The Ice (show)

The Ice
refer to caption
StatusOngoing
GenreIce show
FrequencyAnnual
CountryJapan
Inaugurated2007
Most recent2023
ActivitySkating exhibitions
Websitefs-theice.com

The Ice (ザ・アイス) is an annual touring ice show in Japan held over the summer at the end of July and early August with a cast of national top skaters from Japan and around the world. The show includes a variety of group numbers, collaborations between top singles skaters, and dance battles.

History

Originally labeled a midsummer ice festival, The Ice debuted in Aichi in 2007, featuring Mao Asada and Mai Asada. In the early years, the show was sponsored by Olympus from 2007 to 2010. Lotte took over the title sponsorship from 2011.[1][2][3] After the "Great East Japan Earthquake" in 2011, the shows in Osaka and Hachinoe in 2011, and the show in Nikko in 2012 were charity performances benefitting the recovery effort.[3][4][5] In 2020 and 2021, the tour was canceled as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in 2022.[6]

Concept

The Ice has a variety show format with group numbers, special collaborations between top skaters that don't usually team up, dance battles, and other game show elements.[1] The 2022 and 2023 editions included duets featuring two-time world champion Shoma Uno and Olympic champion Nathan Chen set to music from The Mission by Ennio Morricone[6] and "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter respectively.[7] The show introduced off-ice dance performances for the first time in 2023 with Kevin Aymoz, Daisuke Takahashi, Cha Jun-hwan and Ilia Malinin.[8]

Attendance and accessibility

The tour attracts up to 30,000 spectators on an annual basis,[citation needed] and ticket prices ranged from 3,000 yen to 29,000 yen for the shows in Osaka in 2023[9] The shows have since 2007 been televised on local terrestrial channels and nationwide on satellite channels by Chukyo TV[10] and Nippon Television.[11][3][12] In 2023, The Ice stopped in Aichi,[13] Nikko,[14] Osaka and Morioka and all 12 shows were streamed live on four different subscription channels.[15]

Cast

The skaters performing in The Ice since its inception in 2007 include:[16][17][citation needed]

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

References

  1. ^ a b "THE ICE（ザ・アイス）2018 | 公式サイト". July 24, 2018. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  2. ^ ASCII. "オリンパス、浅田 舞さん＆真央さんと"μ"の情報サイト"Mai ＆ Mao Channel"を開設". ASCII.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "アイスショー「THE ICE（ザ・アイス）2011」（モリコロショー）愛知公演・大阪公演概要". 右月左月. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "アイスショー「THE ICE（ザ・アイス）2011」八戸チャリティー公演ニュース記事まとめ". 右月左月. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "中京テレビ「チュッキョ・フィギュア」2012/08/01◇ザ・アイス2012日光公演・チャリティーイベント". 右月左月. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "【フジテレビ】宇野昌磨、坂本花織、ネイサン・チェンら世界のトップスケーターたちが集結したアイスショー 「ＴＨＥ ＩＣＥ ２０２２大阪公演」初日、千秋楽公演をPPV..." プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  7. ^ 木下淳. "【フィギュア】宇野昌磨とネイサン・チェンの世界王者コラボ実現「THE ICE」愛知公演開幕 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  8. ^ "高橋大輔、仏のケヴィン・エモズとダンスへ 氷ではなく陸上で「がっつりストリート系？」（オリコン）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  9. ^ "大阪公演". THE ICE（ザ・アイス） | 公式サイト (in Japanese). April 3, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "中京テレビ開局４０周年記念：OLYMPUS presents THE ICE". www.ctv.co.jp. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Ice Tour – IMG Events". imgevents.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "浅田真央 The Ice 2007 （解説：日本語） ｜ フィギュアスケートYouTube 動画Blog". フィギュアスケートYouTube 動画Blog (in Japanese). September 9, 2007. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  13. ^ "THE ICE 2023愛知公演のオンライン生配信が決定！". THE ICE（ザ・アイス） | 公式サイト (in Japanese). July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  14. ^ "日光・大阪・盛岡公演 ライブ配信決定のお知らせ！". THE ICE（ザ・アイス） | 公式サイト (in Japanese). July 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  15. ^ "【フジテレビ】宇野昌磨、坂本花織、ネイサン・チェンら集結 真夏の氷上祭典、世界最高峰のアイスショー 「ＴＨＥ(ザ) ＩＣＥ(アイス) 2023大阪公演＆盛岡公演」全６公..." プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  16. ^ "THE ICE（ザ・アイス）| 公式サイト". THE ICE（ザ・アイス） | 公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved April 9, 2023.
    • 2017, archived July 12, 2017.
    • 2018, archived July 24, 2018.
    • 2019, archived July 23, 2019.
    • 2022, archived July 1, 2022.
  17. ^ 真夏のアイスショー「THE ICE」Dlifeにて7月7日より放送! 浅田真央など世界のトップスケーターが競演 [Midsummer ice show "THE ICE" will be broadcast on Dlife from July 7th! Mao Asada and other world-class skaters participate]. TV Groove (in Japanese). Shinjuku, Tokyo. July 5, 2013. Archived from the original on August 29, 2013.