Sheffield arena show Crystal sparkles with Cirque du Soleil ice magic

The storyline reminded me of Alice in Wonderland as it follows Crystal, a young woman who falls through ice into a strange mirror world where she finds nothing is the same as what she knows.

But really the story only serves to loosely hold together a series of incredibly clever and entertaining routines, several of which had the audience gasping in amazement.

Crystal does an acrobatic routine sitting on a trapeze swing, still wearing her ice skates, and manages to do a 360-degree turn in her seat high above the ice.

An ice hockey match turns into a giant pinball machine game, with skaters shooting off ramps in all directions, turning somersaults at speed.

A beautifully romantic section involves a duet between Crystal and a man swooping up and down on the ice on silks, scooping her up and setting her down on the ice again. He manages to walk a circle in midair slowly and smoothly, defying gravity.

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The level of skill involved is huge, and the performers make it look effortless.

There’s also juggling and balancing on an incredibly high pile of chairs and clowning comedy moments and gorgeous ice dancing.

Sets and costumes add to the spectacle, with lighting and projections transforming the ice and backdrop into often surreal images.

Cirque du Soleil are undisputed masters of their craft and Crystal has taken the ice show to an exciting new level.