The Skating Champions European Tour 2006

By Magdalena Osborne
Photos © EMJO

Icedancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas just performed in the Proximus Stars on Ice shows in Antwerp, Belgium - again, they have been part of the Antwerp cast since the shows began in 2003.

"We were very happy to be invited again", Povilas told us. "It's a big production show and we like those, and the audience in Antwerp is always great."

The shows were more than great, and soon you'll be able to read all about them on Absolute Skating. But there's even more coming up. Povilas and Margarita are busy preparing for their own tour, a subject he likes to talk about.

"This is our fifth anniversary with the tour and we have an extra special cast. Margarita and I will of course do all the shows together with Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and ice acrobats Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian. The big star is Alexei Yagudin who will be with us for all but two shows, and when he's not there we'll have Marina Anisina & Gwendal Peizerat. Also Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov will join us in Vilnius and Warsaw, so there are lots of Olympic Champions."

The show in Vilnius has been televised in previous years, and this time will be no exception, so those of you who are lucky enough to see it - enjoy! Of course seeing the show live is even better and Povilas hopes many will take the opportunity to come and watch great skating.

"The theme of the tour is the Phantom and the story will connect all the performances. My wife is good at planning those kinds of things; she's been working on it for months already. There will be groupnumbers, lots of them. This time we'll spend more time rehearsing than ever before so we can put on an even better show than before."

Hearing all this we have no doubt the shows will be wonderful, and they are coming up very soon, here are the details:

GDANSK, POLAND November 27, 2006
Show time: 18:30 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Hala Olivia, Grunwaldzka 770, Gdansk
Phone: +48 (58) 5522091
Tickets: www.ticketpro.pl
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Marina Anisina & Gwendal Peizerat, Dorota & Mariusz Siudek, Irina Grigorian, Elena Leonova & Andrey Khvalko and the very talented singer Valerie

LIUBLIN, POLAND November 28, 2006
Show time: 18:30 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Hala Widowiskowo Sportowa Globus, Kazimierza Wielkiego 10, Liublin
Phone: +48 81 52 80 135
Tickets: www.ticketpro.pl
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Marina Anisina & Gwendal Peizerat, Dorota & Mariusz Siudek, Irina Grigorian, Elena Leonova & Andrey Khvalko and the very talented singer Valerie

TORUN, POLAND November 29, 2006
Show time: 18:30 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Lodowisko Tor-Tor, Gen. J. Bema ul. 23/29 Torun
Phone: +48 056 661 43 95
Tickets: www.ticketpro.pl
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Elena Leonova & Andrey Khvalko, Dorota & Mariusz Siudek, Irina Grigorian and the very talented singer Valerie

WROCLAW, POLAND November 30, 2006
Show time: 18:30 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Hala Orbita, Wejherowska ul. 2 Wroclaw
Phone: +48 71 356 3500
Tickets: www.ticketpro.pl
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Elena Leonova & Andrey Khvalko, Dorota & Mariusz Siudek, Irina Grigorian and the very talented singer Valerie

CHEMNITZ, GERMANY December 1, 2006
Show time: 20.00 (doors open at 18:00)
Venue: Eissporthalle, Wittgendorferstrasse 2a, D-09114 Chemnitz
Phone: 01805-303435
Tickets: www.eislaufgala-chemnitz.de
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, Irina Grigorian and the very talented singer Valerie

WARSAW, POLAND December 7, 2006
Show time: 18:30 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Torwar I, Lazenkowska ul. 6a Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 529 8800
Tickets: www.ticketpro.pl
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov, Dorota & Mariusz Siudek, Marie-Pierre Leray and the very talented singer Valerie

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA December 10, 2006
2006 December 10 Vilnius
First show: 15:00 (doors open at 13:30)
Second show: 19:00 (doors open at 18:00)
Venue: Utenos pramogu arena, Azolyno g. 9 Vilnius, Lithuania
Phone: +370 52 424 444
E-mail: versenta@ledorumai.lt
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov, Marie-Pierre Leray, Aidas Reklys & Collette House and the very talented violin player Katerina Bykova

KAUNAS, LITHUANIA, December 11 and 12, 2006
Show time: 20.00 (doors open at 18:30)
Venue: S. Daraiaus ir S. Gireno sporto cntras, Peruno al. 5, Kaunas
Phone: +370 37 201628
E-mail: sportohale@takas.lt
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny, Marie-Pierre Leray, Aidas Reklys & Collette House and the very talented violin player Katerina Bykova

TALLINN, ESTONIA December 13, 2006
Show time: 19:00 (doors open at 17:30)
Venue: Saku Suurhall, Paldiski str. 104B Tallinn
Phone: +372 6600200
E-mail: sakusuurhall@sakusuurhall.ee
Tickets office: www.piletilevi.ee
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Alexei Yagudin, Irina Slutskaya, Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny, Marie-Pierre Leray and the very talented singer Valerie

KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA December 15, 2006
Free show
Show time: 15:00 (doors open at 13:00)
Venue: Akropolis Ice ring, Taikos pr. 61 Klaipeda
Phone: +370 52 414 348
E-mail: klaipeda@akropolis.lt
Cast: Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas, Stanick Jeannette, Rory Burghart, Laurent Tobel and Akop Manoukian & Armen Saakian
Guest stars: Marina Anisina & Gwendal Peizerat, Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny, Aidas Reklys & Collette House, Valerie and Katerina Bykova

See you there!