April 25, 2003
HALLMARK SKATING SHOWCASE (Colorado, USA)
by Ella
I had the priviledge to go see the Hallmark Skating Showcase live last Friday, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. I was sitting in the second row and I could just barely see through the row of people in front of me. The second row was just barely elevated (maybe a couple of inches?) above the front row, so I had to keep moving my head side to side. And from where I was sitting, I could not see what was going on in one corner of the rink. Even my sister, who is not that big of a fan, had problems seeing. It really upset me since we paid almost $60 a ticket for on-ice seats. Off the subject, Christopher Dean was seated right behind us for awhile, which was exciting. It seemed that he had some kids with him. And I also spotted Daria sitting close to the skater's entrance/exit. She seemed very friendly and went backstage a couple of times during the show. She has grown up a lot and seems very much like a typical ten-year-old girl. She still looks so much like Sergei, but I could definitely see Katia in her facial expressions.
Unfortunately, I didn't really find the show was all that enjoyable. I was, of course, extremely excited to see Katia skate (and Daria!), but even she didn't really impress me all that much. Her skating was smooth and graceful as always, but I miss her more classical programs that were choreographed by Marina Zueva. They were more intricate, unique, and detail-oriented. Her programs now (last few years or so) seem kind of sluggish and less interesting, and I hate to admit it, but I now find Katia's programs kind of .... boring. I miss her spark, the excitement in her skating. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but it's just the way I feel.
Katia looked lovely, happy, and healthy, but not perfectly fit as she used to (understandable since she's now a mother of two daughters). The last time I saw her skate (in '98), I remember thinking how tiny she looked next to the other skaters. But this time, she looked rather large next to skaters like Jenni Meno and Jenni Kirk. It felt different to watch her skate somehow, almost as if she now represents a different Katia. She now looks like a grown woman that has gone through everything that she has gone through. It made me realize that we are all growing up and we can't stop that. But I still felt somewhat sad that she doesn't resemble the smiling, innocent 16-year-old Katia of the '88 Olympics anymore. In fact, she no longer looks like a teenager up close (which she did for a long time). I guess I just miss the young and spritely Katia--the one that used to skate with Sergei Grinkov. Perhaps that's what I struggle with inside. I miss G&G.
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