Amazing Art on Ice turned 20 years old

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ack in 1995, the businessman Reto Caviezel and the figure skater Oliver Höner came up with the brilliant idea that a figure skating gala needed real concert music with a stage, singers, an orchestra and dancers Art on Ice was born. The premier took place in January 1996 in Zürich with 6’500 tickets sold.

Year after year, the concept remains the same but different skaters, soul divas, tenors or pop music and different colorful choreographies allowing the show to surprise both longtime fans as well as first spectators.

Last week, the now most successful figure skating gala production in the world celebrated its 20^th edition with over 80’000 live spectators in shows in Zürich, Lausanne and Davos.

[box_light]The 2015 edition[/box_light]

During about two and a half hours, the spectators enjoyed the spectacular performance of current and former elite figure skating in this edition of the ice gala. Unlike competitions, the show and entertainment is the foreground at Art on Ice.

The live music program this year was presented by the Swiss soul, pop singer Marc Sway and English singer-songwriter Tom Odell. The headliner for the evening was the Canadian-Portuguese singer Nelly Furtado.

The most moving moment of this year’s edition, especially for the Swiss public, was certainly given by Sarah Meier, the European Figure Skating Champion from 2011, performing to the title Grow Old With Me by Tom Odell for her very last performance before retiring from the figure ice skating. I wish all the best to Sarah Meier for all her future plans.

Additional highlights were given by Italian Carolina Kostner, World Champion from 2012 and 5 times European Champion, French Florent Amodio, European Champion from 2011, Canadian Joannie Rochette, Olympic bronze in 2010, Japanese Daisuke Takahashi, World Champion from 2010, Swiss Stéphane Lambiel, World Champion from 2005 and 2006, Canadian Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Olympic gold in 2010, Russian Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, Olympic gold in 2014, French Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, Russian Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov as well as British/Russian Fiona Zaldua and Dmitri Sukhanov.

[box_light]Final Words[/box_light]

Art on Ice is among the events where I would prefer to put the camera away and enjoy the show with the eyes rather than seeing just a small patch through the viewfinder of the camera. It truly is a unique show offering a superb choreography mixing figure skating, dancing, live music and a perfect light show. It was a brilliant spectacle on stage as well as on ice.

The next edition is scheduled from 4^th to 13^th February 2016.

These and photos of this 20^th edition are under http://www.bydoms.com/-/galleries/events/art-on-ice-2015

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