The Magic of the Nutcracker Comes to the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall - On Ice!

That's right. Much like the magic of the Nutcracker, the Concert Hall stage will be transformed into a mini ice rink. Five tons of crushed ice will be poured into a specially designed, self-refrigerated rink. The ice is sprayed with mist and scraped every 20 minutes for over 12 hours to create a smooth skating surface.

Once the stage, that is rink, is set, The St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet from Russia will return to the UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall to present two evenings of the time-honored classic, December 3 and 4 at 7:30pm.

American Skating World said of the program, "The production recalled the grand tradition of Russian ballet with lush production values, lavish costuming and exquisite choreography. The performance was at once intimate and larger than life."

Choreographed by Konstantin Rassadin of the famed Kirov Ballet and performed by a company of 35 champion ice skaters who are also trained ballet dancers, the St. Petersburg Ice Ballet's production features magnificent costumes, lavish sets and Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score. The company performed here several years ago in the production of Cinderella.

With the company’s debut in 1967, Constantine Boyarski established ice ballet in Russia. By combining classical dance with the sport of figure skating, a new genre was born. Since its first performance, the St. Petersburg State Ballet on Ice has presented over 5,000 performances to audiences worldwide. The company of 100 medal-winning skaters has toured such classics as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet, and Cinderella.

Bring the kids to family fun night. On Saturday, December 4 there will be a free family reception at 6:30pm in the Fine Arts Center lobby where cookies, milk and cider will be offered and the staff of FamilyFun Magazine will be providing an interactive craft for the kids.

he St Petersburg State Ice Ballet performs at UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $40, $30, and $15; 17 and under are $15 and Five College student tickets are $15, $10 and $7. For tickets and information, call the Fine Arts Center Box office at 413-545-2511 or 1-800-999-UMAS, or go online to www.fineartscenter.com/centerseries. This event is sponsored Easthampton Savings Bank, Coca Cola, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, FamilyFun Magazine and WRSI 93.9FM The River.