Ilia Averbukh and his “Ice Age” tour with Olympic and World Champions, World and Olympic medalists and some famous Russian singers and actors returned to Nuremberg. The successful tour went to Germany for the third consecutive year, but didn’t stop in Nuremberg last year. The “Arena Nürnberg” wasn’t sold out, but a good crowd of more than 3500 spectators cheered loudly for the skaters and non-skating stars.
It is meant to be the final tour, the goodbye for a concept that enjoyed a lot of success worldwide but probably most of all in Russia. With more than 40 shows mostly in Russia,
but also in several other European countries and in Israel, the tour was once again a huge operation.
“There are two reasons, why this project enjoyed so much success in different countries, including Germany”, Averbukh said. “Firstly, in the beginning it was just interesting to see how people, who weren’t able to skate before, were progressing. Secondly, we didn’t just put people on skates, but we had an artistic project. Each program is a mini show in itself.” He also explained that the TV show was especially successful in Russia and also received high ratings in the past four years because only world class athletes, almost exclusively Olympic and World Champions, participated.
One of them, Alexei Yagudin, looked back: “It was hard, most of all in the beginning. My first partner wasn’t very active, she wasn’t so young after all. You have to get used to each other, but it was very interesting for me as a single skater. I didn’t know how it was like to take someone by the hand and get out on the ice. It was a new barrier for me to overcome and an opportunity to develop, not to stay in the same spot.”
The show presented a lot of new and different programs but also some eternal favorites.
Elena Leonova/Andrei Khvalko
The two-time World Pro Pairs Champions opened the show with “Total Eclipse” and their dynamic, trademark lifts and the throw double Axel. In the second part, they came back with a Russian song “How young we were” and made an uncharacteristic error on a lift when she fell, but luckily not from high up and they continued right away as if nothing had happened.
Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski
The two-time World Ice Dance Champions danced to a romantic song by Arbenina using a long red cloth effectively.
Maxim also performed with his show partner Alisa Grebenshchikova twice.
Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin
The 2009 World Champions joined the tour after the Olympic Games and obviously aren’t skating with any show partners. The Olympic bronze medallists presented their Aboriginal Dance, which was well received by the crowd, and then skated their cool “Matrix” exhibition program in the second half. At the press conference, Maxim said that he will start therapy for his knee after the shows (the couple also is scheduled to perform in Korea in mid April). “We will treat it with conservative methods, and I will not have surgery”, he said. “I will be off the ice for one year.” Asked about her plans during this time, Oksana answered: “I will rest, study and do something. We’ll see.”
Maria Petrova/Alexei Tikhonov
The show in Germany marked Maria’s comeback to the show after giving birth to daughter Polina in early February. She looked in really good shape already! “I’ve been practising with Alexei only for ten days”, she revealed. The lifts were strong as ever, but understandably they didn’t do any throws yet. While on tour, the grandparents are taking care of the little one at home.
Alexei also skated with Valeria Lanskaia in the second half.
Margarita Drobiazko/Povilas Vanagas
They always come up with new programs. This time they danced to an instrumental, quiet piece and used bamboo sticks in the beginning and end of the program.
Both also performed with show partners. Margarita interpreted with Petr Krasilov “Cruel Romance” and music from the famous movie “Tabor disappears into the sky”. Povilas’ show partner was the actress Anna Bolshova (she skated with Alexei Tikhonov before), and they skated to a song from the Elizabeth I drama and then to a song by A. Malinin.
Irina Slutskaya
Irina first skated to a Russian song and then in the second half came on to the ice as a little tramp and street musician who falls asleep and is awakened by Povilas Vanagas, Petr Krasilov and Vadim Kolganov and dances to “It’s raining men”. This was a fun number.
Alexei Yagudin
For sure he was a highlight of the show. Not only was he the only one to hit a couple of triple toes, but he also really got the audience going. He first skated to “Luna” by Alessandro Safina, a lyrical song, and then played the role of a prisoner to a dynamic song by Sukatchev. The crowd went wild again for his encore, the footwork from his unforgotten “Winter” program. His show partner was Valeria Lanskaia this time, and they skated to a waltz by D. Shostakovitch.
Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin
Valeria Lanskaia interpreted live for them a song from the musical “The Count of Monte Christo”, and the 2006 Olympic Champions were marvellous as always. It is hard to believe that Tatiana had a baby last October. They included a throw triple loop into the routine.
Maxim skated with the ballerina Anastasia Volochkova twice.
Tatiana Navka/Roman Kostomarov
They skated only one number together, the “Michael Jackson” piece they’ve been using for a few seasons now, but they made a few changes to it. At the end, Roman is “shot” by Marat Basasharov for example. Tatiana is a brunette now and looks really different!
She performed twice with Marat Basharov, and they are obviously the dream team of the “skater/star” couples. The first program was to “The White Horse” by A. Malinin, and they brought back the popular “Soldier and Waitress” routine from the first season of the show.
Roman this time had a rather weak celebrity partner, Julia Kovalchuk. She fell in the first number.
Ilia Averbukh and Marat Basharov
Each year, these two think of another hilarious program. This time, Ilia gets ready to skate, when a female fan (Marat, dressed up as a middle aged woman) climbs over the boards and wants to skate with him. First “she” has to do a solo to prove skating skills, then the two of them dance a Tango together.
Anna Semenovitch/Vadim Kolganov
The former ice dancer and the popular actor also skated two numbers.
So, if this was the final “Ice Age” tour, what comes next?
“This is the most asked question in each press conference”, smiled Averbukh. “I’m thinking about another TV format, a different kind of format, but I cannot reveal any details yet. Also, I’d like to establish a stationary ice theatre that mostly focuses on figure skating. It would be a real theatre with its own building, not a touring theatre like Tarasova’s and Bobrin’s. We’d have a show every day, different shows that would also include elements of ballet and circus”, he said. “It is an ambitious idea, on the level of Cirque du Soleil or the Riverdance show. Such a theatre doesn’t exist yet, but if it pays off, only time will tell.”
