Six Celebrities will partner with six professional figure skaters for the ultimate pairs competition as Fox's "Skating with Celebrities" announces participants.
Source: |
FOX Press Release |
Date: |
September 6, 2005 |
Nancy Kerrigan, Kurt Browning and Tai Babilonia Among Pro Skaters
to Skate with Celebrities Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton to Host
Show Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill to be a Judge of Competition
SKATING WITH CELEBRITIES will partner six famous personalities with
six professional figure skaters to compete for an unprecedented figure
skating title on FOX. Hosted by Olympic gold medalist and world
champion Scott Hamilton, the competition will feature some of the most
recognized and celebrated names in professional figure skating and a
mix of celebrities who span a wide spectrum within the entertainment
industry.
The celebrity/professional figure skater pairs are:
- Actor/comedian Dave Coulier ("Full House") with two-time Olympic
figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan;
- Olympic decathlon gold medalist and television personality Bruce
Jenner with world champion pairs figure skater Tai Babilonia;
- Actor Todd Bridges ("Diff'rent Strokes") with three-time
U.S. national pairs figure skating champion and world championship
medalist Jenni Meno;
- Actress Kristy Swanson ("Dude, Where's My Car?", "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer") with two-time Olympic pairs figure skating medalist
and world champion Lloyd Eisler;
- Singer/songwriter/actress Deborah Gibson with four-time world
figure skating champion Kurt Browning;
- Television personality, reporter and weather forecaster Jillian
Barberie ("Good Day LA," "Fox NFL Sunday," "Good Morning, Miami") with
three-time U.S. pairs figure skating champion and world championship
medalist John Zimmerman.
Over the course of six themed episodes, the celebrities and their
professional partners will perform figure skating routines that will
challenge the celebs' athletic and artistic abilities and push them to
prepare and perform in ways they've never done before. Each episode
will test the pairs' skills as they demonstrate whether they can
successfully pull off original and challenging skating sequences... or
whether they'll freeze under pressure.
"For most people, it's tough enough to learn these types of moves
while on the dance floor or working out in the gym," said FOX's
executive vice president of alternative programming, Mike
Darnell. "This competition will require our celebrity skaters to not
only demonstrate rhythm, but also athleticism, grace and balance
... on ice, and before a team of unforgiving judges with both
Olympic and world championship experience. No doubt there will be
plenty of falls, bruises and scary moments."
"All of the celebrities in the competition not only have the
ability to skate, but the desire to excel and become great. What's
really interesting is that even at the training level, a competition
between the pairs is already developing," said executive producer
Arthur Smith.
Olympic gold medalist, world figure skating champion and American
icon Dorothy Hamill will be one of the judges of the unique
competition. Hamill, with her extensive expertise on all aspects of
the sport and artistry of skating, will help decide which pairs move
forward in the competition and who is eliminated.
The six pairs will each have the benefit of working with a
professional figure skating choreographer during the
competition. Five-time U.S. national ice dance champion and Emmy
Award-winning choreographer Michael Seibert, U.S. and world figure
skating champion and director/choreographer Randy Gardner and
three-time U.S. ice dance champion Renee Roca are working with the
pairs to help craft the challenging and exciting routines they will
perform in each episode.
SKATING WITH CELEBRITIES is produced by A. Smith &
Co. Productions. Arthur Smith and Kent Weed are executive producers.
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