikovsky and choreographer, Lev Ivanov, the Nutcracker later on became a perennial Christmas classic.
" The art form of ice dance lends itself beautifully to this well-loved tale," said Mercer, " Not only does the story entail some beautiful romantic 'adagios' with lifts and jumps but the exotic 'divertissements' from Spain, China, Arabia, and Russia allow us to introduce some gymnastics, flying, acrobatics, magic, and special effects."
With its lavishly fantastical sets that whisked away one's imagination coupled with sumptuous costumes that breathed life into the tale, The Nutcracker on Ice is definitely a performance for one's bucket list.