International Skating Gala, Nottingham, 31st of July 2002
Note: I couldn't take any on-ice pictures since the camera got damaged and on-ice pictures weren't allowed during the gala. I also only have one off-ice picture which I will add as soon as I get it developed.
July, the 30th, 2002
After about four days of busy sightseeing mostly in London, then Cambridge, Ely, Norwich and a bit of the british east coast (with blue sky and up to 32° degress Celcius, at least that's what we were told) my dad and I arrived in Nottingham and ... it was raining! Right after checking in our hotel we went to the Nottingham arena in order to check out the entrances and the arena itself. There was a huge banner hanging outside the arena that showed Elena & Anton in their olympic Meditation costumes and famous spiral position. The same picture which is shown in the big programme and on the leaflet. While being inside the "arenalobby" I saw they were still practising in the ice rink and I asked the security guy if I could take a short look into the ice rink and he said, joking with me, "Do you want me to throw you out?" and I said, joking with him, "Okay, okay, I go." but then he said:" Now come on, go in there.". I thanked him and went into the ice rink. It turned out to be the dress rehearsel of the show. All the skaters were there, first practising the Opening. The skaters pretended doing their elements and of course there wasn't any reaction from the few people who watched the rehearsal. Elena & Anton pretended doing their lifts and since there still wasn't any reaction, Anton waved his arm, animating the few people in the gala and he praised our loud clapping and cheering. :-) Elena, I was surprised, smiled and laughed a lot. I've never seen her like this before. Although it is a serious opening, Kurt did some funny stuff and made the skaters and the people who were watching laugh. After the opening I left the arena because I didn't want to use the security guy's kindness.
July, the 31st, 2002
After walking around the city centre, I went to the arena again to see if there was already the chance of buying the leaflets I had promised to bring for some skating fans. When I arrived at the arena there was already the security staff running around and they wouldn't let me into the arena. So I just stood there in front of the entrance (about 30 yards away from it) and sent a short message to my other friends to let them know. While typing the short message on my cell phone I recognized that somebody was just passing me. I looked up and saw Kristi Yamaguchi. I didn't stop her, being to shy at that moment, which I regret later on. A few moments later I saw (between the cars that were standing around) some short, blonde person coming down the street and I thought: Okay, there we have Elena. Then Anton's certainly not far. And I was right. They passed me and again, I was to shy to stop them and ask them for a picture. Still I watched them and saw how Anton looked up at the big banner. I couldn't help smiling.
Later that day while walking around the city centre my dad and I bumped into Sasha Cohen and her father. I asked her wether I could take a pic of her and she agreed. My dad said he would take a pic of us together but the camera (my camera for off-ice pictures) did not work which made me feel a bit uncomfortable because I just wanted to take the picture and then leave her. Then I took the camera and took a pic of Sasha. My dad said something like: "Fans sometimes must be terrible" but Mr Cohen replied:"No, they are wonderful!". After that my dad and I decided to go one's own way. I gave him his gala ticket and left. At about 4:30 p.m. I decided to go to the arena to see if I should already wait at the entrance since I was told to be there at at least 5 p.m. because of the security check. After 7 p.m. they would stop letting the people in. There were already some people waiting at the entrance so I decided to wait, too. I talked to a couple and started explaining them which figure skaters they were going to see since they were mostly there, like everyone else (except the skating fans), because of HM The Queen. Then I saw a girl walking around with the programmes and I told her I'd need 14 programmes. You should have seen her face. lol She went inside the arena to get some more, came back and gave them to me. The people around me started murmuring when they heard the prize I had to pay for the programmes. lol A few minutes later I noticed a person with long blonde wavy hair standing a few yards away from me. It was Gwendal Peizerat. I immediately took a programme and asked him, in French, for an autograph. He looked quite surprised that there was a person speaking French with him. lol
The Gala
Moderators: Christopher Dean & Jane Torvill
(Note: I didn't take any notes on jumps or other techniqual elements. I just enjoyed the gala)
After having passed the security check and found my seat, they showed the three ice sport disciplines: Speed skating, ice hockey and figure skating. It was quite nice to watch. They also introduced the first british woman to walk to the north and southpol with her husband.
Then I noticed Kurt. He was running around, dressed like a clown. I was like:"Kurt, stand still, freeze, don't move." Just thought that, didn't say it. lol I went to him, and asked for his autograph. While I was opening the programme on the site with the description of Kurt, he took my pen and did as if it was something amazing. After that I got my autograph. *yay*. Then while going back to my seat I thought: Hmm?? What's going on behind me. I turned around and, surprise, surprise, Kurt was following me. He acted as if he was crazy about me and showed that to the audience. And I played with him. lol Then he gave me a huge hug and I went on to my seat. Still he followed me. Having arrived at our seats, he took my father's umbrella and played with it. Then he said something to me and wanted to leave pretending to take the umbrella with him. I said:"But that's my father's umbrella". He did as if he was sad, pretended to give me the umbrella back and eventually I would get it back. lol It was so great.
After a few moments the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra started playing.
