Show „Stars of 2014“
May 20 in Moscow

Like last year, this show was part of the „Day of Sports“, organized by the Russian TV Sports Channel. They had show lights and a stage where dancers performed simultaneously to some skaters’ programs, but I mostly watched the skating. I spent the whole day at the rink. Practice started at 9 am , but I arrived at 10.30.

1. „Rainbow Colours“, group number ice theatre „Aleko“

2. “Colours of Moscow ”, group number ice theatre “Amas”

3. Introduction of the athletes. All skaters come on to the ice and wave to the crowd

4. Liuba Iliushetchkina/Nodari Maisuridze and Nastia Martiusheva/Alexei Rogonov. Two young couples perform together, the boys are dressed in black and the girls in white and black. The do elements like lifts, throw double loop simultaneously and perform a death spiral together. These are students of Natalia Pavlova, who now is working in Moscow . I spoke to Natalia Evgenevna, and she is very pleased with her working conditions. She says she needs a couple of years but is hopeful to develop a few good pairs in the future.

5. Murad Kurbanov. “La Donna e mobile” from “La Traviata” (also known as “Drinking Song”), which turns into something more modern later on. I think I saw a triple flip and double Axel. A very talented young skater (year of birth 1996). He trains in CSKA under Marina Selitskaia. She told me the other day that he can do all triples (except for the Axel). General skating was good, too.

6. Evgenia Makogontchuk. Some music by “Bond”. A student of Maria Butyrskaia. Solid doubles. Nice to watch. I also met Maria in the hallway. She told me the name of her little boy – “Vladislav”. It is great to see her so happy.

7. Arina Ushakova/Sergei Karev. They now train with Pavlova. Skated to a bluesy piece. Some lifts, throw double loop, sbs double toes.

8. Stanislav Kovalev. “La Strada”. 3S, two 3T. He has grown and looks a bit heavy. He is a student of Zhanna Gromova.

9. Ekaterina Pushkash/Dmitri Kiselev. “Georgian Folk Dance”, their FD from this past season. I enjoyed them. They are coached by Alexander Svinin and Irina Zhuk.

10. “Rabbits” group number. A cute number with kids in rabbit costumes and with carrots (not real ones).

11. Alexandra Malakhova/Maksim Kudriukov. “ Pasadena ”. It was some fun number.

12. Fedosii Efremenkov. “You’re my destiny”. I thought this song didn’t really work for that kid, he seemed very young, looked like 9. Landed 2A but fell on 3S. He is from Gromova’s school.

13. Irina Kapustina. “Assassination Tango”. It looked like it was her short program. She fell, but I didn’t pay too much attention, sorry.

14. Another group number with skaters in blue long costumes.

15. Tatiana Baturintseva/Ivan Volobuev. Russian Folk program (last year’s FD). Cute program and he is really, really good. I think he is about 16 and very expressive and outgoing on the ice. Their footwork was excellent. They are also from Svinin and Zhuk’s school. They are definitely a team to watch.

16. Alexandra Ievleva. “Sweet the sting” by Tori Amos. 3T, nice spins and spirals. She told me that she suffered from a bad ankle injury in March (pulled ligaments) but now she is recovering.

17. Group number “Irish Dance” with Margarita Tertytchnaia.

18. Margarita Tertytchnaia. “La Strada”. 2Lz. Her SP from last year. She is flexible and expressive, a nice skater.

19. Ekaterina Sheremeteva/Mikhail Kuznetsov. One of the few skaters to have an actual exhibition program, a Rock’n’Roll number. They wear black sun glasses and black wigs. I have liked this couple since I saw them for the first time two years ago. Dynamic. 2throw Salchow.

20. Ivan Bariev. “Sarabande” SP. 3S hand down, 3F fell, 2A. He is a student of Marina Kudriavtseva. I’ve seen him a few times, and he is quite interesting to watch. I don’t think he has a triple Axel yet.

21. Group number.

22. Alexandra Tchistiakova/Maxim Kurotchkin.  An ice dancing couple.

23. Vlasta Shatalova. Another student of Maria Butyrskaia and also skates to something by “Bond”. The pieces sound all so similar that I have trouble to remember their names. High 2T, 2Lz, and a 2A.

24. Artem Grigoriev. Something oriental. He is a musical skater. I saw him working on the 4T in practice.

25. Polina Shelepen’. Otonal. A very revealing costume for such a young skater! It was a body suit, somewhat reminiscent of Sarah Meier’s bodysuit, but with purple (not red and black) and far more flesh coloured fabric! 3S, 3R fell, 2F. Flexible and good spins.

26. Ekaterina Kozyreva. Some modern piano music, looked like it was a SP. Popped Axel into nothing, 3S. She is another promising young girl.

27. Artem Borodulin. “Minnie the Moocher” and “Sing, Sing, Sing”. 3Lz, after that he looked a bit slow and tired. He skated the day before in the season’s end show in his club and wore baggy jeans and a T-Shirt, but his coach (Elena Vodorezova) rightfully felt that it wasn’t looking good on him and so he borrowed another skater’s costume for this show.

28. Adelina Sotnikova. “Cell Block Tango” and "All That Jazz". Again, a weird choice for such a little girl. Nice spins. She is also a student of Vodorezova.

29. Ivan Tretiakov. Some dark movie soundtrack. The music is too powerful for him. Overall I think he has improved and skates less juniorish, but he still has a lot of work ahead of him. Hit a 3F.

30. Kristina Gorshkova/Vitali Butikov. Last year’s FD “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Mozart.

31. Group number “Carmina Burana” with Vladimir Uspenski and Daniil Gleichenhaus participating. The boys look very much alike.

32. Daniil Gleichenhaus. “Sarabande”, last year’s SP. 3R. I like him and think he has potential but of course needs to develop consistency.

33. Vladimir Uspenski. Went for 3A (hand down), then 2Lz. “Moonlight Sonata”, his SP. The music is too soft for him, I think. He is a quite big and powerful skater (taller than his elder brother) and I think a more upbeat music would suit him better. I saw him landing the 3A in practice, so it looks like he got it. He seems to have grown since Russian Nationals in January.

34. Arina Martynova. Skated to the piece by Sarah Brightman that Maria Butyrskaia used for her beautiful SP in 2000. 3T, 1A, good flow. She always attacks. She didn’t train the other day because of back pain, as her coach told me.

35. Alexander Uspenski. “Kitaro”, but not his FP from 2005/2006, but a new exhibition program (although he wore the old FP costume). Was crazy enough to go for 4T in the dark (fell), 3S, 3T. Skating skills to die for. He told me that his 3A has become very consistent in practice and that he has been landing 4T and 4S.

36. Ekaterina Rubleva/Ivan Shefer. “Aria of the Black Swan”, last year’s FD in an exhibition version. Very well done and well received.

37. Finale with all skaters on the ice.