Ahhhh... The main thing I have to say to you folks is, Next time Miki Ando and Friends are skating near you, GO. Because for $25 (with no service charges, yay!), you get not only everyone who was advertised:
*Two numbers by Miki! looking gorgeous, healthy, rested, totally glamorous in black (sparkly) and lavender (iceberg-y), and clearly getting comfortable in the spotlight. Some beautiful spins, at least four triples (no falls) and a stretch of flashing footwork stood out. Someone mentioned "smiles and poise" as winning qualities - they were there, great to see. "La Boheme" (an abridged new SP? I liked it) and "Hurt." (I guess she doesn't know about Sasha's copyright on that one, lol.)
*Two by Naomi and Peter! the nonpareils. "Adagio for Strings" (the one they did on COI this year - still hate that text though) and "Love in Venice." I really don't know if ice dancing can be more beautiful than this. As Joe has said, they are worth the price of admission all by themselves.
* Two by Silvia Fontana! "Tango" and "Dance with Me." She's a crowd-pleaser. The rink kids are nuts about her.
* One by Ina and Zimmerman! appropriately, "You're Beautiful." Yes, they were. (How can he be so FINE?)
But also:
* Two by Adam Rippon! a Child of Weir in fashion as well as skating style. (This lovely mop-headed young man is ignoring the memos from Evan/USFSA; we're talking sequins, blue velvet, AND plunging necklines.) Gorgeous spins. If he keeps this up I'll have to add him to my signature. "Toccata & Fugue" & "Because We Believe."
* One by Olga Orlova! (Skating solo) She is tall with a big, flowing style - a "Lilac Fairy" type who can also turn on the pizzazz. "Cabaret."
* Two by Volosozhar & Morozov! What a surprise! Wowza! They were stunning despite, I think, two falls on a throw triple. (Or maybe once it was Fraser who fell. Sorry, I didn't take notes.) "Albinoni Adagio" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart."
*One by Fraser & Lukanin! "Tango" - unfortunately I'm having trouble remembering them possibly because I don't really like tangos. I think they were the pair who did the death spiral where the girl was almost flat on the ice... extremely impressive... but that might have been V&M.
*One by .... Elene Gedevanishvili! Oh my gosh, I was hoping she would be added and she was. Tiny mavy is right, she's really small (and looks so young). "Malaguena." She didn't seem as dynamic as I remember her being at the Olympics, but looked healthy. She landed a solid triple or two and showed off her spirals and Ina Baur-sit spin combo, if that's how to describe it and if I'm remembering correctly. (She didn't have a lot of choreography to work with.) I am rooting for this adorable young lady.
And finally, get ready...:
*Two by Alexander Abt! I was flabbergasted to see his name in the program. I didn't know he ever performed in the USA and since I didn't recall reading anything recent about him on GS wasn't sure what to expect. But he was great - he worked the audience like nobody's business, landed all his triples, made people gasp with his fast spins and spectacular flying camels - they were like pinwheels and one in particular was just unbelievably high. He was in our corner when he landed his first jump and did it with such a delightful smile. I think I'm in love! (Along with about 200 other women at this event. At one point he kissed the hand of some lucky lady who had ice seats - my friend whispered, "She'll never wash her hand again!") His numbers were "Everything I do I do it for you" and "Gasoline" (a light number with long homie shorts, bare legs, and a baseball cap - it was amusing to see him next to Rippon in the finale).
* And don't let me leave out Iona Matsumoto and Zachary Riccardi, two skaters to watch out for in about 10 years (right now they are approximately 6 and 7) or the talented, beribboned Courtney Taylor (who just became a novice skater)!
Thank you, Miki and Friends! The Ice House, Hackensack was definitely the place to be today.
P.S. It was full, too.
Four stars!
Thanks for the announcement!
arty: 
) that Adam Rippon performed in this show -- he switched coaches and rinks to Morozov earlier this year (his former coach was Russian as well). "Toccata and Fugue" (J.S. Bach) is his new short program and I think "Because We Believe" was the Andrea Bocelli exhibition program he skated so well in the Will Sears Memorial Fund show after the Mid-Atlantics club comp. in NYC last September (he received huge applause afterwards from the audience there who didn't know who he was before he performed). Rippon will be on the JGP this year (Romania) after not competing internationally last season.
