Ice, snow, music and sparkling lights capture the beauty and magic of the holidays on stage and on “ice” for two stunning performances of “Glace: Cirque on Ice” at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater Dec. 6-7 at 7 p.m.

“Glace: Cirque on Ice,” a dazzling new ice show produced by Cirque du Soleil veteran Michael McPherson, is a shimmering production of gliding skaters, soaring aerialists, acrobats, contortionists and jugglers.

The two-year-old show first toured Brazil and is now in the midst of its first US tour, featuring a 20-member cast that hails from Russia, Europe and the United States.

McPherson, the show’s executive producer and creative director, performed in more than 500 Cirque du Soleil shows. He created “Cirque on Ice” out of his appreciation for the physical arts such as dance, magic, acrobatics and skating. “It’s a Cirque show over and on ice,” said McPherson, “it combines the gliding of skaters with the gliding of acrobats. Rather than dancers, we have skaters that glide in an out between acts.”

 A large part of the show takes place in the air, with the acrobats and aerial artists flying over the stage. The fast-paced music features new age, electric guitar and rock tunes accentuated by a full-on moving stage light rig. “This show is absolutely appropriate for all ages,” McPherson said. “Kids love it. It’s a perfect way to start the holidays.”

Cirque — French for circus — describes a type of theatrical entertainment made famous by the hugely-popular Cirque du Soleil. Unlike traditional circus entertainment, cirque-style entertainment does not involve animals but focuses instead on the highly specialized skills of talented acrobats, contortionists, trapeze artists, dancers and gymnasts. At Lincoln Theater, add some ice.

How does the Lincoln Theater stage transform into ice? It’s a question that’s been repeated over and over as the show approaches. Traditional, frozen ice rinks take at least 24 hours to prepare. Metal frames are set and then crushed ice is poured into the frames and carefully maintained around the clock to reach the perfect consistency and temperature to bear skaters. With a “frozen” slab of ice, the theater must be kept at a certain cool temperature, hot stage lights could melt the ice and the freezing temperature necessary to maintain a solid consistency would be dangerous for acrobats and contortionists whose bodies need warmth to perform.

McPherson came up with a creative solution that benefits the skaters, the acrobats and the audience: a glossy, synthetic polymer surface— high-tech ice. “Our surface has 90 percent of the glide characteristic of real ice which works well for the skaters,” reported McPherson, “And the warmer temperature is important for our acrobats and contortionists.” In addition, because of the composition of the material used to create the surface, each stage can be customized as the synthetic ice sections can be cut to fit most any configuration.

Power, speed, precision and daring will all be showcased both on the ice and high in the air as award-winning, internationally-acclaimed circus and skating artists perform this exhilarating and magical production.

Tickets are $30-$50. Contact the Lincoln Theater Box Office, 100 California Drive, Yountville at 944-1300 or go to www.lincolntheater.org.

Cirque on Ice

Lincoln Theater, Yountville

Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Thursday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m. Tickets: $30-$50. For information call 944-1300 or www.lincolntheater.org.