{"id":1979,"date":"2012-05-12T23:33:27","date_gmt":"2012-05-12T23:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/2012\/05\/12\/dance-is-the-star-in-investors-group-stars-on-ice-presented-by-lindt-s-love-n-life-tour\/"},"modified":"2012-05-12T23:33:27","modified_gmt":"2012-05-12T23:33:27","slug":"dance-is-the-star-in-investors-group-stars-on-ice-presented-by-lindt-s-love-n-life-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/dance-is-the-star-in-investors-group-stars-on-ice-presented-by-lindt-s-love-n-life-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Dance is the Star in Investors Group Stars on Ice Presented by Lindt\u2019s \u201cLove \u2018N\u2019 Life\u201d Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Jacquelyn Thayer \/ Photo by Melanie Hoyt<\/em><\/p>\n

\"tesscott-for-recap\"For the first time in the show\u2019s 21-year history, audiences at three stops on the Canadian leg of the Stars on Ice tour were lucky enough to catch three ice dance teams. Even better\u2014all three of recently finished in the top four at this year\u2019s World Championships. Three-time headliners Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir were joined by Canadian silver medalists Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, who earned their new spot on the tour with an outstanding season. And fans in Hamilton, Toronto, and London, Ontario, received a special bonus in guest performers Meryl Davis & Charlie White.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t just the line-up, though, that makes this year\u2019s show one for the dancers. Long-time headliner and new choreographer Kurt Browning\u2019s fresh and inventive group choreography places the emphasis on musical movement, complex footwork, and true performance\u2014a real delight for any fan of dancing on ice.<\/p>\n

I traveled eastward from Chicago to attend the London show, where, as expected, hometown duo Virtue & Moir were the biggest hits, even when engaged in promotional banter about show sponsor Lindt Chocolate. The couple\u2019s two programs are an exercise in versatility. The first, a sensual, lyrical piece to Jeff Buckley\u2019s \u201cHallelujah,\u201d which the team debuted at the tour\u2019s first stop in Halifax, is a return to an inward-focused style in which Virtue & Moir have long excelled. On the other hand, their outgoing Act II number, to \u201cAin\u2019t No Mountain High Enough\u201d from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, offers up some disco-infused choreography and a healthy dose of glitter from Virtue\u2019s sparkly blue dress. Interestingly, the latter number has developed significantly over the course of the tour, with the London outing including several transitions and an additional mid-program lift not seen in the version recorded by fans in Halifax.<\/p>\n

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Not to be overshadowed by their fellow dancers, Weaver & Poje also made a huge splash with the London audience. Their Act I program, a new number to the Florence + The Machine hit \u201cShake It Out\u201d demonstrates the team\u2019s power and energy, with Weaver\u2019s shimmering gold-fringed costume only accentuating the movement. For Act II, the team transformed their successful \u201cJe Suis Malade\u201d free dance into an exhibition, and diminished none of the program\u2019s emotional intensity in the process. It was an audience smash in competition, and that certainly carried over here.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the dance roster, Davis & White entered in Act II, presenting the first individual number of the second half. Their \u201cDie Fledermaus\u201d free dance has been converted into an exhibition\u2014with Davis now donning the light blue dress worn last season as an alternate for practice sessions\u2014and even at abbreviated length, the dance inspired the crowd to clap along as enthusiastically as it did inany of its competitive performances. Even in rival territory of a sort, the team received a tremendous reception from an audience that knows and loves great skating.<\/p>\n

Among the solo skaters, the audience favorite was likely Shawn Sawyer, in his fourth year as a full cast member. The talent for showmanship displayed during his competitive career has flourished in his show work, and both numbers \u2013 \u201cWe Speak no Americano\u201d and Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cAlegria\u201d \u2013 are packed with tricks, backflips, unusual spins, and outstanding displays of flexibility. Browning, while less flashy than Sawyer, also continues to play to a crowd as effectively as ever, with his first number \u201cI\u2019m Into Something Good\u201d contrasting well with the second act\u2019s darker \u201cFeeling Good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other men, in contrast, offered programs in a more serious vein. Jeff Buttle\u2019s pieces were typically lovely; while his Act I performance to Fleetwood Mac\u2019s \u201cBig Love\u201d wasn\u2019t without a jump error or two, Act II\u2019s \u201cBoth Sides Now,\u201d based more upon moves in the field, was flawless. Jeremy Abbott began with a particularly musical new piece to Jason Mraz\u2019s \u201cI Won\u2019t Give Up.\u201d Act II brought an energetic, if imperfect, rendition of last season\u2019s swing short program.<\/p>\n

