December 29, 2002
STARS ON ICE (Washington DC, USA)
by Anne Marie
Happy New Year, Katia fans! I am delighted to report that I saw her skate in D.C. on Sunday evening the 29th. My husband surprised me with tickets to SOI for Christmas, after I had not planned to go this year and then regretted it. :) And imagine all the points he earned when he saw on the venue website that Katia would be making a guest appearance!
Now for the good stuff . . . she looks absolutely lovely and happy. Her hair was in a French braid down her back and was quite a bit longer than the last time I saw her (in SOI either 2 or 3 years ago). And she looks wonderfully fit. Perhaps not quite as tiny as she was during the height of her 2nd set of SOI years, but still in great shape. I should have been so lucky after child #2. Then again, I should have been skating!
Early in the second act, a special guest was announced. I had expected her to be there and was starting to wonder if we'd been mistaken or she'd cancelled for some reason--but out she came! She performed the Ukranian folk dance number some of you have mentioned seeing before, and was wearing the same costume. Just an interesting note--the costume is a variation of traditional Ukranian folk dance dress: a full-sleeved underdress (in her case just the full sleeves) with a peasant neckline, and a short, heavily embroidered tunic over-dress. Normally it is worn with high black boots, which of course she forsook, and a headress of long, trailing ribbons, which she also doesn't use. I can see why. Coming out of a jump with ribbons whipping around would make me crazy. Also, much of the body posture and footwork she uses are adaptations of the dance elements. (I only know this because I studied and performed international folk dance in college.)
Her skating style is still among the most delicate and lovely on ice today. She fell on her first jump, a toe loop, I think, but completed her second and the audience, though small, was delighted. That was the only piece she did except for a very brief appearance with the cast at the end.
I am thrilled that I got to see her!
For those of you who follow SOI--the show is good although the talent is a bit unrefined from prior years, due I'm sure to the big cast turnover and the fact that many of them are just beginning pro careers. The transition seems to take a couple of years to really settle in. It's very different without Katia, Kristi and Scott, as well as Ilia and Tara. And Steven Cousins is out as well with an injury, I understand.
Kurt was, as always, just amazing. He's a very gifted actor as well as a skater and the audience was delighted with a very silly piece he does in Act II. Alexei, despite hip problems, skated very well and seems to be loving SOI. I can see him maturing into a Kurt-like character one day. Katarina Witt was there, doing her usual sexy, stellar numbers even though she doesn't have the big jumps anymore, and Gorsha and Renee, who do a nice erviceable job. Jenni and Todd have become wonderful, crowd-pleasing performers. Kyoko and John also looked good, but the two Gold Medalist pairs are a great addition. Elena and Anton are beautiful skaters, although she doesn't get as "into it" as he does. He was a hilarious Elvis! I still wonder how much her personality changed after the head injury. She often seems to have a slightly flat affect. I must say, in all honesty, though, Jamie and David are simply extraordinary. Clearly a cut above all the others in the field today, and both excellent with the audience as well.
I wish you all many Katia sightings and good
personal fortune in '04!
Anne Marie in PA
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