I was at the Icedreams show in Oakland, and for a small show the cast and skating was terrific! Whether you like Johnny Weir or not, I think he deserves credit for mentoring younger skaters--elite as well as aspiring ones--and giving them opportunities for show skating. Yes, Tara is the official organizer of the show, but I hear Johnny is very involved. For example, for the Jamestown show he traveled with Tara to Syracuse, NY, to audition the young skaters. He also choreographed the elite skaters' group programs. The energy in the show was wonderful and it was clear the skaters really enjoyed working together.
The show opened with little skaters, whom the elite skaters soon joined for a little joint number. There was later a group performance by all the young skaters--there were a lot of them! The show also included a young synchro team (I'm guessing between ages 10 and 14) that performed in both acts. Their second number to James Bond was very entertaining and quite well skated.
I adore Jason Brown! He oozes positive energy, and his skating is just so effortless and elegant. I love the new number to Sinatra, and the MC Hammer program is simply brilliant.
I had previously seen Ricky live only in competition, so I didn't really know what to expect. I liked that he showed two very different sides of himself (Jason, Ricky, and Johnny all did). Some jumps were a bit shaky, but he's got good skating skills and I liked his style. He had only learned the backflip a week ago, and was clearly thrilled about mastering it: he did a backflip six times in the show and twice
after the show
Max's jumps and speed are really amazing. He is clearly working on improving his performance skills, and I trust that his programs will become more creative in time. The second program suited his energetic style better than the first one, imo.
Samantha is a lovely skater with a mature style. I particularly liked her second program, the Mambo. Also, for a woman, she has amazing spread eagles! Is she related to Jonathan Cassar or something?
OT, but why the heck doesn't she have a GP assignment?
Hannah Miller is a pint size firecracker--she's got good speed, great spins, and she's sassy. She only skated one program, but it was a good. I've seen people complain that her jumps are small. Maybe, but they look well rotated--and really, she is a tiny person. At any rate, I like Hannah a lot.
Polina Edmunds was lovely--and she looked so excited to be in the show! I think she has tons of potential. She is tall and very thin, however--I hope the puberty monster is kind to her.
It is wonderful to see Johnny with great speed and attack again--and he put a 3A in both of his performances! :yay: His spins are still terrific, and his movement across the ice is wonderfully smooth and effortless. The impact of his Black Swan may not come across as well in the video, but it was intense. Johnny clearly loves the music--the performance was moving, and he skated very well.
He got huge applause, which started already during his final spin.
Johnny's second act is campy as camp can be--the costume, the choreography, his moves and facial expressions--and a lot of fun. The contrast to the Black Swan somehow makes it even more effective. He doesn't take himself too seriously, and that's a characteristic I've always admired in people.
As the show closed, there was a lot of hugging among the skaters, taking pictures together and with the people seated on the ice (including Rudy, as we see in the picture posted above). All in all, a great show, with lots of positive energy!
Still, it's not fair to drag people who are not here, no matter what they are, because they simply can't defend themselves. Sticking with "I think" looks more respectful. (not always, though). By the way, if there are not many difficult jumps in a figure skating program (or even no jumps at all), it doesn't mean that the program is easy, even technically. As someone who seems to know quite a lot about figure skating you must know also this.
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