The ladies delivered an eclectic set. Joannie Rochette, while much-missed from the competitive scene in Canada, is thriving as a show skater. Her first program, an electronic dance number to \u201cIndestructible,\u201d has been noted particularly for the black catsuit she dons. Her real hit, however, is the radically different \u201cFormidable\u201d of Act II, a flirtatious number in which she vamps against both Browning and a selected audience member. Like Rochette, Ashley Wagner\u2019s first number, \u201cTightrope,\u201d sets a dance tone, but her second-half performance to \u201cYour Song\u201d showcases a softer, more lyrical style. Finally, Cynthia Phaneuf also went for a dancier route with her Act I program \u201cLet Me Think About It,\u201d turning in Act II to the slower \u201cJe l\u2019aime a Mourir,\u201d a pretty piece marred only by a fall on a jump.<\/p>\n

What might be most worth the price of admission at this year\u2019s show, however, is the group work, from full numbers to brief transitions. One of the most discussed numbers from both U.S. and Canadian tours is \u201cWaiting for My Real Life to Begin,\u201d choreographed by Linda Garneau in conjunction with Browning and Buttle. The contemporary, almost balletic piece puts four of the cast\u2019s men\u2014for this tour, Abbott, Buttle, Moir, and Poje\u2014in the literal spotlight, with Moir and Buttle the major standouts. With house lights and follow-spots are all dark, the men are illuminated only by stand lights that they bring out and weave into the choreography. The shadowy casts a spell over every audience, and it is one that must be seen live to experience the full effect.<\/p>\n

For the Canadian tour, a new number highlighting the five female cast members was also added. The program itself, to Flo Rida\u2019s \u201cGood Feeling,\u201d is somewhat less successful than the all-male counterpart, but does offer the cast\u2019s best female dancers the opportunity to show off their moves.<\/p>\n

Very popular with the audience here and elsewhere has been the Act II opener. \u201cA Life Loved,\u201d set to music from the film UP, tells the story of an elderly widower (played by Browning) reminiscing about his late wife. Both dance teams take center stage here, with Weaver & Poje portraying the couple in their courtship and engagement, and Virtue & Moir depicting their married life, culminating with the revelation of her pregnancy. Rochette plays the wife in her later years, and the number concludes as poignantly as can be expected from the number\u2019s inspiration.<\/p>\n

Both Act I and Act II finales were stellar examples of true group choreography\u2014every skater (save for guests Davis & White) was involved, sometimes working in unison and sometimes individually, and at the London show, no one missed a beat. Adele\u2019s \u201cRolling in the Deep\u201d scores the first act finale, providing the cast with some solid hard-hitting movement and the dance teams with a great dramatic entrance in dual lifts that travel the length of the ice. The show wraps with the second Florence + The Machine number of the show, \u201cDog Days Are Over,\u201d offering up a playful, exuberant piece befitting the show\u2019s theme\u2014as well as including an unexpected opportunity for a pair of dancers in Virtue and Moir to execute axels.  <\/p>\n

The weakest group number is likely the show\u2019s opening, \u201cA Suite for Stars,\u201d in which cast members muse on life and love in voiceover. Though the concept is cute, its impact is decidedly lesser than that of the truly skating-centric numbers. A better execution of fluff is the series of comic transitions featuring \u201cThe Four Stops,\u201d with Abbott, Buttle, Moir, and hapless fourth man Browning dancing to Motown and providing the occasional unexpected program intro.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the Stars on Ice and Canadian Stars on Ice tours have seen their share of choreographic and conceptual ups and downs. This year\u2019s show, however, sticks closely to its titular theme of \u201cLove \u2018N\u2019 Life\u201d while also recognizing the importance of balancing contemporary and classic music, offering up a variety of performance styles, and giving multiple cast members a chance to shine. The program is a must-catch for those who can and, with Browning and Buttle behind the scenes, a reason to hope for another great show next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Jacquelyn Thayer \/ Photo by Melanie Hoyt For the first time in the show\u2019s 21-year history, audiences at three stops on the Canadian leg of the Stars on Ice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_gspb_post_css":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-interviews"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=300%2C177&ssl=1",300,177,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=768%2C454&ssl=1",768,454,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C284&ssl=1",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=510%2C382&ssl=1",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?fit=957%2C566&ssl=1",957,566,true],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=400%2C516&ssl=1",400,516,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Articles.jpg?resize=45%2C45&ssl=1",45,45,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Team IDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/author\/idcadmin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"by Jacquelyn Thayer \/ Photo by Melanie Hoyt For the first time in the show\u2019s 21-year history, audiences at three stops on the Canadian leg of the Stars on Ice […]","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7GOSM-vV","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}