This is what they played:
The Patineurs (Skaters Waltz) - E. Waldteufel
The Princess Elizabeth - Eric Coates
Swan Lake Excerpt - P. Tschaikovsky
Coppélia - Mazurka - Leo Delibes
Dam Busters March - Eric Coates
Overture Candide - L. Bernstein
Beatles Medley - Lennon & McCartney
Memory (Cats) - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Harry Potter Suite - John Williams
Star Wars Suite - John Williams
Fanfare, National Anthem - Robert & David Calow
I can tell you it was an amazing atmosphere when the Queen finally entered the ice rink under a thunderstorm of flashlights when the Fanfare was played and the audience started clapping like crazy. I got goosebumps. :) I really liked it. First the Mayor of Nottingham held a short speech and then HM The Queen declared the Nottingham Ice Centre opened.
The Opening - International Skaters - Adiemus - Karl Jenkins
The skaters wore those yellow orrange Stars On Ice outfits. As described above each skater did his/her elements. Of course Sasha Cohen showed her amazing flexibility when doing the spiral. Elena & Anton did a hip lift right into their headstand and this while skating!!! I was amazed! One could clearly see that the skaters were nervous, Elena even shortly stumbled when Anton put her down from the sit lift. Though I loved the opening.
Constanze Paulinus - The Piano
Oh, how I love the soundtrack from this movie. At least that one part. Constanze has a nice elegant style. What I didn't like were the very abrupt music cuts. She even did a jump combination right in front of the Queen which impressed me.
British Champions - The Four Seasons - Vivaldi
They wore the bumble bee outfits from the Skate the Nation tour. This performance was very well choreographed and great synchronization. I loved it. It skated: Marika Humphreys & Vitaly Baranov, Matthew Davies, Pamela O'Connor & Jonathon O'Dougherty (who also starred in the Robbie Williams video to his number one single She's the One) and Zoe Jones.
Steven Cousins - It's About that Walk - Prince
I don't think I need to say anything here? ;) I like that program. It shows Steven's great musicality and dancing ability. :) He interacted with the audience, smiling a lot.
Sasha Cohen - Aria
Oh, how I love that program. It was wonderfully skated with the ribbon and Sasha's wonderful elegant style. How useful for Sasha that she's done gymnastics. When my dad recognized that she was the one whom we had met on the street earlier he was like: "What? That's the girl? If I had known that before, I would have looked at her more closely." lol
National Ice Centre Skating School - Trashing the Camp - Phil Collins
That was a great number, too. Wonderful synchronization and choreography again. Don't remember it very well, though.
Kurt Browning - Ragadin
Oh what a wonderful and extremely funny program. I was laughing all the time. From the beginning of the gala Kurt pretended to be someone who can't skate but who insisted on skating in the gala which Christopher and Jane finally allowed. It was hilarious. Kurt pretended to almost crash into the boards which he "commentated" with a scream and stuff like that.
Kristi Yamaguchi - Smooth - Santana
I don't think I need to commentate on this one, too, since this program is already a few years old. I admit I would have like to see her skating to something slowly which would show her wonderful elegant skating style better but that's fine. She fell on one jump though.
British Synchronised Skating Team - Carmen Caprice
My first thought was:"Oh no, not Carmen again". lol I am not a big fan of synchronised skating but it was okay.
Nottingham Lions & GB Speed Team - Skaters Waltz - E. Waldteufel
I loved that number with the hockey players pretending to waltz and using their sticks as instruments. It was great fun watching it.
Ilia Kulik - Rubberband Man - Yello
It's definitely better to see Ilia live than on TV. At least that was the case with me. It was an interesting program with all his special elements. Almost acrobatic.
Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat - Spanish Dance
Oh how I love the long version of their original dance. I first saw it on TV at the Gala of the Masters Miko and I was so happy when I found out they were going to do this number. Great program, great acting, skating with a lot of fire. My dad was amazed.
Robin Cousins - Strike Up the Band - George Gershwin
As written in the programme: "Robin Cousins will be stepping out of retirement to perform for you all this evening". But he had just had a surgery on his knee which he injured while doing "a quadruple toeloop combined with the triple axel and a backflip...I was in my garden when I did that." Instead he sang. And he sang very professionally with some commentation throughout the song which was quite funny. Great performance.
Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze - The Kid
Is there anything I need to say about this program? lol Elena & Anton skated it very well except a slightly wobble landing on the throw. At the final pose, Anton was so excited that he held Lena with one arm and, building a fist, threw his other arm in the air. :) They looked very happy.
All skaters got a great reaction from the crowd. Anissina & Peizerat and Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze also got a tiny standing ovation. Of course I stood myself. :)
Final - Let it Be - Lennon & McCartney
I don't remember much about the final. Each skaters did their elements and all the groups came out on the ice again. In the end a little (about 4 years old) girl, dressed in a cute white costume, came out onto the ice (Anton grinned watching the girl) skated around a bit and, while passing her, she through a kiss at HM the Queen and the audience went almost crazy. While all the international skaters did a short final group number, Christopher and Jane came out on the ice again and skated the last few steps together with the other skaters and then stopped right infront of the queen. They got a huge standing ovation.
After that the Queen came down to the ice to greet the main international skaters of the gala. They started with Elena & Anton and I thought:"Wow, will she ever stop talking to them and go on to the other skaters?" lol
Then the gala was really over. It was a great evening but much too short. I enjoyed it although I did not get to meet all the skaters. I loved it and the day after the gala I realized that I had given all my energy into seeing the gala because I was completely exhausted.
Exhausted, but happy.