This morning a crew will begin to turn the wooden stage of Emens Auditorium into a skating rink for the St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet's, "The Sleeping Beauty."
The auditorium has purchased 8,000 pounds of ice that will be laid on top of a temporary ice rink, said Bobby Bowden of Emens Auditorium. Refrigerated coils will be put down in the rink, and then the ice will be emptied out on top of it. After that, water has to be sprayed on the ice every couple of hours to build up the skating surface and a small Zamboni will then be used to polish the ice.
This is the ballet's sixth season in a row performing the fairy tale of the sleeping princess and her charming prince. They also perform "Cinderella," "Romeo & Juliet," "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake" while on tour.
"The Sleeping Beauty" is a four-act performance, beginning with the christening of Princess Aurora and following through her curse and happy awakening.
Choreographer Konstantin Rassadin, from the Kirov Ballet, guides the company of 35 skaters in this classic performance. He graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet and was invited into the Maryinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet of St. Petersburg shortly thereafter. Rassadin starred in more than two dozen productions in his 23 years with the company. He joined the St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet in 1980 as choreographer.
Mikhail Kaminovis, the general director of the ballet company, was a champion pairs figure-skater. He joined the St. Petersburg troupe on the day of its founding and was a leading soloist. Kaminov finished his performing career in 1988 and became the deputy manager of the Ballet on Ice and assumed his current position in 1994.
The troupe features renowned skaters, including Pavel Ivanov. Ivanov has performed as the prince in "Swan Lake," "The Nutcracker" and "The Sleeping Beauty."
Other key skaters in the production are award winners as well. Olga Kuvashova (Ivanov's wife), Alexei Pogodin, Tatiana Prokofieva, Alexei Sivan and Leonid Smirnov have all won honors in the Champion of St. Petersburg competition.
There will be two performances Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for $15, $20 and $25 at the Emens Box Office or you can charge by phone at (765) 644-3131.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
