Hot acts melt ice

REVIEW - As someone who hasn't been to an ice show since Walt Disney's cheesy World On Ice, I found myself dazzled by HSBC Stars on Ice. It's an entertaining 21/2-hour show, full of grace, athleticism and flashes of humour.

The all-star cast, led by Halifax favourite and four-time world champ Kurt Browning, has already toured 60 cities in the U.S., before embarking on a 12-city Canadian leg here in Halifax. Known for being appreciative fans, Nova Scotians lived up to their reputation in an almost full Halifax Metro Centre last night: leaping to their feet often and cheering wildly.

There was a lot to get excited about. Canadian champion Jeffrey Buttle started the standing-ovation-athon with an irresistible dance number performed to Cory Hart's I Wear My Sunglasses At Night. With swift spins and funky flair, he showed off some of the moves that earned him the world silver medal in Moscow last month.

The enthusiastic response to Buttle was matched by that to Shae-Lynn Bourne, who debuted as a solo skater on the Stars on Ice tour last year. Even without dance partner Victor Kraatz, the blond bombshell was awesome, displaying the same speed and precision that has caught the imagination of audiences ever since her Riverdance days.

By the time it came for Jamie Sale and David Pelletier to take their turn on the ice, they didn't even have to skate to get their standing-O. But the 2002 Olympic gold medallists earned their applause with an impressive number performed to Radar Love.

Well-muscled Alexei Yagudin began his solo wrapped in a sheet and lowered from the ceiling. In a performance one-part Cirque du Soleil, one-part sheer skating spectacle, the Olympic champ from Russia used the sheet like a gymnast's rings, flipping upside-down and around, before landing effortlessly on the ice. It could almost make you forgive him for edging out Elvis Stojko from the winner's circle those half-dozen years ago.

The only missteps in the show were in a mostly silly performance by the entire cast to a medley of Who songs. But the number was salvaged by an amazing ending. As Roger Daltry sang Rain on Me, water sprinkled from the ceiling - beautifully captured under the spotlights - and the red-attired skaters raised red umbrellas and surrounded three-time U.S. champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman.

When the skaters broke apart, Ina emerged like a flower, having suddenly changed out of her sparkling red costume into an elegant nude-coloured one. Her partner lifted her in the air, and she bent her head back to welcome the pouring rain.