Acrobats take to the ice as Cirque du Soleil Crystal hits RAC Arena

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL CRYSTAL
RAC Arena, Perth
September 15
★★★

Perth’s RAC Arena was transformed into a winter wonderland on Friday night for the opening of the much-anticipated Cirque du Soleil Crystal.

Crystal is Cirque du Soleil’s 42nd show and its first on ice, combing its usual acrobatic feats with stunning figure skating.

Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal features death-defying trapeze as well as acrobatics on ice.

The show takes you on a journey with main character Crystal who is a misfit with her head in the clouds, a dreamer looking for something more in her life. One day, feeling misunderstood and out of sync with the world, she ventures out on a frozen pond and falls through the ice. In this underwater world of her own imagination, she has a vision: she sees a reflection of herself – her alter ego – that guides her, showing her a distorted version of her life.

Her Reflection tries to wake her up to her own genius and creativity. Through her writing, Crystal releases the potential of her hidden talent and transforms the world around her with the stroke of her pen. Having summoned the strength to face reality, Crystal ultimately breaks through the ice, stronger than ever.

“The show Cirque du Soleil Crystal is about looking at things from fresh angles, peeking through the veneer of everyday life, reframing one’s daily reality to see what one might have missed,” show organisers say.

“Sometimes the only way to appreciate things is to look at them sideways. Discovering one’s individuality and uniqueness requires venturing out on thin ice.”

The storyline is hard to follow as it jumps from one element to another but the stunning set of a crystal house, the captivating music and, of course, the talented performers do make up for it.

However, it’s not the usual high-energy acrobatic creation Cirque du Soleil is usually known for. There is a lot of figure skating and the show can lag in parts, but there is no denying the world-class skaters and acrobats take to their new frozen playground with speed and fluidity as they challenge the laws of gravity with never-before-seen acrobatics.

The choreography is amazing, and the performances are mesmerising and fantastic. It’s a real experience that will captivate all ages.

Cirque du Soleil Crystal is at RAC Arena until September 24.

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