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Post by Admin on Apr 24, 2020 0:56:11 GMT
Olympic figure skater Kaitlyn Weaver is to produce and host a one-off talk show called Open Ice to raise money for the fight against COVID-19. Saturday, April 25th, 2PM ET - Olympic Ice Dancer Kaitlyn Weaver and Jordan Cowan from On Ice Perspectives host a live-streamed event with figure skating legends, to raise money for the U.N. Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.  The programme, which will be co-produced by Jordan Cowan of On Ice Perspectives, will feature some of the world's best skaters within their own homes. Games, interviews and impromptu performances will be part of the show with Canada's Weaver based in her own apartment in New York. It will be live-streamed on the International Skating Union's (ISU) YouTube channel on April 25 with "unscripted moments and unbridled spontaneity" promised. http://instagram.com/p/B_Syd9LlP1T Funds raised will be donated to the United Nations Foundation's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Skating guests will include Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan, Sandra Bezic, Nathan Chen, Aljona Savchenko, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Katia Gordeeva, Kurt Browning, Tracy Wilson, Brian Orser, Javier Fernandez, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Satoko Miyahara, Yuka Sato, Patrick Chan, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Todd Eldredge, Galit Chait, Valentina Marchei and others. http://instagram.com/p/B_QR1EnFIcZ The 31-year-old Weaver won three World Championship medals in ice dance alongside Andrew Poje. Other honours include two gold medals at the Four Continents Championships, and the ISU Grand Prix Final title twice. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 24, 2020 19:40:41 GMT
 Canadian ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver sprang into action during quarantine and helped develop a live-streamed fundraiser that's bringing together the biggest names in figure skating: Adam Rippon, Michelle Kwan, Nathan Chen, just to name few. She also talks life in NYC during quarantine and what her future may hold. So catch it streaming on the ISU's YouTube page on Saturday, April 25th at 2pm ET! Hosts of That Figure Skating Show Dylan & Asher interview the Canadian ice dancer about 'Open Ice' including skaters like Michelle Kwan, Adam Rippon, Kurt Browning. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 25, 2020 18:34:03 GMT
Donate to the U.N. Foundation: www.OpenIceLive.com/DonateTwo ice dancers, Olympian Kaitlyn Weaver and skating cinematographer Jordan Cowan, unite the figure skating world from their apartments in New York City, with an intimate, one-time live broadcast benefitting the United Nations COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. http://instagram.com/p/B_ZDGBol0uT The event, beginning at 2pm EST on Saturday, April 25th, features an extensive list of figure skating legends, past and present, all willing to donate their time, energy, and talent to the cause. Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Kurt Browning, Adam Rippon, Javier Ferrnadez, Ashley Wagner and more promise there isn’t a moment to be missed. Games, interviews, and impromptu performances vary the pace of warm and heartfelt sharing, with entertainment and unscripted moments of unbridled spontaneity. “I wanted to create something that empowers and mobilizes the vast skating community for good. Together, from our own small corners of the world, we can do great things for people who really need help” says Weaver. “I’m uplifted and excited to experience what we can do just by tuning in and reaching out. And I’m extremely honored to share these stories amongst the legends of my sport.” Produced by Weaver and Cowan entirely over the web, Open Ice aims to entertain, engage and give hope to a skating community in self-isolation. “I’ve seen firsthand how social media brings the figure skating community together,” says Cowan, who is managing the technical and marketing aspects of Open Ice. “I know skating fans will recognize the dedication we and all the skaters on this show are putting towards this event, and respond in kind with their donations. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 27, 2020 20:09:13 GMT
When the coronavirus pandemic began to alter everyone’s way of life, Kaitlyn Weaver said she had a hard time just sitting still in her New York City apartment and watching everything happen around her. The two-time Olympian and three-time World medalist ice dancer for Canada knew she wanted to do something to the contribute to the efforts. So after being moved by a live benefit show hosted by Rosie O’Donnell that featured many of the biggest names in entertainment, Weaver started to contemplate a similar effort involving the figure skating community. “We’ve got a great skating community that is worldwide,” Weaver, 31, told Figure Skaters Online by phone on April 22. “I reached out to a few friends just to bounce some ideas off of and to see if people would want to do this and the answer was a resounding yes.” One of those friends that Weaver pitched her idea to was longtime friend and former training mate, Jordan Cowan of On Ice Perspectives. “I just knew that he would be the perfect partner in this,” Weaver described of Cowan. “He’s so smart and so able to put things together and make them look beautiful, while always having the best interest of the skater at heart. And I think that’s very unique. So I pitched him my idea and he came back a few days later and said, ‘Okay, let’s do this.'” And with that, Weaver and Cowan started tirelessly working on planning a live benefit show for the skating community. The first week, Weaver said, consisted of just reaching out to people on how they could do this. Two of those people were Canadian Olympic ice dancer and choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne and her husband, Bohdan Turok. The name “Open Ice,” was created by Bourne, Weaver said.  “I was speaking with her and her husband, who is an artist, screenwriter, videographer, cinematographer and I was just bouncing ideas off of them. We described what we wanted to do, what I wanted it to feel like. We had a few different [name] options and Open Ice right away caught everybody’s attention. Shae-Lynn is a genius in every way and I’m so appreciative of her contributions to this,” Weaver remarked. With growing support for the idea and a team to assist her, Weaver started pinning down the details for the fundraiser. The Open Ice live show begins April 25 at 2 p.m. EST. Weaver said she was originally considering a primetime show for North America, but decided to adjust the time, not only for international fans, but for the skaters who would be participating from various places around the world. http://instagram.com/p/B_b6zOklxn5 “It was important that it was comfortable and convenient for everyone involved,” she said. “I never thought that everybody that I asked would say yes. I never dreamed that would happen,” Weaver shared, admitting that she actually had to start slowing down the process of reaching out to people due to the growing guest list. “I’m very grateful that the response has been so positive from the skaters and I hope that the message is conveyed that we want to come together to help as a group.” Without giving too much away, Weaver said Open Ice will be a live variety show featuring games, interviews and impromptu performances. “It’s going to be real, raw, emotional and entertaining,” Weaver shared. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 28, 2020 0:42:33 GMT
The show will benefit the United Nations COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Weaver said it was important to her to choose an international organization since Open Ice is a global initiative. “The World Health Organization is doing everything. They are providing PPE [personal protective equipment]. They are fighting this disease systemically within the country so people have access to testing and so low income communities are getting the right things that they need,” Weaver explained, adding that a representative from the UN Foundation will be on the show to give the facts of what the charity is doing and what a gift, like $20, can do. “It was important for me to have that support from them and they’ve been incredible with supporting this initiative.” Open Ice Live has already raised more than $2,000 of its $15,000 goal, which Weaver said she didn’t expect people would start donating in advance of the show. With the early response, Weaver said they may consider increasing their goal. http://instagram.com/p/B_VbxpcFbEf “We believe in our community and I think we really can do something great,” she said. “If you give athletes and a sports community a goal, people want to reach it, you know.” As an athlete, Weaver has never planned such a big event and acknowledges that she learned a lot about the power of community and reaching out for help. With just a few days to go before the event, Weaver admits she’s a bit nervous, but is really excited for the show. http://instagram.com/p/B_Syd9LlP1T “I am really looking forward to seeing the magic that happens when you bring everybody together in one place live,” she exclaimed. |
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