Practice      Laurie's reports      Kim's first sighting of Alexei      Kim's practice photos of Alexei      Laura's stills of Alexei's practices The Show      Laurie's general show review      Laurie on Alexei's performances      Kim's review of the show      Janice's review      Laura's screen stills of the show! Backstage!      Laurie on being backstage      Kim's out-of-body experience

Gee, I feel like I just did one of these, LOL...    Given the miserable, cold, and rainy weather, I didn't think there would be much of a crowd at all. But I was wrong, LOL. I guess Sun Valley Resort visitors are made of sterner stuff than I thought. It was a slightly smaller crowd than normal, but not by much.    For those unfamiliar with Sun Valley ice shows, these are shows held on Saturday nights throughout the summer at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho. This is a very ritzy resort area - don't come here without money, LOL...The Sun Valley Resort itself has two ice rinks, one indoor and one outdoor. The show is held on the outdoor rink at night. It is a beautiful setting, and many famous skaters like to come skate here. They usually use it as an opportunity to present their new programs in relaxed, congenial surroundings. Most of the audience consists of visitors staying at the resort, who watch the show in addition to all the other activities available in Sun Valley. The resort offers tickets with buffet dining with seating in the outdoor dining area of the Sun Valley Lodge. This is covered and has a view of center ice, but the seating is a bit far from the ice. The ice skating fans tend to sit in the bleachers which are at both ends of the rink but very close to the ice. They usually have one to three main headliners and then there is a cast of professional skaters. Most of these professional skaters spend the summer in Sun Valley and give lessons during the day. The headliners fly in for the Saturday night performance, sometimes staying a whole week or longer, sometimes just flying in the day before the show.    Having just been to Sun Valley in July, I expected the same programs from the regular cast, but they had actually made changes. The featured headliners at this show were Alexei Yagudin, Sasha Cohen, and Steven Cousins.    The first act was an ensemble program from the professional cast, skating to a Robert Moore song possibly called "Tell Me A Fable." Several of the featured performers also did some individual moves. Joe Sabovcik did some good Russian splits, Gia Guddat did a nice illusion spin.    The first solo act is Lucinda Ruh. Lucinda has just dyed her hair dark brown - it was pale blonde when I saw her in July, LOL. I didn't recognize her at first, but once she started spinning, there was no mistaking who she was. She performs her same bluesy program from July, same tight gold lame costume. Nice spread eagle. Her spins are always wonderful, of course, including a layback and a scratch spin to die for.    The second solo act was Steven Cousins. He performed to somewhat slow, solemn, Celtic type music I was unfamiliar with, but the lyrics were something about "Brothers, sisters, where are you now?" He was wearing a white shirt with black pants. He started with a double toe loop and a deathdrop, followed by a short spiral, a step sequence, Russian splits, a triple toe and a butterfly. This was followed by a sit spin-camel spin-catch foot spin combination. Then there was another butterfly, camel spin, and scratch spin. It was a nice program, if a little bit one note, but well-received.    Given the lack of practice time available (due to rain) on the outdoor rink and the bad ice on the indoor rink, the programs were fairly light on jumps and heavier on spins.    Next were Anita Hartshorn and Frank Sweiding. They performed their "Circle of Life" program with appropriate "Lion King" type costumes in yellow and orange. The platter variation lift was nice. I don't recall a headbanger in this program. They did this same program in the July show I saw and reviewed earlier. I kind of like the trick - don't know what it's called, LOL - where Anita wraps her ankles around Frank's neck and she spins around him upside down. He doesn't hold her. This pair is always popular with the Sun Valley audiences.    Joe Sabovcik was next, doing a different program than from the July show. This time, he was dressed in all black and skated to a slow Bruce Springsteen song. He started with a triple toe, then a camel spin, followed by footwork. He sat down on the ice, looking pensive during one portion of the song, LOL. He also performed his lovely delayed axel. He followed this with a spread eagle and another triple toe, and the obligatory backflip. He finished with a camel spin and and scratch spin. Joe is another always popular performer at the Sun Valley ice shows.    