Ice Skating All-Stars: Carmen & Tango; Ice Skating All-Stars: Russian Fair

A combination of old film footage and more recent video taping, these two programs feature Russian ice skating champions performing a variety of classical pieces. The first volume, Carmen & Tango, opens with an old semi-scratchy print of the stars dancing Bizet's classic, followed by a newer set of 11 dance routines built around the "tango." The second program, Russian Fair, contains 7 sequences, again comprised of the old and the new, including the title piece, Polovets dances from Borodin's Prince Igor, and a Chorus Line medley. Originally made for Russian State Television, the programs suffer from poor lighting (in addition to aging prints). Too, there is no rhyme or reason to the arrangement of the selections, no introduction, and no narration whatsoever. Occasionally nice to look at, the Ice Skating All-Stars series still leave a lot to be desired. Not recommended. (Available from: V.I.E.W. Video, 34 East 23 St., New York, NY 10010; (800) 843-9843.)