GIFT – Ice Story 2023 is the second solo ice show produced by Japanese figure skater and two-time Olympic champion, Yuzuru Hanyu, and co-directed with choreographer MIKIKO. The 2.5-hour show, presented on February 26, 2023, tells the story of his life and future on ice, featuring 12 different skating programs, accompanied by dance group Elevenplay, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and a special band led by Satoshi Takebe. It was the first skating event to be held at Tokyo Dome in front of a record audience of 35,000 spectators.

This article provides a detailed analysis of the full show, focusing on new milestones in sports, performing arts, technology, and global reach.

Production and intro

GIFT is one of the few ice show productions of recent years with an organization and distribution that are virtually independent from the sports governing bodies of figure skating. When professional skating reached its peak in the 1990s, an increasing number of Olympic and world champions moved from competitive to professional level (s. Hemphill 2002). The International Skating Union (ISU) took different measures to regain control over the skating market and attract top skaters to stay competitive, introducing narrow eligibility criteria for ISU-sanctioned competitions and stricter regulations for professional skating events. The changes were primarily aimed at pro competitions, but also affected the production of ice shows, making it increasingly difficult to operate independently from the ISU or national federations (s. Tyan 2006, p. 3).

After turning professional in July 2022, a rare offer was presented to Hanyu to perform at Tokyo Dome: “I never would have considered myself worthy enough to perform there; I’m not that conceited or confident enough to think so. But once I had an offer, I started asking people what they thought and then began thinking about the prospect on my own.” (s. Kano 2022) Hanyu had been working on the concept and storyline of the show for a longer period, taking notes either in written form or as voice recordings on mobile devices. The story is primarily based on his own life experiences but is also inspired by the lyrics of various songs that resonated with his feelings—a very personal approach, which is rather uncommon for the conception of ice shows (s. Hanyu 2023).

The setup of the ice rink, stages, and technical equipment required four days of work at the main venue. For rehearsals and preparations, the show setting was recreated at Makuhari Messe, 33 km from Tokyo Dome. The rental fees for both locations added up to 72.8 million yen (US $500,000 as of 2023), the setup, ice resurfacing, and other services not included. The Makuhari Event Hall has been a regular stop in the annual touring ice show Fantasy on Ice since 2014, featuring Hanyu as one of the lead cast members. In that year’s edition of the show, Hanyu debuted the skating program “The Final Time Traveler” as a live music collaboration with singer Sarah Àlainn (s. Makabe 2021, p. 59). A decade later, he revived the program as an introduction for GIFT:

Time and show format

GIFT was produced as a single-day event, held on February 26, 2023, which is a rare occasion at venues without a permanent ice rink. Usually, the costly and laborious setup of a mobile rink is only profitable for events that last multiple days. For this reason, most ice shows are held for three to four days at one venue. Hanyu’s first solo show, Prologue, was presented in two cities, scheduled for two days in Yokohama in November and another three days in Hachinohe in December 2022 (s. Matsubara 2023).

Compared to Prologue, where each show had a duration of 90 minutes, GIFT was extended to 150 minutes with a 40-minute intermission. While events of two to three hours in length are common among ensemble shows with multiple skaters in the cast, it is an unprecedented milestone for a solo ice show, given the skater’s physical limits in power and stamina, as noted by Russian figure skater and world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “I have no idea how he pulled this off and survived. It is incredibly difficult. Even three programs in a show are physically very challenging to skate already, but performing for three hours on end … Could such a show format be used in Russia? I am not sure. We have many top-class skaters, but I can’t single out anyone who would be able to do the same thing.” (s. Levkina 2023)

Venue and attendance

Tokyo Dome is one of Japan’s largest and most prestigious entertainment venues, with a maximum capacity of 55,000 seats. It was originally constructed as a baseball stadium, home to the Yomiuri Giants, but it also serves as a concert venue, with Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, U2, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars among past guest artists (s. Kano 2022). For GIFT, seating capacity was reduced to 35,000 due to the positioning of the ice rink, video screens, stages, and technical equipment. However, with all tickets being sold out, the show set a new record for the biggest live audience at an ice show (s. Olympics 2023). It was one of the largest crowds in history at an (indoor) figure skating event—possibly another record, which is yet awaiting official confirmation.

