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Imperial Ice Stars


Ostrich

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Recently I had a (for me) very unique experience - enjoying top-quality ice-skating in a theatre! This was the Russian Imperial Ice Stars company, who performed Sleeping Beauty on ice in an opera house. For me this was the first time I have seen anything like this. Are there many ice-skating companies around who do this sort of thing (particularly, I mean, with regard to performing so-called "ballets")?

Technically, the performance was superb. The only problem was the costumes!!! :) Really, I wouldn't have thought that anyone can dream up such horrifically unbecoming coustumes for any performing art. Worst of all, some of the costumes, particularly that for Carabosse, obscured a lot of the detail of her movements and detracted from the appreciation of the outstanding technical performance the company gave. Also, I didn't like Mandy Woetzel much as Sleeping Beauty. Maybe I am judging by ballet standards, but she was stiff and dumpy compared to some of the lovely Russian girls who danced the fairies with such grace and with lovely lines.

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Wow, I wonder why they cast Mandy Woetzel as Beauty. Were there a lot of pairs lifts or throws? (Who was her partner?) I know she was a pairs skater, but there are a lot of beautiful Russian former pairs skaters and ice dancers that aren't still competing. (I would love to see Maria Petrova as Aurora, and she is in her last year of eligible competition.)

Did you ever see the Lubovitch Beauty on TV or video? It starred Roslyn Sumners, who had a similar body type and athleticism as Woetzel, and Robin Cousins. They avoided the big partnering moves in that version.

There have been US productions of The Nutcracker in the past during the holiday season, which is the lead up to US Nationals. Todd Eldredge and Nicole Bobek skated in one. Bobek became injured during the tour. Although she was reigning US Champion, the US Figure Skating Association did not give her an injury bye to Worlds, which was possible at the time, because the Nutcracker tour wasn't "serious" skating.

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Knowing that Bobek was often considered controversial, I wonder if another skater in the same situation would have been disqualified under the same grounds. :D

I kind of miss her "bad girl" moments. :( She was a rare skater who could be counted on for spontenaiety in whatever the proceedings were.

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