"An Evening on Ice" fundraising benefit show, July 21, 2012 in El Segundo, California

[l'etoile]

I also just got home from the 2:00 show.

First impressions:

Joannie Rochette needs to come back.

Lots of falls, but that's to be expected this early. Rachael, Leah, Joannie and Kimmee skated clean. Joannie and Kimmee had the best speed and ice coverage. Rachael looked like she was having the most fun.

I like Adam's new cut.

More later...

Your report makes me crave for Kimmie's return as well as Joannie's. Has Kimmie completely given up on amateur competitions?

[Rochelle]

My photos and videos from the show - Adam Rippon, Ricky Dornbush, Braden Overett, Kimmie Meissner, Alex Johnson, and Mark Ladwig/Lindsay Davis

Will post a detailed report of the performances later!

Thanks for getting Mark/Lindsay on video -- I'm thrilled to see a couple use this song for an exhibition this season!

[legjumper]

My comments on the afternoon show:

I got there late, so I arrived in the middle of Alex Johnson's skate. He has great hair? That's about all I've got for him.

Leah Keiser has a lovely layback/Biellmann. I forgot to write down her music.

Derrick Delmore skated to "Apologize" by OneRepublic and landed some nice 3Ss. He is now sporting a mohawk for a haircut.

Sean Rabbitt is quickly becoming one of my favorite male skaters. He has this old-timey look and charm that make me think of "Newsies," and is a natural performer. He skated to "Wilkommen" from Cabaret and landed 2A and 3T. Hope he makes it to Nationals this season!

Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin skated to "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. I think the music was bigger than what they're capable of projecting, but they seem very happy together. Tiffany went down on the 3LoTh attempt.

Bebe Liang skated a charming number to "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, showcasing some wonderful spins.

Nick LaRoche skated to "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Jumps still get huge air! I think he and Derrick Delmore are visiting the same salon - Nick also has a mohawk.

Rachael Flatt skated to "Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera. She landed a 3Lo but was noticeably slowww throughout.

In the second half of the show, Braden Overett took a break from emceeing (which he was really good at) to skate a comedic number of romantic sturm und drang to a teddy bear. I don't think he's lost any of his skills - great 2A, 3T, spread eagle, terrific spins.

Lindsay Davis & Mark Ladwig skated to "Just Too Close" by Alex Clare. I know it's just July, and this was an exhibition, but judging by their performance, they've got plenty of work ahead of them to get in shape for NHK. Their twist and lift were quite labored. On the other hand, Lindsay almost landed a nice 3STh.

Adam Rippon skated to "Cinema" by Benny Benassi and landed a Rippon lutz and a 3F. He was almost unrecognizable to me with his haircut AND skating to dance music.

Alexe Gilles skated to "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Amy Winehouse (I think?). She landed 3Lo and 3T but fell on 3S.

Mary Beth Marley & Rockne Brubaker skated to "What a Wonderful World" and "La Vie en Rose" by Louis Armstrong. Crowd ooh-ed at the double twist. I think this program will grow in effectiveness as Mary Beth matures. Between this and their new LP, they seem to be developing a soft, romantic quality as a pair. MB went down on the 3LzTh.

Doug Razzano skated to "Love the Way You Lie" by Colton Dixon (is Doug an American Idol fan?!) with a beautiful spread eagle.

Kimmie Meissner skated to some indie-ish GFB.

Ricky Dornbush skated a very funny exhib to a medley of "Let's Get It On" and "Stayin' Alive" in character as a nerd. He also landed a big triple axel right in front of the audience and went on to do a nice 3L and a three-2A sequence. This program also contained a circular footwork sequence and a bunch of spins.

Joannie Rochette skated to "Show Me How You Burlesque" by Christina Aguilera using a cane as a prop. Her time as a pro showed in the overall crispness of her performance. There were a couple of moments where you could tell she was holding back in terms of sheer power and ice coverage - her skating skills are too good for a reduced-size rink.

The finale began with a local dance troupe called Cosmic dancing in the front of the bleachers. Then the skaters all came out and did their thing as they were announced.

Fun show!

My videos:

Davis/Ladwig
http://youtu.be/NSOUfSaprGo

Marley/Brubaker
http://youtu.be/wjhfambKZpo

Ricky Dornbush
http://youtu.be/D4a8I2zJsiE

[YukiNieve]

legjumper, thank you for vids and sharing your impressions!!

[kittyjake5]

Thank you for your report and the videos. Ricky's skate was funny and very entertaining, and that nerdy costume, loved it!

[operagirl]

Your report makes me crave for Kimmie's return as well as Joannie's. Has Kimmie completely given up on amateur competitions?

Kimmee did a double Axel. That's all. Speed and power still there, just no jumps.

[McWicked]

Kimmee did a double Axel. That's all. Speed and power still there, just no jumps.

As long as she still has her power and speed she still can gain her jumps back!!! C'mon, Kimmie, come back!!!!

[l'etoile]

The whole post

Oh, legjumper, I really appreciate your point-to-point detailed report, plus the videos!

[Sylvia]

Thanks to all who shared reports, photos & videos!

Drew Meekins attended the show and shared details in the 7/25 edition of the "Inside Edge" blog: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

Photo gallery: http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/gal...nt_id=35535018

[Sparks]

As much as I adore Kimmie, AFAIK she's not returning to competition.

[Doubletoe]

To my surprise, I thought Alex Johnson was the best thing about this show! I had never heard of him, but was really impressed by his gorgeous choreography and movement. Joannie was fabulous as well, and Ricky Dornbush proved that he could land a 3A under spotlight while in character (just don't ask him to do it when there's a national championship on the line?). I agree that Sean Rabbitt is becoming quite the performer, too. Good for him! I sure hope Adam Rippon's haircut gives him the look he needs for his competitive programs because I really missed his beautiful curls. . .

Just like last year, it made me sad to watch Kimmie Meissner because--try as I might--I could not detect even a shred of evidence that she was once a world champion. She barely landed a 2A, her only other jump was a 2T, her spins were less impressive than most of the girls I see at the rink who are Intermediate level or higher, and her artistry/expression was forgettable.

[TanithandBenFan]

Finally put together my report from the show. Thanks to Nick and Tricia for another great event!

[Sylvia]

Thanks, TanithandBenFan!

Here's Drew Meekins' vlog (with a guest appearance by Alex Johnson at the beginning): http://web.icenetwork.com/media/play...2010.swf&_mp=1

[Doubletoe]

Thanks, Sylvia! That's great, LOL!

[gofigure]

Fun shots from the show from Jay Adeff and Vicki Luy.
http://on.fb.me/PR1xTU