The acrobats were next, Besedin & Polishuk. They did the same first program from last time, but only the costumes were different. This time they dressed as ballerinas in tutus. The crowd loves them.    The main headliner, Alexei Yagudin, is next. He is wearing a black sleeveless shirt and black pants. He is debuting his new short program to Chopin's "Revolution." It starts off with some unidentifiable "2001 Space Odyssey" type music. He does an Ina Bauer, followed by a triple toe and a triple loop. At his always great deathdrop, the jazzed up Chopin music kicks in. He has a fast footwork section here with lots of turns. There is another triple toe, a sit spin, more footwork with lots of turns, a Besti squat (but a short one), and a short lunge. He finishes with his usual sit spin-Mazurka-back sit spin-martini glass spin combination. The program is clearly very new. He's not totally comfortable with it yet, and he seemed focused more on getting all the elements down than in selling the program to the audience. It is a very different program from either "Nutrocker" or "Circus." This is a much more serious program. It is fast-paced, dramatic, and intense.    Leonova & Khvalko follow with "Bolero." This is different than what they did in the July show I saw. Same lovely positions and lifts, though. Didn't catch what kind of throw jump was done as Leonova's feet were obscured, but it was good, LOL...    Gia Guddat follows with her cowgirl program to a hip-hop version of "Wild, Wild West" she did in July. The program is essentially unchanged - same nice illusion spin and hydroblading move.    Professional ice dancers Darlin Baker & Andrei Boustante (sp?) are next. She is wearing a beautiful lavender costume; Andrei is wearing purple. They skate to "Breathe" by Faith Hill.    Steven Cousins performs his second solo program of the night. This is another not very fast program to the music of "I Need You Tonight." He starts with a triple toe, followed by a camel spin, sit spin, two Russian splits, and another triple toe.    Lucinda Ruh is next, performing in another tight bodysuit - this one ice blue with orange designs on it. She does a lovely Ina Bauer and, of course, all her wonderful spins.    Anita and Frank return for a funny "Staying Alive" program. Anita is wearing a red costume, Frank is wearing that famous white suit, LOL. Fun program and the audience is happy with it.    Joe Sabovcik is next. This time he is wearing black leather looking pants and skates to Def Leppard's "Rock Me." This program has Russian splits, a triple toe, camel spin, two backflips, and a scratch spin. No triple lutz this time, probably due to the ice time problems.    Alexei and Vladimir are back, but with a different number than their bullfighter program from July. They skate to fast, techo rock, with lots of staccato drums and synthesizer music. Then the mood turns serious and it almost sounds like church organ music, LOL....    Sasha Cohen is next, and why she got only one number when all the others got two is a mystery. She skates to Celine Dion music, maybe called "Touch Me Once Again." Very nice spread eagle, excellent layback, camel spin is good. Nice double axel, spiral, touch down on triple toe. She follows this with a Charlotte, a flying spin, and an Ina Bauer. She falls on her next triple toe attempt. She follows this with a fan spiral, then a camel spin-sit spin-martini glass spin combination.    Leonova & Khvalko return, skating to Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer" in their beautiful deep blue velvet and silver costumes. This is the same program that they did in July. Death spiral is good, and the side by side spirals are nice, too.    Alexei Yagudin performs his second program of the night, "Gladiator." He is wearing tight, black velvet pants. The top is black cut-out sections with a little gold. One arm is black cut-outs down the entire arm. The other arm has a maroon-red, short cape. He is holding two prop knives in his hands, and he never releases them throughout the whole program, including the jumps. He starts with a triple toe, followed by a triple loop (I think all the skaters are nervous about the ice - the hardest jump attempted all night is a triple loop). Then he goes into a type of stag leap (but it isn't a stag leap), a new lunge move, then he ends up on his knees, followed by another stag-type leap, followed by a butterfly. There is lots of footwork with lots of turns, another butterfly, and a sit spin. The music slows down and he gets down on his knees, rolls around on the ice, "dies," raises his hands, and gets back up. He follows this with camel spins, a spread eagle, a triple loop, a sit spin, pancake spin, then a footwork section, and a triple toe. Then there is very fast footwork, and he finishes up with a camel spin/sit spin/back sit spin/scratch spin combination. Great program! The audience likes this one, too. Go to Laurie's detailed review of Alexei Yagudin's performances