Well, where shall I start? I and some friends arrived at the Donauarena
(or „Middle of Nowhere“) at around noon. We walked around the building
and where able, with the help of a nice guy, to get into the icerink and
to watch some skaters doing their training: Evgeny Plushenko, Margarita
Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas and Kati Winkler & René Lohse.
Evgeny was doing a runthrough of his short program but he stumbled
during the step sequence.
When the training was over, we went to pick up some more friends of
mine and, after that, went back to the arena where we met more friends.
We were about 10 people by that time who were able to watch almost all
skaters arriving: for example Alexei Yagudin, Elena Berezhanya & Anton
Sikharulidze, Susanne Stadlmüller, Kati Winkler & René
Lohse and some more. Elena & Anton and Kati & René
were as sweet as ever and signed autographs before they went into
the building. I was also able to give René his belated birthday
present about which he was quite surprised and happy.
Later Anton came outside the building and was jogging around and was,
after a few minutes, joined by Elena.
The Show
It was funny to hear Daniel Weiss talking
about Christmas when it wasn’t even Christmas time (this year in the beginning
of October).
Then it was about time to start the show!
Opening:
Deborah Sasson performed the song „Music was my first love“ live and
every skater came out onto the ice and did some solo choreography. To be
honest, nothing special or interesting for me except the final group: Alexei
Yagudin, Maria Butyrskaya and Evgeny Plushenko. It finished with Alexei
and Evgeny standing on the ice, a few meters distance between them, facing
each other and holding up their right arms for quite a minute. Kind of
symbolical, don’t you think so?
Mariana Kautz & Norman Jeschke (GER)
They performed their new long program to the soundtrack of „Blues Brothers“.
Mariana and Norman looked to me as if they were a little bit nervos.
No good choreography and not much presentation. Also Mariana fell on the
throw jump. If there isn’t going to be any progress in that program they
won’t have a chance.
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas(LIT)
Not just myself but also many other people were surprised that they
were on the ice so early in the show! They showed their new exhibition
program „Sang pour sang“ by, I think it’s Johnny, Hallyday.
A very nice program with interesting lifts. Margarita & Povilas
are one of my favorite pairs and they were really good!!!
Maria Butyrskaya(RUS)
She did her new short program. It has her well-known style and reminds
me a bit of her short program of last year „Scenes d’Amour“. Her jumps
were flawless, just a little shaky landing on her double axel. Her presentation
was amazing...as always.
Jumps: triple flip, triple lutz, double axel
Laurent Tobel(FRA)
Well........I didn’t like the program that much. The music was a solo
guitar music peace by Beck. I think he did a triple lutz somewhere in that
program.
Mandy Wötzel & Ingo Steuer(GER)
That was something really new. No jumps at all. Many interesting lifts
and spins. The black dress suits her very well...no comment about his suit.
They had to retake a spin and one could easily see the change
of positions which was very interesting!
Kati Winkler & René Lohse(GER)
They did their new long program. For me, it was a little bit disappointing.
It reminded me a lot of last year’s original dance „Cabaret“. Many moves
were taken from „Carbaret“. Luckily the dress was not the real dress
because it looked almost similar to her OD-dress from last year.
Evgeny Plushenko(RUS)
He did his new short program, the Michael Jackson medley. Well...here,
too...no comment about the costume. What I don’t like that much are the
music cuts. Slow-fast(„Billy Jean“)-slow-fast(„They don’t care about us“).
The program only contains two amazing!!! stepsequences in the fast parts
of the program and three jumps. There’s nothing in the slow parts.
Jumps: quadruple toe loop on which he fell (he later did a triple-triple
toe loop – double-double loop combination in the retake), triple axel,
double lutz (he corrected it in the retake).
Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze(RUS)
First I didn’t like the program that much. It is slow and classical.
But then, it reminds me of Sentimental Waltz (a little bit) and the more
I watch it the more I like it!! It is a beautiful program, soft and...well....as
the title sais:“Meditation“. Although Elena and Anton looked quite confident
during the program, they fell three(!!) times.
Jumps: Side-by-side double toe loop, side-by-side double axel (Elena
falls) double toe loop combination, throw triple lutz, side-by-side triple
toe loop (Anton falls), throw triple salchow (Elena falls).
