- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Detroit Skating Club Show report (Czisny, Abbott, Weaver & Poje, Best & Young)
Was it a local club show or U.S. Nationals?
For $14 (plus $5 for a program and $1 for a bag of popcorn, free parking) you get not one, not two, but three (count ‘em, three) United States champions, plus other national stars and a cast of thousands.
OK, make that a cast of 200. Still…
I will start with Alissa. Picture the Alissa we all know and love, except that instead of battling her nerves at a do-or-die competition she is at home skating for her friends and family without a care in the world. Textbook jumps – two triple somethings and a double Axel; she could put on a clinic – then on to the bring-the-house-down moves in the field, spirals and spins. Like a Bridge over Troubled Waters, Alissa can ease your mind.
Next special highlight: Weaver and Poje. (OK, I guess it wasn’t U.S. Nationals after all.) I think this was last year’s exhibition number. Nothing was left out – it was like a competition dance with respect to content. Just gorgeous.
New Detroiter Jeremy Abbott received a warm welcome to the (erstwhile) Motor City. Popped a Lutz into a single (great entry edge, though!), but otherwise skated with flair and grace. He closed out the first half and in the grand finale the club gave him the honor of the last bow, even over Czisny.
The other featured performers were Best and Young. They also took part in some of the group numbers. The ensemble numbers were pretty cool, because all of a sudden their spotlight would go on (kudos to the light guy throughout!) and there was Andrea sailing through the air in a spectacular triple throw jump or double twist.
Trevor also did some solo work. In a very entertaining number he starts out as a hockey player, then does a soft shoe routine to Singin’ in the Rain, and then the music changes to Dueling Banjos and out comes Charlie White for the “dancing duel.” (Davis and White performed in the other shows, but not in the one I saw.) As an entertainer, Charlie is king of the hill, top of the heap, even solo.
Jonathan Cassar did and smooth and sophisticated solo number. In all there were 16 spotlight soloists and 12 younger stars who took solos with the group numbers. I won’t list them all, but I have to applaud the stunning Ameena Sheikh and the equally stunning Laura Lepzinski and her partner Ethan Burgess ( OK, Ethan was stunning, too. Joking aside, the DSC has a very strong representation of male akters of all ages. )
Something for everyone. Do you like Irish step-dancers? We’ve got three. Live singers? Here’s local diva Jen Read. In a featured spot for the Saturday matinee you can catch the inspiring performance by students from the Variety FAR Conservatory of Therapeudic and Performing Arts. This is a local program that employs creative arts as physical and developmental therapy.
This was the tenth anniversary of this particular show. In celebration they brought back all the club alumni from the last decade. They did a routine to “I really want this job” which segued into “One singular sensation” by the senior ensemble. Later they brought out all the current skaters who had been in every one of the ten shows, like one girl was in the first show when she was two and now she is a solo skater at twelve.
Over and above all the individual permances, I have to give top billing to the choreography, especially of the group numbers. The lead choreographer was Rachel Bauld Lee, with input from many others, including some of the skaters. (Honorable choreograpic mention: The little girls who performed to “Can’t Get Next to You” did a forward pinwheel to perfection!)
Fourteen bucks! Can you believe it? Still two more chances to catch the show, Saturday night and Sunday (if you are reading this you’ve already missed the 1 PM Saturday show. )
Was it a local club show or U.S. Nationals?
For $14 (plus $5 for a program and $1 for a bag of popcorn, free parking) you get not one, not two, but three (count ‘em, three) United States champions, plus other national stars and a cast of thousands.
OK, make that a cast of 200. Still…
I will start with Alissa. Picture the Alissa we all know and love, except that instead of battling her nerves at a do-or-die competition she is at home skating for her friends and family without a care in the world. Textbook jumps – two triple somethings and a double Axel; she could put on a clinic – then on to the bring-the-house-down moves in the field, spirals and spins. Like a Bridge over Troubled Waters, Alissa can ease your mind.
Next special highlight: Weaver and Poje. (OK, I guess it wasn’t U.S. Nationals after all.) I think this was last year’s exhibition number. Nothing was left out – it was like a competition dance with respect to content. Just gorgeous.
New Detroiter Jeremy Abbott received a warm welcome to the (erstwhile) Motor City. Popped a Lutz into a single (great entry edge, though!), but otherwise skated with flair and grace. He closed out the first half and in the grand finale the club gave him the honor of the last bow, even over Czisny.
The other featured performers were Best and Young. They also took part in some of the group numbers. The ensemble numbers were pretty cool, because all of a sudden their spotlight would go on (kudos to the light guy throughout!) and there was Andrea sailing through the air in a spectacular triple throw jump or double twist.
Trevor also did some solo work. In a very entertaining number he starts out as a hockey player, then does a soft shoe routine to Singin’ in the Rain, and then the music changes to Dueling Banjos and out comes Charlie White for the “dancing duel.” (Davis and White performed in the other shows, but not in the one I saw.) As an entertainer, Charlie is king of the hill, top of the heap, even solo.
Jonathan Cassar did and smooth and sophisticated solo number. In all there were 16 spotlight soloists and 12 younger stars who took solos with the group numbers. I won’t list them all, but I have to applaud the stunning Ameena Sheikh and the equally stunning Laura Lepzinski and her partner Ethan Burgess ( OK, Ethan was stunning, too. Joking aside, the DSC has a very strong representation of male akters of all ages. )
Something for everyone. Do you like Irish step-dancers? We’ve got three. Live singers? Here’s local diva Jen Read. In a featured spot for the Saturday matinee you can catch the inspiring performance by students from the Variety FAR Conservatory of Therapeudic and Performing Arts. This is a local program that employs creative arts as physical and developmental therapy.
This was the tenth anniversary of this particular show. In celebration they brought back all the club alumni from the last decade. They did a routine to “I really want this job” which segued into “One singular sensation” by the senior ensemble. Later they brought out all the current skaters who had been in every one of the ten shows, like one girl was in the first show when she was two and now she is a solo skater at twelve.
Over and above all the individual permances, I have to give top billing to the choreography, especially of the group numbers. The lead choreographer was Rachel Bauld Lee, with input from many others, including some of the skaters. (Honorable choreograpic mention: The little girls who performed to “Can’t Get Next to You” did a forward pinwheel to perfection!)
Fourteen bucks! Can you believe it? Still two more chances to catch the show, Saturday night and Sunday (if you are reading this you’ve already missed the 1 PM Saturday show. )
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