By Dr. Marie Miczak
Back in Sonje Henie's day, the traveling ice show was a new form of entertainment which got its start from exhibitions done after competition. Even today, different shows feature Olympic and World Champions who have turned professional. A limited amount of appearances by eligible skaters in these shows is also allowed with the permission of the USFSA. Todd Eldredge for example was performing professionally and still was competition eligible.
While most have heard of Stars and Disney on Ice, you should be aware of other shows which have taken the professional performance of figure skating to a new level...that of art. I'm speaking of the Ice Theatre of New York and their Winter Festival comes in at first place for the Best Ice Performance of the Year. This company, under the direction of Moira North has continued to thrive over the last 20 years. Having celebrated this anniversary in grand style with Dick Button, Vera Wang and elite coach Robin Wagner, the ITNY went on to produce a magnificent Winter Festival at Chelsea Piers Sky Rink in New York City. Running from December 27th to December 30th, the event was well received. The performance was repeated each day with two matinees during the week. On December 29th, the performance included a ice skating session for the audience after the show. This was a unique and innovative touch as this encouraged parents to bring their children and skate also. Everyone had a fantastic time.
The Ice Theatre of New York has a repertory of over 60 choreographed pieces ranging from classical to Broadway to modern. This is done by a 12 skater ensemble, trios and soloists. Highly acclaimed guest artists include Olympic Champion John Curry, Toller Cranston, Paul Wylie, Yuka Sato, David Liu and Katherine Healy. The ITNY is the nation's first not-for-profit ice dancing ensemble to be awarded grants by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs as a dance company. This is NOT your mother's ice show! This is ice theatre with the emphasis on theatre. Pieces such as "On the Town" come alive on the ice in a fresh new way with skaters in complete period costume. Solo works choreographed and then performed by masters such as David Liu's "El Duende" is an exquisite example of Spanish Flamenco style dance blended with the fluidity of ice dancing. A real crowd pleaser came from the solo performance of Russian National Champion, Varhtang Murvanidze as he heated up the ice to a Bossa Nova classic. His charm engaged the audience as he keep up his interaction between landing jumps and executing beautiful moves while showing extraordinary flexibility. This was an excellent showcase of many of the company's finest and most varied works. There was something for everyone here all delivered in high style and flawless beauty.
