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My Review - Improv-Ice show, Dec ' 2011

Best Improv-Ice ' 2011

http://www.dissonskating.com/2011/12/improv-ice-voting/


This Pandora’s ice show was held in December ‘2011 and was showing in NBC on January’ 2012.


Guest music group was Styx !


I wanted to write a review for it because this show was awesome and we re-watched our recording of it several times recently when we have time.


but December to February are the most busy time for my work, and could not make a time to write about it until now.


We are usually not so crazy to see ice shows with a musician’s live performance, because so far, maybe because of their choice of the music, we were always more into skaters and skating.


But this was exception, Styx was fantastic and we really enjoyed it from beginning to the end !


Ray also loved one of past guest music groups “ Foreigner “ which was also from Pandora’s ice show.


Honestly, even though I knew Styx is a famous music group, I had never seen them, and didn’t know what kind of people.


But now I’m a fan of their music !


Ray loves Styx and they are one of Ray’s favorite music rock groups.


He knows a lot of their music and respects Tommy Shaw‘s guitar technique ( like on the songs Blue Collar Man, Renegade and Snow-blind ) and creativity a lot. He also likes their other guitarist James Young, as well.


The skaters selection of Styx’s music was all great, too !


I realized that I love 1970s rock music a lot.


No matter what others say, 1970s is my generation when I was 7 to 16, I have many unforgettable music and musicians during the time period.


Thankfully we both are same ages, so we can always enjoy talking about it.


And I found I’ve heard some music of Styx somewhere because of the huge hits.


One of my favorites of Styx’s music is Mirai Nagasu’s selection.


Boat on the River “ ! 


Love, love, love this song !


New discovery !


I didn’t know this music.





Mirai was skating great with the song, too.


She has similar taste as me, I think she was saying she loves Queen’s music before and she was skating with “Don’t stop me now“ which is my favorite song.


Also, another new Styx song discovery,


Renegade” !





Their vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw was a big impact to me in this show !


Also shocked to hear his age, 58 !!!


Wheeeeeee,


Really !


Amazing !




I hope he will tell us his secret of youth someday.


He is aging elegantly, looks really much younger than his real age.


And very attractive.


I noticed that because recently I had some opportunities to see 1970s idol stars and they all looked older than their age and don’t look so healthy.



As for skating,


There was a best improv skate for vote.


And I voted for Johnny Weir, Sasha Cohen, Nicole Bobek, and
Mirai Nagasu.


Johnny and Sasha are my top favorites, both their numbers were great and for Styx’s songs, the costumes really fit with the lyrics.


And music selection,




Johnny Weir - Improv-Ice - Grand Illusion





Johnny’s selection of Styx’s "Grand Illusion", we repeatedly watched this one, really enjoyed from beginning to the end, the drummer’s dynamic sounds , the song, with Johnny’s elegant skating.


Johnny’s first number “ Sexy, I know it ” was so funny, and was really excellent and entertaining. 


His skating really has impact, always.


Sasha’s Crystal ball,


I love this song and Sasha skated really great. Her other first number “ Just a Kiss” with pink costume was even more gorgeous.


I love the way how she moves and uses each part of her body.




Sasha Cohen 2012 Improv Ice "Just A Kiss"




It’s amazing that skaters have to select required music and have to create the programs within a limited time for the show.




For others,


It was also very nice and interesting to see Nicole Bobek’s skating. Beautiful skater. I liked her with Styx song better than her first number. The costume also made her look beautiful.
Impressive spiral.


Michael Weis’s selection of Styx song was great, too, Blue Collar Man.
I remember the song, it was a huge hit.


I suppose he chose Styx fans favorites in the show. The crowd looked like they exploded.


Also Jeremy Abbott’s selection. In the beginning part of the music reminds me of Queen’s song ‘39.


More than his ice show numbers, I really loved his SP in Nationals this season, 2012. It was awesome and best performance of his skate I‘ve ever seen.


Also Ryan Bradley’s selection was good, too . He was hilarious.


In the final part, I think Johnny was tweeting about Sasha and him will do duet , so I was expecting for it.


But somehow… Johnny’s partner for the final group number was with Nancy Kerrigan and Sasha was with Michael Weiss.


Sasha and Johnny, Weiss and Kerrigan’s pair are more fit each other to me. Wondering why it changed to that combination ?




And for Styx, in the final music, “Come Sail Away” is one of my favorites, too.


It’s strange, the more I see their live music, the more I’m into them.


And their newest member, Lawrence Gowan the vocalist & keyboard has sense of humor and was funny during the performance. I also like his voice and his singing.




Since this ice show, Ray looked for and found some of his old Styx tapes that he had bought a long time ago when he was a college student, and he started playing them.


I also love their previous vocalist Dennis De Young‘s singing and his voice and his music.


I really love this kind of classic rock music.


Thank you to Pandora’s ice show producer or whoever invited Styx to the show.


For skaters, I will always love to see Johnny Weir and Sasha Cohen’s skating.


In the ending date of the vote, we were out of town and were unable to see what happened for it.


But nice to hear Johnny Weir won it.


Hope he will be invited again.


In the future, I would also love to see Emanuel Sandhu and Jeffrey Buttle ’s skating in any of Pandora’s shows.


If possible, Stephane Lambiel also will be in the show.


Just my two cents.

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