At the Winter Olympics, which used to draw the highest viewing figures in competitive skating, the biggest live audience was recorded in 1988 in Calgary with more than 19,000 spectators at the men’s event, witnessing the “Battle of the Brians” (s. Findling & Pelle 1996, Hall 2018). According to an official IOC report, the Stade Olympique de Chamonix, which served as an outdoor multi-sports venue at the 1924 Winter Games, had a capacity of 45,000 seats (s. Olympics 1925). However, it is unknown how many people attended the Olympic figure skating events that year. The official Guinness World Record for the largest audience at an indoor skating event was set on May 7, 2010, in the group stage of the World Ice Hockey Championships at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen with 77,803 spectators at the match between host nation Germany and the United States (s. Strohschein 2010).

Ice rink and setting

GIFT marks the first time that an ice rink was set up at the Tokyo Dome (s. Takagi 2022), using a mobile rink with the dimensions of an Olympic short track and figure skating rink, measuring 60 m × 30 m, an unusually large setup for an ice show (s. Kurosawa 2023). Most show rinks are 50 m × 25 m, about 70% of the size of an Olympic rink. Though a rare occasion, GIFT is not the first skating event to be held in a baseball stadium. A prominent example is the annual NHL Winter Classic event, with an ice hockey rink being set up at various outdoor stadiums in the United States, including Nationals Park in Washington D.C. (s. Cameron 2012, Gaines 2014).

At GIFT, the big distance between the rink and spectators required Hanyu to make several adjustments to his programs, using a stage lift, video screens, and other methods to visually “enlarge” himself and his movements (s. Hanyu 2023). The ice rink transitioned to a unique mobile screen of approximately 30 m × 15 m in size with a curved shape that also served as a gate to the backstage area. The size of the main screen is estimated 50 m × 21 m (2.39:1 widescreen ratio), placing it in the top 50 largest video screens in the world and exceeding Tokyo Dome’s regular screen of 1050 m² in size (s. Kano 2023, Yomiuri Group 2021). For the live orchestras, two stages were set up on each side of the rink (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Position of the ice rink, stages, and video screens

Another special feature of the setting at GIFT was the absence of advertisement boards around the rink. British figure skater and Olympic champion John Curry, a visionary of his time in professional skating, despised the prominent placement of company logos and other commercials on the boards, which is still common practice at skating events today. For Curry, advertisement had no place in artistic skating, stressing that his primary goal was not to sell products or make money but to present figure skating in an aesthetically appealing way, comparable to ballet and theatre (s. Lee 2003). Notable examples are his ice show productions John Curry Theatre of Skating in 1976 at the Cambridge Theatre in London and Ice Dancing in 1978 at Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York City (s. Austin). Curry also did a live music collaboration with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at his touring show Symphony on Ice in Tokyo in 1984 (s. Lee 2003). Half a century later, Hanyu revived Curry’s visions of an artistic show setting in a modern adaption at Tokyo Dome.

Global concept and structure

Narration strategies and technology

Hanyu used a variety of narration strategies and modern technology to tell his story and make it accessible to a broader audience. To introduce himself and give a compact overview of his competitive career, a dynamic world map with all key events was shown on screen. For the narration of the main story, a voice recording of Hanyu was combined with elaborate video footage and music, including an animated short film of his career to the music of his former short program “Otoñal” by Raúl di Blasio. In multiple performances, including “Itsuka Owaru Yume“ and the encore “Haru yo, koi“, the projection mapping technology was used to support Hanyu’s skating with dynamic visuals on the ice, created by Japanese choreographer MIKIKO. In his two new programs to the songs “One Summer’s Day” by Joe Hisaishi and “Ashura-chan”, Hanyu was accompanied by dance group Elevenplay, creating impressive cinematic images with the dancers performing on small quadratic stages placed around the rink (s. Oriyama 2023).

