Torvill & Dean will skate with the Olympic torch in Nottingham on June 28

[Sylvia]

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/No...ail/story.html

SINCE the Olympic torch relay tradition began, the flame has travelled by water, by air and by road – but never before by ice.

So when it arrives at the Nottingham Ice Centre on Thursday, history will be made. Not only will the flame be carried across the ice, it will also become the centrepiece of a new routine choreographed and performed by Olympic ice-skating champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

"It's not the easiest thing to skate with," said Jayne, who is originally from Clifton. "The routine had to be new because we had to choreograph the performance with the torch in mind from the beginning.

"When I'm being lifted by Chris I now have an extra weight, which does affect the balance."
...
"I know the torch gets run a lot – and then gets on a boat and goes on a tram – but I think what we are doing is unique in that there's a routine and music based around it," said Christopher, who trained as a policeman before his skating career took off. "We are not just carrying it from place to place; it's a homage to the torch and what it represents.

"I think one of the most significant things is that our Olympic dreams started on this site where the old ice arena used to be, and so we've come back full circle."

Anyone here attending the sold-out Ice Gala at the Nottingham Ice Centre on Thursday?

[sap5]

It's a neat idea, but it seems weird to me. To have the torch stop and be involved in a figure skating routine? I get the homage bit, but...it's a slippery slope away from the torch being invited to a 12 course "homage to the torch" dinner where it sits at the head of the table.

[Sylvia]

ETA this news video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWuTswLpZjo

[skatesindreams]

I wouldn't worry about the torch.
I look forward to this
Torvill and Dean are the masters of their art.

I'm sure that whatever they do will honor the Olympics; and bring credit to them.

[alij]

It's a neat idea, but it seems weird to me. To have the torch stop and be involved in a figure skating routine? I get the homage bit, but...it's a slippery slope away from the torch being invited to a 12 course "homage to the torch" dinner where it sits at the head of the table.

I don't know what has happened in previous Olympics but here in the UK there has been a celebration every day when the flame stops its travels for the evening, Nottingham happens to have chosen the Ice Centre for part of its celebration

[Vash01]

Sounds awesome. Will it be televised? I hope so.

[sap5]

I don't know what has happened in previous Olympics but here in the UK there has been a celebration every day when the flame stops its travels for the evening, Nottingham happens to have chosen the Ice Centre for part of its celebration

Oh, okay. It now makes more sense.

[Lacey]

How about Bolero With The Torch?

[Simone411]

How about Bolero With The Torch?

I love Bolero. Sounds like a good idea. I can't wait to see them skating with the torch.

[antmanb]

When i became aware of the show it was already sold out, but when i tried to look at who was skating it seemed to be just the skaters that are at the National Ice Centre (including exhibitions from the hockey and speed skaters).

While a lot of the country's top skaters train there it's not quite on the level of the Ice Gala they did for the Queen's Golden Jubilee where the worlds top figure skaters came to the gala along with pros with impressive resumes.

This coupled with a well past their prime T&D didn't seem a great sell to me

[skatefan]

I would have gone had I known about it

[IceDanceFan1]

Sounds awesome. Will it be televised? I hope so.

I think it will be on the local news in Nottingham in the UK but not sure it will be globally televised! Hopefully someone will put videos on YouTube!

You can follow updates on the event through the National Ice Centre Twitter page: http://twitter.com/nat_ice_centre.

Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland are also taking part in the gala. They have been tweeting updates and pictures about their rehearsals this past week:

http://twitter.com/pennycoomes
http://twitter.com/n_buckland

[victorskid]

They performed a routine with the torch and then apparently carried it later to its overnight stop. You can read about it and watch the video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18616439

[Johnny_Fever]

Not bad.

[indyw]

I managed to get tickets to this
It was awesome. Went on for around 2 hours and was hosted by Robin Cousins. Not bad for a free show.

Jayne and Chris only skated for around 5 minutes of it with the torch to a specially commisioned piece of music and it really was amazing. The rest was taken up with all types of skaters at all different levels of the academy at Nottingham - something like 200 performers in total. As well as the larger groups of skaters there were (from the program):

Emma Litherland and Alfie Doran
Ellie O'Connell and Joshua Tarry
Lauren Bell and Sam Lawrence
David Richardson (skated to Fever)
Tigran Vardanjan
Olivia Smart and Joseph Buckland
Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland
Nottingham Synchro Academy

Rosemary Conley and Tristan Cousins skated with the adult class.

There were mini races from the GB speed skating team and the Nottingham speed skating club, and the junior and senior Nottingham Lions Ice Hockey teams, as well as a choir and a brass band.

Penny and Nick were fabulous

I took an awful lot of photos!

[aemeraldrainc]

They performed a routine with the torch and then apparently carried it later to its overnight stop. You can read about it and watch the video here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18616439

Wow. Chris Dean is still looking good, I see.

[Aussie Willy]

That looked really good. Thanks for posting.

[Simone411]

victorskid, thank you for sharing the link. Torvill & Dean looked sensational. What a historical moment for them.