Acrobats fly high over ice at PNC Arena for Cirque du Soleil

Andrea Blanford Image
Sunday, August 19, 2018

Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL is a show like no other, combining Cirque's iconic acrobatics with ice skating.

Raleigh is the 37th stop on CRYSTAL's worldwide tour since it premiered in 2017 and ABC11 got a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals before opening night at PNC Arena.

The high-flying show on ice features 43 performers representing 13 nationalities. There are professional figure skaters who had to learn acrobatics; acrobats who learned how to do their stunts on skates.

Here's a CRYSTAL performer's must-see moments of the show:

"This is probably the best of the best of all the shows that a skater would ever want to do," said Robin Johnstone, professional skater and performer with CRYSTAL. "Just to be a part of it with these world-class acrobats and performers. It's just incredible."

Johnstone is a pair skater with her husband Andy Buchanan. You will see the duo doing lifts and tricks throughout the show.

"Even though we're doing it hundreds and hundreds of times, it's somebody's very first time seeing it so you have to put that same energy in every single night," she said.

CRYSTAL is the story of a girl on a journey, discovering who she's destined to be.

If you've seen a Cirque performance before, CRYSTAL promises to be a new feast for the senses with lights, live music, and ever-evolving gravity-defying acts.

"It's live entertainment so everybody works on different tricks and different skills and it keeps evolving," said Julie Desmarais, touring publicist.

CRYSTAL runs Aug. 15-19 at PNC Arena.