Dreams on Ice

September 11, 1998
Oshawa Civic Arena, Oshawa, ON

September 11, 1998.� Dusk falls over Oshawa Civic Arena, one of the few small-town arenas that hasn't been made obsolete by the huge mega sports complexes of our time.� For one night in early fall, this little arena played host to a stellar cast of big-name skaters as an audience gathered to witness the seventh annual Dreams on Ice show, a benefit masterminded by Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler's BBE Productions to raise money for the Children's Wish Foundation.

With a cast that included Jennifer Robinson, Yuka Sato, Nancy Kerrigan, Josee Chouinard, Steven Cousins, Emanuel Sandhu, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, along with co-creators Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler, DoI brought down the house, perhaps lacking the polish of a perfectly rehearsed Stars on Ice show, but making up for it with a friendly, comfortable feeling that perfectly matched its surroundings.

Highlights of the night included Bourne and Kraatz' show-stopping Riverdance, which brought the crowd to its feet in the loudest ovation of the night; Brasseur and Eisler's Ballroom Blitz, packed full of energy, tricks and fun; and Emanuel Sandhu's new freeskate for the upcoming season, including the only triple-triple combination of the night.� Also notable were Jennifer Robinson's performance of her new short program, skated to Secret Garden's Passacaglia, which showed the unmistakable signs of its Lori Nichols choreography, and Bourne and Kraatz' sizzling Stop.

The show's finale, skated to West Side Story, had the audience in gales of laughter as the skaters engaged in comic hilarity.� Particularly amusing was a Brasseur/Eisler-Bourne/Kraatz partner switch, which highlighted a Bourne/Eisler death spiral and a Brasseur/Kraatz lift.� How many skating fans out there can brag of seeing that?

All in all, Dreams on Ice did more than accomplish its goal - entertaining, high-class skating, all for a good cause... what more could a skating fan ask for?


Review � 1998 by Y.T.S..