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Icy extravaganza
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November 17, 2009
 By Diane de Beer
A handsome leading man, who is familiar to local audiences for his roles as the Lilac Prince in Sleeping Beauty on Ice and Siegfried's confidante, Benno, in Swan Lake On Ice, Andrei Penkine stars as the Lord Mayor's son (the prince) in Cinderella on Ice.
What is the magic of Cinderella?
The period it is staged in, Romanov, allows for new moves on the ice, how everybody knows the story of Cinderella and yet it is like they see it for the first time when they see it on ice.
What makes it different from the others?
The music, I love the fact that we have originally-composed music for this production. This is not the Prokoviev music from the Cinderella ballet, it works better for ice because it was made for ice.
This is your third visit, what do you know about the country, remember and look forward to?
I love South Africa. The people are so friendly and the audiences are very welcoming. Having been to SA before, I have been to see lots of places both in Joburg and Cape Town. I love the craft markets and look forward to revisiting your steakhouses.
Do you have time or manage a routine to live a real life when you're travelling?
When you are touring, you have a routine of rehearsals and shows and then you fit in time for yourself. We do get time out and are able to have time for ourselves.
Are you married?
Yes. My partner is Olena Pyatash (the wicked stepmother in the show).
How do you manage a family life?
We have a nine-year-old son. He travels with us occasionally, when school holidays permit. We stay in touch through Skype when he is not with us. Devid, our son, is also learning to be a figure skater and has appeared in our show in Thailand.
What kind of life do you lead off tour?
I am a very active person and a great fan of football. Manchester United is my favourite team, though I am a fan of Russian football teams, too. When I am not touring, I enjoy spending time at home with Olena and Devid and catching up with family and friends. I enjoy cooking and must admit I am very good.
Where is your home?
St Petersburg.
How much skating do you do during a season, apart from the performances?
To keep our body in condition, I rehearse for an hour before shows and then do some ground exercises before a show to warm up. When I am not touring, I will go to our ice rink maybe twice a week, if not more.
Cinderella on Ice opens at Montecasino's Teatro on December 2.
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