In the winter of 1984, the world watched as Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean dazzled both audiences and judges at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. This amazing British duo captured the ice dance gold medal with nine perfect marks of 6.0 for artistic impression, a rousing, remarkable performance that Time magazine termed "sheer perfection."
They are still at it. Technical merit is no longer the question. It is taken for granted in their exclusive new North American tour. In their flawless performance last night at the Salt Palace, this dramatic duo reprised their Olympic championship performance, a fiery, unforgettable interpretation of Ravel's "Bolero."It was the unquestioned highlight of the evening.
Torvill and Dean, who hail from Nottingham, England, were joined by the dynamic Russian Allstars in what the Washington Post called "glasnost at its best." In fact, the spectacular success of the new show is a shining tribute to the power of international cooperation, with British, Russian and even Australian interests combining to bring audiences the nearest that can be reached to perfection in entertainment.
In a two-part production that lasted a little over two hours, these unique artists presented a completely entertaining evening that gave the deceiving impression of being effortless. At 10 o'clock it seemed impossible to believe that the time had slipped by so quickly.
The only genuine criticisms of the evening were minor. Ragtime Poker, billed as a witty voyage of a poker game in the sound and style of Scott Joplin, fell short of capturing Joplin's famous rhythm, even though the superb costuming and the facile use of giant playing cards on the ice almost made up for it.
The last two numbers of part one were sensational and built to a natural climax, beginning with the passionate, fiery Polovtsian dances, skated to the soaring, dramatic music of Alexander Borodin, and ending with Bolero, the sexually dynamic number that the audience had been waiting for. The tension steadily built into a standing ovation. If these two numbers had ended the entire program, the crescendo would have reached a perfect conclusion. Instead, part two reached almost an off-handed climax with the Hollywood arrangement of "I Got Rhythm."
Part two began with a stunning Egyptian number set to the music of Philip Glass. This major work is a dramatic love story based on the factual accounts of the Pharaoh Akhnaten and his Queen Nefertiti. With spectacular costumes and intricate maneuvers, this was indeed the spectacle of the entire show.
The most charming number, "Hatrick," created a lighthearted "duel", with Torvill and Dean adding their own inimitable imprint to the tradition of musical show-stoppers such as "Anything you can do, I can do better."
And then there was the ice dance classic, an elegant and nostalgic salute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers set to the music of Irving Berlin. This was a fun number that gave the audience the distinct impression that all of the advance publicity about Torvill and Dean was correct. By this time in the program they BECAME Astaire and Rogers.
Throughout the program there were breathtaking airborne triple turns, but it was not even possible to conceive of anyone falling. The most impressive moves were made by the Russian Allstars flying in and out past one another like the Blue Angels. Every skater exhibited technical control and flawless style in an Olympic-caliber performance.
Salt Lake City was fortunate to have been included on this triumphal tour. If you ever get another chance to see Torvill and Dean and their Moscow connection, don't pass it up.