They can fly, they feel pretty, they’re singing in the rain and on top of all that, they skate in a chorus line. The Martha’s Vineyard Figure Skating Club was on the ice at the Martha’s Vineyard Arena last weekend for its 25th anniversary show, A Skate Down Memory Lane.
The first performance was Saturday evening, followed by an afternoon show on Sunday.
The groups began learning their routines six weeks ago, working on choreography in the cafeteria of the regional high school cafeteria before translating it to movement on ice.
Planning for the anniversary show began more than a year ago. Jane Elizabeth Alexander, figure skating club coach and show director, pored over programs from the past two and a half decades and watched old VHS tapes to figure out what numbers would work best for the group of 70-plus skaters, along with the sizable group of tots in the Snowplow Sam beginning skills class.
Looking back through the years, Ms. Taylor found not only inspiration but also herself, along with fellow club coaches Stephanie Andrade-Rogers and Beth Blankenship-O’Connor. Ms. Blankenship-O’Connor skated in the very first figure skating show, which naturally had an Island theme. The three coaches now spend their time teaching and encouraging the next generations of figure skaters.
In Sunday’s show a number of club alums laced up their skates and performed to a Michael Jackson medley. Alexander Aiken, the 2011 National Men’s Junior Bronze Medalist, appeared as a guest skater. Older skaters in the freestyle performed solos, while the Bridge program showcased intricate group choreography. Those in the Learn to Skate program only began skating six weeks ago, a detail barely evident during their musical numbers.
“I think the nature of the shows has stayed the same [for 25 years],” Ms. Taylor said. “It’s the same energy — everyone’s coming together before the show.”
To see more photos from A Skate Down Memory Lane, click here.
Comments
Comment policy »