Update to Fantasy on Ice from Fukui, Japan

This Blog is an update for my earlier Blog Fantasy on Ice From Fukui, Japan.  I decided to create a second Blog for the updates instead of adding them to the top of the previous Blog.  Here is everything I have added since the original Blog:

Dima Bilan & Johnny Weir - Safety (Fukui) Live! courtesy of BilanOfficial!  This video is shot from the audience and contains the entire performance.  However, be aware the video is almost exclusively of Dima Bilan, with only a few seconds here and there of Johnny Weir.


Finale rehearsal courtesy of antonionajarro


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Johnny sent this Tweet to his fans after the first show on September 11:

The necklace in question is a chain containing a number of charms, many of which were given to Johnny by his fans.  He is seldom photographed without it, and even wears it out on the ice while skating his programs.  The necklace is often visible in photos or videos flying around as Johnny skates or spins.  Many of his fans have expressed concern the chain might fly up and hit him in the eye or at some point break and have charms flying all over.  Unfortunately we were right about the chain breaking! 

The following photograph shows the chain in July, 2010:   

The following video shows Johnny, other skaters, and officials searching the ice for his charms while Plushenko entertains the audience.  All the charms were eventually found, and the show continued without further delay.

"Fantasy On Ice in Fukui" - Global searching courtesy of PlushenkoOfficial.


Photo taken less than two days ago (September 14) showing the charms on a new, apparently longer, chain:

Hopefully it will never break again (it never had before this)!

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Added September 15, 2010

Update from Itoi Shigesato Includes FOI Behind the Scenes photographs and a brief Q&A between Itoi Shigesato and Johnny Weir!

Also "Today's Darling" is my friend Misfit Mimes latest Blog, and contains a partial translation of the above Itoi Shigesato post!

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Added September 16, 2010

Thanks to BonBonChocolat for pointing me toward this video (courtesy of bilanofficial) of the finale Dima Bilan - Number One Fan (Fukui) Live!.  Many of the skaters, including Johnny Weir, can be seen in this performance.


Also courtesy of bilanofficial here is Bilan, Marton & Plushenko - Believe (Fukui) Live!


Sponsor TV Station for Fantasy On Ice

English translation of Fantasy On Ice page

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Added September 17, 2010:

Complete translation of News summary from “Hobonichi” today 100915 courtesy of MisfitMimes and Akiko Nakata.

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Fantasy on Ice from Fukui, Japan

The figure skating show Fantasy On Ice took place September 11th and September 12th in Fukui, Japan.  An earlier edition of the show took place in July in Niigata, Japan.  The skaters involved in the September show included Evgeni Plushenko, Stephane Lambiel, Johnny Weir, Tomas Verner, Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, Surya Bonaly, Viktor Petrenko, Shizuka Arakawa, Miki Ando, Akiko Suzuki, Fumie Suguri, Haruka Imai,
Tatsuki Machida, and others.

With the large cast that included a number of Olympic and World medalists of all colors, many figure skating fans outside of Japan were hoping they would see a lot of video and photographs of the show(s).  Unfortunately there has been very little to come out of Japan in relation to these shows.  With so much coming out of China from the Artistry On Ice show, many fans were hoping for the same from Fantasy On Ice in Japan.  However, very little has shown up from this show; much to the surprise of those of us who are used to the generous Japanese fans providing us with both pictures and video.  A Japanese fan informed Johnny Weir's FaceBook fan group there was a complete ban on cameras and video cameras at the show, and it was strictly enforced.  Despite the fact this explains the lack of video and photographs from Fantasy On Ice, we are still hoping that some fans somewhere were able to take pictures and will at some point pass them on.

In the meantime, if you follow the link to the Fantasy On Ice website, you will see four small buttons on the right side below the five star figure skaters' pictures labeled ver.1, ver.2, ver.3 and ver.4.  Clicking on each of these buttons will cause a small window to pop up and you will see a very short video with information on the show and (very) brief videos picturing several of the skaters involved in the show.

The only other videos I have come across so far from this show are this brief news report with footage of several of the skaters courtesy of rororoom:
   
and this twelve second video of Johnny Weir courtesy of JEKitten1:


This photograph of rehearsals for the show came from the  Fukuishimbun.co.jp website:

The following backstage photographs are courtesy of Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat:

The following photos are all courtesy of JWArtProject:

Johnny Weir and his special guests Vogue Nippon team:

Flowers, Flowers 1, and Flowers 2 of the flowers generously given to Johnny by the Japanese Johnnys Angels:

In addition, Itoi Shigesato visited Johnny backstage at the show and also attended the show as a V.I.P.:

From 1101.com:

One of the programs skated by Johnny Weir in this show was a new number skated to 'Safety' by Dima Bilan.  The following photograph of Dima Bilan and Johnny Weir is also courtesy of JW Art Project:

The following photographs are from Johnny's new 'Safety' program.