Olympian dazzles Bensenville with dresses, ice dance
The “Ice Dreams” of many young suburban skaters came true during a Saturday night ice show in Bensenville featuring charismatic Olympian ice skater Johnny Weir.
More than 60 skaters from towns including Batavia, Bensenville, Lombard, Long Grove and South Barrington spun and glided their way through a pop-music fueled, night-club inspired number with Weir during his second annual “Ice Dreams” show at The Edge Ice Arena.
“It’ll be fun; it’s modern,” said 12-year-old Corienne Gammariello of South Barrington who skated with her younger sisters Alyssa and Bethany.
The three strutted their stuff during a tryout at Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva to get in on the action.
Weir said he chose the skaters out of hundreds who auditioned based on their ability to entertain and put on a show — not their technical skating skill.
Amanda Soto, 17, of Franklin Park said she was excited for the chance to perform with Weir, a two-time Olympian and three-time National Champion figure skater.
“I love his Lady Gaga program,” Amanda said. “My friends did “Ice Dreams” last year, but I didn’t try out.”
This year Amanda earned one of 66 spots for young female skaters who all performed as part of a chorus of ice dancers and each got their few seconds in the spotlight to “do a jump or spin and show off,” she said.
Young skaters gathered before the show to put on makeup and prance around in boots or skate guards with fleece warm-up jackets over their sequined outfits of pink halter tops and silver skirts.
Meanwhile, Weir debuted his line of elegant black and pale pink dresses on three tall, wiry models before the performance began.
Most of the dresses were short, strapless and designed, Weir said, for any woman who wants to have fun and feel beautiful. Priced between $198 and $298, Weir said the dresses would be great for special occasions such as a prom or a wedding.
“I have a refined, classic side — it’s in me,” Weir said.
While showing off his first dive into fashion design, Weir encouraged youths, such as the kids and teens soon to take the ice with him, to try everything once, embrace their critics and learn from their failures.
“I like to preach in my own way through skating,” Weir said. “My whole life is kind of centered around that one idea of marching to my own beat.”
And Saturday in Bensenville, that beat mainly was a fast-paced one as Weir dazzled the crowd of several hundred with upbeat ice dances to songs such as “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga.
Although Weir has a serious side, dedicating himself to years of Olympic training, he’s known for his edgy, flamboyant showmanship. And what he brought Saturday was “absolutely the fun side,” he said.