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Last big show for fabled skating couple
By Zhang Qian |
June 2, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OLYMPIC figure-skating champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo announced they would officially retire after their final performance in "Artistry on Ice" on June 17 in Shanghai.
The program titled "Red Temptation" will also feature champion skaters Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko from Russia, Kurt Browning from Canada, Shizuka Arakawa from Japan and Johnny Weir from the United States.
Shen and Zhao, who are married, have been partners for 20 years. They will perform a program titled "Our 20 Years" that features most of their classic competition pieces.
After the last big show, they will become official coaches for the China Youth Team.
After garnering a long list of medals (except Olympic gold), Shen and Zhao came out of retirement to win their first Olympic gold in 2010, skating to the neo-Baroque "Adagio in G Minor."
Then they retired again, but reemerged to initiate the annual "Artistry on Ice" to promote ice skating. They are artistic directors of the show.
Since the couple is approaching their 40s, they think it's time to move on to coaching.
Zhao still remembers the day when he held Shen's hand for the first time 20 years ago.
"The coach presented four girls as potential partners on that day and I picked Shen," Zhao recalls. "She looked at me worshipfully since I was already champion of the National Games."
Their "Our 20 Years" program includes skating to excerpts from "Turandot," "Madam Butterfly," "Adagio in G Minor," "Sweet Dreams," "I Believe" and "Notre Dame de Paris." It is available on CD.
"Every piece is familiar, but there will be more exquisite interpretations this time," he says.
In addition, Zhao will also sing for the first time in public during the show. He will cooperate with Taiwan singer Tiger Huang in the famous "The Moon Represents My Heart" as a gift to his wife.
Asked why they don't sing together, Shen says her husband sings for her and she skates for him.
China's pair-skating teams are not at their best, the couple told reporters. Pang Qing and Tong Jian are not in their best physical condition, Zhang Hao just got a new partner and the talent pool is limited at this time.
They hope their performance will attract Chinese young people to ice skating as sport, recreation or a career.
Date: June 17, 7pm
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, 701 Yaoti Rd, Pudong
Tickets: 180-1,280 yuan (US$28.26-200.96)
Tel: 962-388, 5107-8123
The program titled "Red Temptation" will also feature champion skaters Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko from Russia, Kurt Browning from Canada, Shizuka Arakawa from Japan and Johnny Weir from the United States.
Shen and Zhao, who are married, have been partners for 20 years. They will perform a program titled "Our 20 Years" that features most of their classic competition pieces.
After the last big show, they will become official coaches for the China Youth Team.
After garnering a long list of medals (except Olympic gold), Shen and Zhao came out of retirement to win their first Olympic gold in 2010, skating to the neo-Baroque "Adagio in G Minor."
Then they retired again, but reemerged to initiate the annual "Artistry on Ice" to promote ice skating. They are artistic directors of the show.
Since the couple is approaching their 40s, they think it's time to move on to coaching.
Zhao still remembers the day when he held Shen's hand for the first time 20 years ago.
"The coach presented four girls as potential partners on that day and I picked Shen," Zhao recalls. "She looked at me worshipfully since I was already champion of the National Games."
Their "Our 20 Years" program includes skating to excerpts from "Turandot," "Madam Butterfly," "Adagio in G Minor," "Sweet Dreams," "I Believe" and "Notre Dame de Paris." It is available on CD.
"Every piece is familiar, but there will be more exquisite interpretations this time," he says.
In addition, Zhao will also sing for the first time in public during the show. He will cooperate with Taiwan singer Tiger Huang in the famous "The Moon Represents My Heart" as a gift to his wife.
Asked why they don't sing together, Shen says her husband sings for her and she skates for him.
China's pair-skating teams are not at their best, the couple told reporters. Pang Qing and Tong Jian are not in their best physical condition, Zhang Hao just got a new partner and the talent pool is limited at this time.
They hope their performance will attract Chinese young people to ice skating as sport, recreation or a career.
Date: June 17, 7pm
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, 701 Yaoti Rd, Pudong
Tickets: 180-1,280 yuan (US$28.26-200.96)
Tel: 962-388, 5107-8123
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