The exhibition "Stelle di ghiaccio" was held to celebrate the 5-year cultural exchange between Regione Lombardia and the region of St. Petersburg, so the skaters taking part in the show were all Italians and Russians, with the exception of Stanick Jeannette.
The arena was completely full, which surprised me, considering that we're talking about a skating show _in Italy_!! Unfortunately we couldn't sit on the long side where the exhibitions were directed (kind of a trend after Torino?! It was reserved for authorities and skaters' parents), but at least my friends and I were right in the center section of the opposite long side. It was nice to have the chance to meet again for a show only one week after Euros, it makes it easier to slowly go back to normal life after 10 days full of skating in Torino ;)

Barbara FP was walking around with her beautiful beautiful baby, Giorgia, who now is 7 months old - she was sooooo cute while smiling and gazing at her grandad ;)

After some boring and useless speeches, the exhibition began with a harp player (who had quite some problems walking on the ice with high heels :p) - so my friends and I started wondering if she was an Italian relative of Edvin Marton, playing harp instead of violin :p After she played one song, Barbara and Maurizio came on the ice (they both looked gorgeous! Babi was wearing extensions, so she had extremely long blond hair) and they introduced all the other skaters.

First to skate were Victoria Manni and Andrea Fabbri, a very very young couple, who at the moment is doing both dancing and pairs - so in their exhibition they put something from both disciplines. Anyway you can see that they're only at the very beginning and still have to work a lot.
Marcella De Trovato was next, she's only 13, but she's very talented. I think her personality already shows, she has a good interpretation and an elegant and flowing skating. Her exhibition was to a song by Bocelli.

The end of her exhibition

Mishin brought here some of his more promising young talents, all trying difficult jumps to show how good they are, but unfortunately falling or landing them badly most of the times :( Which is a pity, especially because I don't think the biggest part of the audience could understand that they did mistakes because they were attempting a triple - they just saw the fall. I don't remember a lot about them, anyway... The first Russian kid was Nikita Mikhailov, skating to a typical Russian music, and wearing a typical Russian-taste costume: a yellow shirt with black spots, and black and white striped trousers ^^;;;;; The pair Kokoreva & Golovkin (we immediately noticed that he's a Oleg Krupen look alike :p) skated to Ave Maria - not quite the same as the one of Totmianina & Marinin we still had in our minds :p. She fell on the throw, probably getting scared that he was trying to throw her outside the boards ^^;
A couple of forgettable exhibition, then Karel Zelenka was on the ice, doing his SP, ready to show - as if it was necessary! - that it would have been so much better to send _him_ to Euros.
Valentina Marchei was wearing a red costume, and did an exhibition to the music used for one of those ISU clips, the one with the orchestra director. The girl has charisma, too bad that sometimes during competition she completely looses the concentration - like during Euros SP :(
Petrova & Tikhonov were definitely one of the highlights of the night; their first number was "souvenir to souvenir" by smash. They were very elegant, did everything perfectly, and I especially love that lift-exit where she twists in the air before Alexei puts her back down.

Maria & Alexei
Maria & Alexei
Maria & Alexei

The first part of the show was closed by an exhibition from Hot Shivers, the synchro skating team of Palasesto, to the musics of Notre Dame de Paris (such an original choice! :p) [CUT]

Time for ice resurfacing!

Arthur Gachinsky opened the second part of the gala. He was introduced by the speaker as the future Plushenko ;) and quite rightly so! He's 10 or 12 years old, and has amazing jumps!! His Elvis number was really fun, I wanted to take a pic of him so if he'll become Olympic champion I'll be able to say "I saw you skating in Milan when you where a little boy! I'm a fan since then!" :p

The "little Plushenko"

Another couple of exhibitions, then it was Stanick's turn to take the ice. He did his Chaplin program, I loved it! It was fun, nice choreography and spins, and the jumps were very good too. If only he skated so well at French Nationals too...
Carolina Kostner skated her SP, she's always so elegant and soft. This time no problems for her despite skating in front of an Italian audience ;)
Federica & Massimo did their Momix number - but I think they had some problems with the "cocoon" as Federica appeared out of it a bit too soon.. anyway, I always enjoy this exhibition (what? do you think it's because of Massi's outfit?!) and its spectacular lifts. Of course at the end of the program their mascotte - toponiglio franklin! - was thrown on the ice (please Massimo pick it up, pick it up, otherwise the puppet will freeze with its face on the ice!!!).

