2010 All That Skate LA + Press Conference

This past weekend in the City of Angels, figure skating legends�Yuna Kim and Michelle Kwan brought their version of a winter wonderland to the Staples Center! On October 2nd and 3rd, the 2010 All That Skate LA ice show opened up at the world famous Staples Center to a large crowd of figure skating fans, albeit mostly Korean Yuna fans. Previous to the first night of the show, allkpop was invited to attend the press conference for the event on October 1st. As dull as a press conference may sound (heck, anything with the word 'conference' sounds dull), we had a one-of-a-kind opportunity to personally hear their stories and observe their practice performance of the opening number, "Get The Party Started". During the introductions and Q&A portion of the press conference, the cast discussed their feelings on being a part of such a momentous show. Tessa Virtue (2010 Olympic Dance Champion along with her partner,�Scott Moir) stated, "Scott and I are thrilled to be here. From the stage, the lighting, the music, the cast...it's nothing like we've ever been involved with before. We're so excited, and it's such an honor." Zhao Hongbo (2010 Olympic Pair Champion along with his partner and wife,�Shen Xue) said, "We are so happy to be here...Enjoy [the show]!" Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, said, "In a show-type setting, it's a chance for the audience to really get to know the personality of a skater. For example, Yuna's skating 'Bulletproof.' You see different sides of her you don't see at competitions...It's different from a competition...This is sort of a free-style setting." Following the Q&A session, the skaters quickly headed towards the ice rink for rehearsals. Unfortunately, we were a little short on staff members that day, so we don't have any footage of the practice, but you can check out the rehearsal video here. The next two days marked the American debut of the "All That Skate" ice show. Upon arriving at the Staples Center, fans were treated to complimentary light sticks in order to participate in an interactive performance later on during the event. Despite the tangible excitement of the Yuna fans and other figure skating fans, everyone soon whisked away to their seats, and the show soon begun. The show started off with a bam, literally! With impressive pyrotechnics gerbs (you know, the waterfall of sparks), and spot-on choreography from all the skaters, the opening number, "Get The Party Started", definitely set the mood for the rest of the show. The rest of Act One featured a variety of performances from Aliona Savchenko's and Robin Szolkowy's (Two-time World Champions and Olympic Bronze Medalists) colorful and bubbly performance of Aqua's "Barbie Girl" to Patrick Chan's (Two-time World Silver Medalist, Three-time National Champion, and Four Continents Champion) smooth and slick performance to the jazzy number, "Take Five"�by Paul Desmond. Other notable performances in Act One include Stephane Lambiel's (Two-time World Champion and Olympic Silver Medalist) upbeat performance to another jazzy song, titled, "Let The Good Times Roll" by Ray Charles, that had all the girls screaming by the end; Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto's (Olympic Silver Medalists and Four-time World Medalists) sweet interpretation of childhood friends growing up to be lovers in the song, "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz; as well as Yuna and Michelle's solo and duet numbers, the latter being an inspirational performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero", as Yuna revealed that Michelle was her role model in a short clip prior to their duet. In Act Two, the male skaters put on a fun and unique twist to contemporary figure skating as they battled it out with a number of b-boys on ice! Meanwhile, Ashley Wagner (Two-time U.S. Bronze Medalist and NHK Trophy Bronze Medalist)--whom you can expect to see in the 2014 Winter Games--put on a strong and empowering performance to "Speechless" by Lady Gaga. And speaking of Lady Gaga, Johnny Wier (Three-time U.S. Champion and World Bronze Medalist) performed quite an eccentric piece to "Poker Face", with a costume and makeup to match that even Lady Gaga would approve of! On the other hand, couple Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir romanticized the show a bit with a piece to "Hiphip Chinddhin" by Club des Belugas and "Tempation" by Diana Krall, which was very much like watching The Notebook on ice. In addition, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo received a standing ovation in Puchini's "Turandot" for their strong and fearless performance. Yuna Kim also performed her famed piece to "Bulletproof" by La Roux, which by no surprise, received waves of applause. As the show neared its end, artist Younha walked up on stage and briefly talked about her experience of being a part of All That Skate, all the while maintaining flawless English. After her short spiel, Younha showed off her vocal capabilities, and closed the show with "Just Can't Get Enough" by The Saturdays and "Dream On" by Aerosmith. As a final adieu, the "All That Skate" cast thanked the audience with an encore to Ke$ha's "Tik Tok". This ice show was truly a unique, one-of-a-kind showcase that is difficult to do justice with words. And if you're a figure skating fanatic come-round the Winter Olympics like me, then this is one event you won't want to miss the next time it comes to town! While you wait for the next year's show, take a look at our pictures and and give us your thoughts on this event! [gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"] Photography by: Alex Gao