The hottest show ... on ice
Figure-skating stars forget about judges and strut their stuff
| Source: |
Halifax Daily News |
| Date: |
April 29, 2002 |
| Author: |
Sandy MacDonald |
The royal family of figure skating was holding court yesterday at
the Halifax Metro Centre in front of nearly 8,000 loyal fans. The
Stars On Ice 2002 tour kicked off in Halifax with a dazzling,
celebrity-laden show, blending the artistry and athleticism of
top-level figure skating.
There were no persnickety judges rinkside, no nail-biting tension
over tiny missteps or doubled-out triple jumps. Instead, the 10
world-class skaters delivered a spirited two hours of gorgeous
skating, set to a soundtrack of '70s pop music and lit with an
eye-popping lightshow.
Reigning world and Olympic champ Alexei Yagudin was clearly the
regal skating presence on the ice last night. Even when the Russian
skater stepped into the choreographed ensemble numbers, he still
looked like a wildcat ready to pounce. And when the 21-year old
treated the rapt audience to a reprise of his Olympic-winning short
program, he proved why he's the dominant skater in the world today.
Though Canadian Kurt Browning hasn't skated for the world title in
a decade (he won four of them in the early '90s), he remains the fans'
favourite. Browning's irrepressible personality and exquisitely
choreographed routines brought out the best in the charismatic skater.
Canadian dance pair Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz charged up
the crowd with two electrifying numbers, dancing to the music of
Michael Jackson. The pair is at the top of their game, coming out of a
strong performance at the Salt Lake Olympics.
The show is laced together with several stagey ensemble routines,
which provide a theatrical device to bring all the skaters on the
ice. With some simple props and a loose storyline about the girls
dressing up to hit the town, choreographer Sandra Bezic tied all the
performances together. Some of the ensemble skating was a little loose
(last night was the first time this cast skated this show), but no one
seemed to mind.
Aside from some spectacular skating, there were moments of humour
and high camp. The burly Lloyd Eisler appeared in drag to skate a
gender-swapping routine with his partner Isabelle Brasseur, and Kristy
Yamaguchi teased Yagudin in a sexy skate with her feather boa till he
collapsed in a heap.
Former world champion Todd Eldredge, who always looked edgy and
uncertain in competition, was relaxed and skated effortlessly last
night.
That's the beauty of the Stars On Ice tour, as it unwinds the
tension of competition to unlock the simple beauty of figure skating.
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