The first half of the show was concluded with a challenge of Hanyu’s short program Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso of the 2022 Winter Olympics—a performance that Hanyu had negative memories of after a costly mistake on his opening quadruple Salchow jump. To reproduce the competitive setting and tense atmosphere of the Olympics, the challenge was preceded by a 6-minute warm-up with Hanyu being formally introduced by a stadium announcer—a unique feature for an ice show (s. Kano 2023, Oriyama 2023). The warm-up and short program were both presented in full arena lighting instead of the usual dimmed show setting to further enhance the impression of a competition atmosphere. Facing the high pressure in front of 35,000 spectators, Hanyu managed to present a clean performance with a successful quad Salchow and the same technical content he had shown at the Winter Olympics (s. Kurosawa 2023).

Programs and music

The program selection for GIFT spans 15 years of Hanyu’s figure skating career, including his free skate program The Firebird from the 2007–08 novice season as well as the new programs “One Summer’s Day” and “Ashura-chan”, which made their debut at GIFT. Hanyu performed a total of 12 programs, featuring 12 different costumes and music pieces that cover a variety of themes and genres. Multiple programs were performed live with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan’s oldest symphony orchestra, and a special band led by music producer Satoshi Takebe, who also composed and performed a piano piece titled “Gift” exclusively for the show (s. Oriyama 2023).

The show featured six competitive programs from Hanyu’s senior career, among them his short program to Ballade No. 1 by Frédéric Chopin and the free skate Hope and Legacy to music by Joe Hisaishi, which set the historical figure skating records in the former +3/-3 GOE judging system. To physically cope with the planned skating content of the show, the programs were adjusted in their duration and choreography. Ballade No. 1 was opened with a recorded dance segment by Hanyu shown on screen, transitioning to his live performance on the ice (s. Oriyama 2023). A similar solution was used for the free skate program The Phantom of the Opera. The first minute was highlighted by the captivating visuals of a chandelier crashing to the ground and a futuristic video animation of Hanyu on screen, with two large, illuminated hands reaching over it. Compared to the 2014–15 season, where Hanyu had presented the program primarily from the Phantom’s point of view, he took a more differentiated and mature approach at GIFT, alternating between the roles of the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul, giving more depth and dynamics to the performance (s. Hanyu 2023).

Upon the conclusion of the main story, Hanyu skated two encore performances to his exhibition program “Haru yo, koi“ from Yumi Matsutoya, interpreted by pianist Shinya Kiyozuka, and the final choreographic sequence of his signature free skate program Seimei, which had earned him his second Olympic title at the 2018 Winter Olympics (s. Oriyama 2023).

Technical skating content

At GIFT, Hanyu performed for 2.5 hours with a net skating time of 43 minutes, including the 6-minute warm-up and a short, improvised skating segment in the show’s finale. In competitions and ice shows, the common net skating time for a skater per day is 10 to 15 minutes (practice sessions not included). The technical requirements for a free skate program in men’s singles include 11 jumps, three spins, a step sequence, and a choreographic sequence. The current world record performance featured five quadruple jumps and another five triples.

At GIFT, Hanyu performed an impressive seven quads (six of them cleanly) and another 19 triples, among them six triple Axels, completing 3.5 revolutions in the air (s. Kurosawa 2023). His execution of 16 spins, five step sequences and three choreo sequences exceeded the required technical content in competitions by more than three times. In addition, he performed 19 skating moves in the field that were not part of a sequence, but were physically and technically demanding to perform (s. Petkevich 1989), including multiple arabesque spirals, Ina Bauers, hydroblades, and spread eagles (Fig. 2). The technical difficulty, variety, and skating quality presented by Hanyu at GIFT was not only a new milestone for ice shows and professional skating. It was also a statement that Hanyu, at 28 years old, was still a frontrunner among the world’s best, delivering skating performances at the highest competitive level (s. Matsubara 2023).