In the retake it seemed to me that doing all the elements (that went
wrong) in a row was quite exhausting for Anton. The audience laughed after
his „HU!“. lol
Alexei Yagudin(RUS)
I have never seen such an incredible short program (called „Winter“).
The step sequences are amazing, the costume is wonderful and the music
is great, too. The audience loved it and the people were cheering and clapping
during the step sequences. WOW!!
Jumps: triple toe loop, huge triple axel, triple lutz (a little bit
overrotated)
Second part of the show
Susanne Stadlmüller(GER)
Susanne skated to a song called „Over the rainbow“ live performed by
Deborah Sasson. It is a beautiful song and Susanne skated pretty well except
for the triple lutz on which she fell. She had to repeat it quite a few
times at the retake but she had problems with it. Daniel and the audience
tried to encourage her but it seemed that she was pretty nervous. Once
she „just“ stumbled at the jump and they finished the retake.
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas
They skated to „Flamenco“, their original dance. That is a great one!!
Skated with fire and passion and the music fits them. Personally I didn’t
like Margarita’s pink dress that much but I don’t care. The program has
a fantastic choreography.
Maria Butyrskaya
She performed her new and old long program to the soundtrack of the
movie „17 moments in spring“. Maria was very confident. Again a flawless
program with a wonderful choreography and her great style of skating. And
I love her dress.
Jumps: 3 toe loop, triple lutz, double axel
Laurent Tobel
Laurent did his funny Carmen program. It was hilarious to watch Laurent
flirting with the TV-camera.
Mandy Wötzel & Ingo Steuer
I don’t remember which music they skated to but they contributed their
second new program.
Andrejs Vlashenko(GER)
He showed his new short program to Paganini by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
That program is great!! It fits him very well. He did a great tiple axel
and even a triple axel-triple toe loop combination but the landing was
pretty shaky.
Kati Winkler & René Lohse
They skated to the song „Wenn das Liebe ist“ (If this is love) live
performed by Glashaus, a german band. Kati’s dress was beautiful!!! The
program itself was wonderful, too, beautifully smooth!!
Sarah Jentgens & Mirko Müller(GER)
Glashaus live again, doing the song „Trost“ (comfort). Mirko is definetely
the experienced skater. But Sarah has such a wonderful elegant style!!
I liked them better than Mariana & Norman. Sarah was, of course, nervous
and is not-experienced but her style of skating is simply great! If they
get more experienced they will easily get close to the top pairs in Europe!
Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze
Ohhhhhh, I LOVE „The Kid“ and was so happy to see this program live
now!!!
Right before they wanted to start the program they had to wait a few
minutes and Anton was standing around on the ice already acting like Charlie
Chaplin. We were cheering and clapping which ended up in Anton waving at
us.
The program is wonderful, amazing, beautiful and entertaining. And
they did an excellent throw triple salchow.
Alexei Yagudin
It was amazing how many jumps he did if one remembers that he had still
jet lag!! The only pity was that he didn’t show much choreography (but
that’s okay since Plushenko keeps his program totally secret).
Jumps: triple axel, triple toe loop, quadruple toeloop (a little bit
overrotated), triple axel-triple salchow combination, triple flip (hand
down), double loop, triple loop (stepout), triple lutz
Evgeny Plushenko
He did, of course, his "Sexbomb" program. It was hilarious. Less then
four metres away from us he climbed over the boards and jumped into the
audience.
Jumps: double toe loop, triple axel, triple toe loop
Final
Hmm...I first thought...hey...that’s going to be interesting. But the
choreography was boring. It seemed like the skaters had practiced for the
final just on one day. Anyway, it was something new.
After the show a friend and I went to the skaters hotel for about an
hour where we had a nice conversation with Andrejs Vlashenko and a question
(from him) and answer (from me) with Alexei Yagudin. I also was able to
ask Tamara Moscvina, coach of Elena Berezhanya and Anton Sikharulidze for
a picture!
All in all it was a wonderful show and a wonderful evening. It was
worth driving 340 kilometres/230 miles for it to Regensburg.