Johnny Weir skates world premiere of Heartbroken at Ice Theatre of New York gala (video)

I knew Johnny Weir couldn't stay off the ice for too long! With all his media appearances of late, I was beginning to think, "Is is possible Johnny will now devote all his time to really becoming a media personality?" Whew, boy was I glad to be 100% wrong. 

Johnny was the headliner at Ice Theatre of New York's 2010 Home Season Opening Night and this is his first ice appearance in NYC post-Olympics. Founded in 1984 by Moira North, Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) is a not-for-profit ice dance company which merges ice skating and dance in traditional and avant-garde ways. If you want to see wonderful examples of both, I recently did a piece about their free lunch time concert series at Rockefeller Skating Rink, so click here if you'd like to watch.

Johnny created a new piece called Heartbroken to celebrate ITNY's home season opening night. In addition, he also performed fan-favorite Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.

The evening featured ITNY ensemble members Alizah Allen, Ali Blank, Eve Chalom, Angela Chiang, Michael Dionysiou, Kristina Faclo, Andrew Naylor, Michele Forchione, Marni Halasa, Elizabeth L'Heureux, Kenny Moir, Radmila Olshansky, Jiri Prochazka, Kevin Sidwell, Steven Smith and Wendy Wilke presenting new works as well as bringing back some classic ones. The performance featured Elisa Angeli and Tyrrell Gene in Jacqulyn Buglisi’s The Dreame, and the ensemble in Elisa Monte’s Draughtsman’s Contract and Alberto Del Saz’s La Revolte des Enfants. Elisa Angeli and Jiri Prochazka also appeared in a restaging of Lar Lubovitch’s Tilt-a-Whirl originally performed by Peggy Fleming and John Curry. In addition, the ITNY ensemble performed this season’s new works, Dare Greatly and Primavera, both choreographed by ice choreographer Douglas Webster. But wait there's more! U.S. ice dancers Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre also skated their exhibition number Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman and Kim even took part in one of the ensemble numbers. My video story about the event will also be coming up!

There are only two more dates for the ITNY home season celebration:

• Where: Sky Rink (Pier 61, Chelsea Piers, NYC)

• When: Friday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. AND Saturday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact ITNY at (212) 929-5811. (Photo below, from left to right, Moira North, Kim Navarro, Johnny Weir, Kenny Moir and Marni Halasa)

Ice Theatre of New York celebrates home season with Johnny Weir

If you're in the NYC area tonight, or tomorrow night, or Saturday night, you have to check out Ice Theatre of New York's home season opening night. Special guest skater for tonight is Johnny Weir, fresh off his whirlwind media appearances post-Olympics! I'll be there and will come back with a full video report.

Be Good Johnny Weir: Final episode to air June 27 on Sundance Channel

• Tonya Harding now into drag racing. [Albany Herald]

• Joannie Rochette speaks about her mom's unhealthy lifestyle at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.  [Gazette]

• Salt Lake City to host 2011 U.S. Junior Championships, which crowns the U.S. champion in ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing in the first two levels of the U.S. Figure Skating competitive structure: juvenile and intermediate. Reminder: Greensboro, North Carolina will host the 2011 U.S. Championships which brings together the novice, junior and senior skaters. [icenetwork]

• Yu-Na Kim breaks from IB Sports and creates her own management company run by Mother. [USA Today]

• Our lil Nobu's getting married? AND his fiancée is four months pregnant? Watch my interview with 10-year-old Nobu here. [FS Universe]

• Coach Lee Barkell from Canada named as Nobunari Oda's new coach. Nobu decided not to follow Nikolai Morozov to Russia. [Goldenskate]

• Stars On Ice has its moments, but overall it's...[Times Union]

• Brian Orser says: I will not, will not, coach Mao Asada, as long as Yu-Na Kim continues to compete. [JoongAng Daily]

• Skyliners synchronized skating team display true friendship and generosity. [U.S. Figure Skating]

• Yay! One last episode of Be Good Johnny Weir to air on June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on the Sundance Channel. Read my recaps of Episodes 1 through 8 here. (photo at right, Johnny Weir skating to Lady Gaga's Poker Face) [LA Times]

Evan Lysacek dances the Samba on Week 6 of Dancing With The Stars

Here are Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya dancing the Samba on last night's Dancing With The Stars. First time the couple's gotten unanimous negative reviews from the judges! Or as Len best put it -- Samba is a carnival dance and yours looked like a balletic dance. [UPDATE: Evan was not voted off. Yay!]

Enter to win Princess Mao

• THIS is why I LOVE Brian Orser. Still got it. [YouTube]

• Rachael Flatt loves the beach? I thought figure skaters spent their lives indoors. [World Figure Skating]

• Complete results from the 2010 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships. [icenetwork]

• How do you put together a successful a synchronized skating team? Step 1. Start with an amazing coach. [Team Excel blog]

• Evan Lysacek is THE example for the business world. [WSJ]

• Check out Los Angeles Ice Theater's performance to Forrest Gump. [YouTube]

• Confirmed -- Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books will publish Johnny Weir's tell all book. Tentative title? I'm Johnny Weir and You're Not (I made that part up.) [Entertainment Weekly]

• A day in the life of Evan Lysacek includes lots of rituals. [ET Online]

• Full recap of An Evening With Champions featuring Olympic champions Tenley Albright, Dorothy Hamill and Sarah Hughes; Olympic silver medalists Kitty Carruthers and Peter Carruthers and Paul Wylie; world champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner and Debi Thomas; and U.S. champions and medalists JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley, Janet Lynn, Judy Sladky, Julie Holmes and Suna Murray. [icenetwork] 

• Miki Ando and Ashley Wagner added to Stars On Ice roster. [Stars On Ice]

• Happy birthday Mirai Nagasu! She turned 17 last Friday.

• What do you mean Evan's too rote on Dancing With The Stars!?! [NYT]

• Enter to win copies of Mao Asada's biography. Personally, I would've chosen a different photo for the cover (see right), one that shows off her beautiful extension. [Japan Times]