Fig. 2: Setlist and overview of the technical skating content at GIFT

Abbreviations:

• Jumps: T – toe loop, S – Salchow, Lo – loop, F – flip, Lz – Lutz, A – Axel
• Spins: FC – flying camel spin, (F)CCo – (flying) combo spin with foot change, (F)CS – (flying) sit spin with foot change
• Sequences: St – step sequence, Ch – choreographic sequence
• Field moves: AS – arabesque spiral, Ci – circle figure, FL – forward lunge,
  HB – hydroblading, IB – layback Ina Bauer, SE – spread eagle, SL – side lunge, SS – sit spiral, Tw – twizzle (10 revolutions)

Global viewing and distribution

On February 26, 2023, GIFT was streamed live on the platform Disney+ in Japan and via Globe Coding worldwide. Due to the high ticket demand for the show, the event was also screened live at 80 cinemas in Japan as well as overseas in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, with 30,000 visitors in total (s. Kurosawa 2023). The following day, GIFT was replayed at cinemas in Japan, attracting multiple spectators who had missed out on a live viewing opportunity the previous day.

On June 30, a special remastered edition of the show with an exclusive interview to Yuzuru Hanyu was released on Disney+ Japan. Two weeks later, on July 14, GIFT was also distributed on Disney+ worldwide, becoming the first ice show production to be globally available on the American streaming platform (s. Fang 2023). Interestingly enough, Disney’s own ice show production, Disney on Ice, was featured in episode 11 of the series Disney Insider. However, the show itself has not been added to the Disney+ program selection yet (s. Disney on Ice 2023). Released in more than 130 countries and regions around the globe (Fig. 3), with subtitles available in 23 different languages, GIFT has become one of the most accessible figure skating events in history (s. Shirley 2023).

Fig. 3: Global distribution of GIFT on the subscription channel Disney+

Outro and prospects

For the ending credits of the show, Hanyu choreographed and recorded a new skating program to the Japanese song “Boku no koto” (lit. “About me”) by the rock band Mrs. Green Apple, recapping the show’s key topics of dreams, inner doubts, happiness, and lonesomeness in the lyrics. The program had an unconventional duration of 5 minutes and 20 seconds, exceeding the regular length of a competitive free skate program (4:00 ± 10 sec) by more than a minute. It also featured five quadruple jumps, two triple Axels, and another three triples, leveling the technical content of the current Olympic and world record performances in men’s singles. At the same time, Hanyu has fully utilized the freedom of show skating, circumventing various strict competition rules, including the performance of two step sequences, the repetition of three quad toe loop jumps, and the execution of a spin with two foot changes (s. ISU 2023).

Both the live show and the ending credits impressively demonstrated Hanyu’s determination to maintain and further improve his athletic skills—a fundamentally new approach to professional skating (s. Matsubara 2023, Benet & Hamilton 2000, p. 318). GIFT has opened the door to large-scale ice show productions, elevating figure skating as a performing art to the level of major music concerts for the first time, a historical milestone for the sport. However, the high physical, technical, and mental demand of a solo show as well as the financial framework, including the key role of a large fan following, make reproducing and popularizing this new entertainment format rather unlikely in the near future (s. Levkina 2023). Hanyu might remain the only skater to pursue a solo skating career for the time being.

Following the tremendous success of GIFT, the production of a sequel with the title “Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story 2nd RE_PRAY Tour” was announced on September 9, 2023, depicting the contrasts between the gaming world and the real world and their value for people’s lives (s. Olympics 2023). RE_PRAY is the second solo ice show after Prologue to be held in multiple cities, scheduled from November 2023 to February 2024 with stops in Saitama, Saga, and Yokohama. Depending on the definition of a “tour”, RE_PRAY may mark the first time for a solo ice show tour to be done in figure skating—becoming the first one that consists of at least three stops in distinct locations.

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