u/Ancient-Raise-4939

Here is my attempt at a thorough, objective review of last night's SOI.

I must say that I was a little nervous for the cast after seeing their crazy night at NYC on 5/4. Alysa at the Met Gala, Madi and Alysa at the Gala afterparty, Ilia, Vadym and Emi performing at the benefit and then staying for the party with other SOI cast members...I was doing the math and it seemed almost improbable that they would make it to Rochester on time and perform. Well, they all showed up! I guess that's why they're the pros!

Stargazer: >!!<

During the Stargazer event in Rochester, Ilia and Alysa did not show up. I'm guessing they were catching up on their sleep. Amber and Isabeau did entertain quite a bit. Amber is such a dedicated skater and worked really hard during her practice. She was determined to land her triple loop and only left when she was happy with it. Andrew also entertained the crowd and showed some choreo tricks.

When the pairs/dance teams were practicing, Vadym and Emi really served the crowd. They were very entertaining and skated a lot. Seeing Vadym skate live was something else. I couldn't believe what a great skater he is. Emi is great too, don't get me wrong but Vadym skating level is on another level.
Danny and Ellie also rehearsed but Ellie looked a little off. It's hard to explain but didn't seem like her usual self.

The show:

Having first row, on-ice seats was definitely worth it. It was so incredible to watch the skaters be literal inches away from you.

The show started with the Fearless group number. The group was definitely more synchro and skated very well. When Ilia came out to do his part, the arena went wild. The whole night, watching Ilia was something special. You can see the passion he has for the sport. His facial expressions were priceless. He was singing along to everything he skated to and put 100% of himself into each performance.

Andrew - He really is a fantastic skater. Really loved both of his numbers.

Jason - Great entertainer and loved watching him perform!

Christina and Anthony - also great. There was one mishap when Christina was on a lift and had her skate on his leg, her skate was caught in his fabric. They laughed it off and nothing bad happened. I also have a theory that they might become the next Virtue/Moir where they keep us guessing "are they or aren't they a couple" They have great chemistry and are well-matched.

Vadym and Emi - OMG this couple blew me away. They are such an amazing dance team. Their speed, chemistry, skating skills, lifts, everything was sublime. I can't wait to see what's next for them. One of my favorite details about them was when the Bruno boys created a tunnel for them to go through.

Madi and Evan - they're a great dance team but for me, they're kinda boring. I don't know...I can't pinpoint it. But from the 3 dance couples, I was definitely impressed the least by them. They skated their Olympics long program and the gala program. It was great but not memorable.

Ellie and Danny - They decided to not skate their Pitbull program at all. I was surprised to see Ilia come out and skate his IWMFLU and realizing that it meant that they were skipping their performance in the first act. They did perform their Olympic program in the second act but they skated cautiously. I'm guessing the previous falls in other shows didn't help. They were still entertaining though.

Amber - OMG this girl can perform! She was definitely my favorite female skater of the night. Her Madonna performance still lives rent-free in my head. When she does the step sequence/choreo, it was magical. You can tell that she puts her heart and soul into each performance.

Isabeau - what a princess! Loved her performances. Her spins were mesmerizing and I loved watching her skate. Her Madonna program was my favorite and that costume! So gorgeous!

Alysa - I obviously loved Alysa but her skating definitely showed fatigue. I don't blame her! Considering that she had such once-in-a life event the night prior. She only did single and double jumps. I know it's a show, but it would be great to see triples from her! Just like Madi and Evan, I found her skating forgettable. Doesn't even compare to Isabeau and Amber.

Ilia - I have no words. Yes, I am an Ilia fan. But watching him live was something else. He leaves his heart and soul on the ice. His backflips are even more impressive in real life. When he sets them up, he's literally flying across the ice. I was holding my breath for them. He definitely knows how to work the crowd and shows so much emotion when he skates. I couldn't decide which number I liked more: IWMFLU or Eminem. During the Eminem program, he goes to the audience and high fives them. It was definitely worth getting those on-ice seats just for that. Both programs were amazing and I hope he continues to skate them. During IWMFLU, his speed and power is insane. I honestly dont know how it's humanly possible to skate like that. HIs speed during his spins in this program is also insane. Like, how does speed increase as the spin progresses ? Ilia was also one of the only skaters to actually do triple jumps. It still amazes me that he can just do it without going to the practice session.

Group numbers: Are they cheesy? Yes. Do I love them? Absolutely. The guys changed the choreo for the Bruno Mars song and they gave the ladies what they wanted! I almost got a rose from Anthony..but he gave it to the girl sitting next to me... ahh..maybe next time. My favorite group number was definitely the opening one to Fearless. It's great synchro and choreo and Ilia is amazing in it. He almost skates angrily. I also really liked their Olympic gold number. Amber's and Ilia's were definitely my favs. Ilia's voice costume is incredible! I did not expect it to look like that. It's so much more special in real life. Alysa skated her short program but it doubled as her individual one and the olympic one.

Overall, great show! I would definitely go to another one if it were closer. They still have half of the tour left. If you're on the fence , I say go for it. I would also say to get the Stargazer passes even if it's just for more favorable parking and merch shopping. You have so much more time in the arena and don't have to wait to get in. And you never know what you're gonna get. Quadcats? 4A? Don't get a case of FOMO!

https://preview.redd.it/48kkeve0akzg1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1286f5dd9e37e747ce7ef52f4f07a8663dfdc6e8

https://preview.redd.it/3jfieoe0akzg1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ca79b3fc94b4051c24770565fdb1e0890d05679

https://reddit.com/link/1t5lorb/video/z8gy4bp3akzg1/player

We’ve all been eating up the content of SOI and attending their shows. I’m going tomorrow in Rochester and can’t wait! That being said, I’m starting to get concerned for the fatigue of the cast. Their schedule has been insane! Even on the days off, they’re doing more. I know that they’re loving it but this nonstop
Craziness is starting to show up in their skating. You can tell it’s the mental fatigue (and I’m sure physical). The two crashes by Danny and Ellie were scary. Amber falling on a crossover! Ilia tripping while skating foward! I’m very concerned that they might get injured. I can’t imagine having enough stamina to do this for two months straight. I feel like SOI needs to space out their shows more and give them proper rest.

Ilia's next season

Figure Skaters in the wild