A group of Russian skaters have walked off the ice at the Riviera Hotel-Casino. The performers claim the producers of Ice, the Show from Russia have forced them to live like indentured servants.
The group of 11 was brought to the U.S. as performers. The skaters say they were promised the American Dream. Instead, they find themselves facing a cold war with their producer.
Ice bills itself as a magical journey from the bitter cold of Moscow to the warmth of the Las Vegas desert. Yet for 11 members of its cast, the last six months of performances at the Riviera have been anything but magical.
"Most of us want to be in this show -- to work for this show -- but with payment. We don't want to work for free," said skater Valeziya Konstantinova.
The skaters claim producer Sergey Ryshkoff owes each of them for more than 200 performances. In protest late last month, the group walked off the ice only to find themselves out in the cold.
"They were told by their management they have no rights over here. Even if they do go to court, they won't be able to do anything. They take it as a direct statement of being slaves. Give me another word how to describe this situation," said translator Emil Veghiazaryan.
Earlier this month, the skaters were evicted from the apartments provided by the Ice show and denied access to the employee cafeteria at the Riviera. Hungry and homeless, they sought legal advice from attorney Barry Levinson. "Here in America, you should get paid for doing the work you do and it's not fair for them to work for free and then be treated the way they've been treated," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Ice show says the skaters quit without notice, jeopardizing the safety of the remaining performers. While she acknowledges the financial debt owed the group, she insists a dispute over corporate records must be resolved before payment can be made.
The skaters hope it happens soon. "We have maybe $100 in our pockets -- each of us," said Konstantinova.
That's hardly enough for a place to stay, or even a plane ticket home.
The magical journey from Moscow to Las Vegas now looks more like a mirage to the skaters, as together they work to choreograph their next move. "We love our show. We want to be a part of it, but not for free," said Konstantinova.
The skaters claim they sought help from the Riviera's management without success. The Riviera leases the showroom to the Ice show. The hotel did not respond to repeated attempts seeking comment.