The cocoon
Cocoon moving
A couple of legs...
Finally out of it!
Lift
Posing
Ending
Greeting the audience

Urmanov was next, he too doing a Notre Dame de Paris exhibition.. olè! First he was wearing a cloack, then threw it away to reveal some Quasimodo-clothes (could have borrowed the one from Gwendal, that was much better! ah, Gwendal, he looked so beautiful even when they were trying to make him look ugly to be Quasimodo :p). Anyway, after a little bit he got rid of the Quasimodo-clothes too, and was then wearing a black costume with some gold (friends told me that probably it was from his '99 MJ program ??) I  didn't understand what it had to do with the music, but... Even after years, he still has class - only a real champion could save a jump that was clearly going to end with a fall and land it perfectly as nothing happened!
Petrova & Tikhonov were the only to skate twice, and for their second number did a funny exhibition to "ty darila mne rosy" by nocny snaipery, similar to the one they skated at Euros. They skated really well, and Alexei is always so sweet - at the end when a very little girl (looked like  4 years old) gave them some flowers, he lifted her over his head and then put her to sit on his shoulders!

Maria & Alexei
Maria & Alexei

Last but not least, Barbara & Maurizio. I had never seen their exhibition to "killin' me softly", actually I hadn't seen them skating in a long time! They're always so beautiful to watch, and Barbara is a true diva!! She had a black dress with some sparkling silver, while Mauri was all in black. The number starts with Mauri playing with a rope around Barbara's neck (let's hope he doesn't decide to strangle her :P), then some moves from their old programs (as their 2000 OD, or a lift from Romeo and Juliet, ah, beautiful memories!!) and a part from the Adagio exhibition I think. Plus some sexy moves and passionate looks ;) It was really nice to see them together again... They also did a very short I will survive encore.

Playing with the rope
Playing with the rope
From latin OD
Lift
Lift
Lift
Another lift
Meeting
Bowing

Finale will all the skaters back on the ice as usual, and that was the end of the show - and the beginning of the post-show! I had some photos to deliver: to Babi, Mauri and to Fede & Massi.
So my friends and I went to the opposite side of the rink. Federica & Massimo had already left the ice, while Barbara and Maurizio were still busy signing autographs and posing for pics. First I stopped Mauri, and gave him the photos with Plushy and Joubert I took of him in Torino after the gala. Barbara was now holding her baby, so everyone had started taking pics of her and Giorgia, me too of course!

Babi and Giorgia
Signing autographs
Babi and Giorgia
Babi and Giorgia

I won't say it enough, that baby is so so so so cute!!!!! I also finally got to give Barbara some photos of Giorgia I had taken this summer, but that I had always forgotten home ^^;; "How little she was! Mum, look!" was Babi's reaction!
Then Federica arrived, I gave her the pics from Torino and asked her to sign the one where I was sitting in the K&C with them - and then did the same with Massimo as he came some minutes later.

Federica signing autographs

Paola had brought some photos for them too, and - craziest thing ever! - she gave them a "participation certificate" to Euros for Toponiglio Franklin, the mascotte!!!!!! Of course they started laughing and couldn't believe it - ok, I'm sure that now they think we are absolutely crazy! :p

Federica and Massimo
Federica and Massimo
Federica and Massimo + Toponiglio

Changing subject, they also told us that they'll take part in this week (12-13/02) national competition, in Como, yay! As it happens to be my town, of course I'm going to see them :)