The Cutting Edge SPRING 2005 Ice Theatre of New York “…Alyssa Stith made me think of ‘Cry’, Alvin Ailey’s signature solo for Judith Jamison…” — Eva Yaa Asantewaa Villagevoice.com/Dance Magazine.com Dear Friends, As we continue to celebrate our 20th Anniversary “Watching [Liu] perform El Duende…was an eloquent, seamless meeting of dance and skating. [His] season, we are concluding a very productive year of movement unfurled with intensity and inevitability. “ performances, classes and outreach activities. In the — Susan Reiter, Danceview Times pages of this newsletter you will see that we have had an extraordinary season and are already in the process of “David Parsons made a fiercely complicated duet called preparing for a very busy autumn. TWIST for the Ice Theatre of New York, which celebrated Looking to the future we hope to deepen and develop 20 years under the inspired leadership of Moira North.” our performance programs as well as all of our outreach — Francis Mason, WQRX 96.3 FM programs for children. We will also further explore collaborations with dance choreographers and other artists to produce new works and eventually, full-length SAVE THE DATE ballets on ice. I feel that we are poised to realize many more of our BENEFIT ice dreams than in the past. With our Board of Trustees’ increased commitment to GALA Ice Theatre's infrastructure that includes Executive Director, Jirina Ribbens, Director of Development and 2005 Marketing, Paddy Kennedy and the ongoing involvement of Associate Director, Douglas Webster we will surely 2005 Honoree Aja Zanova & reach our goals. 2004 Honoree Moira North at the 2004 Benefit Gala. One of our objectives is to perform on the proscenium stage and I am delighted to announce Ice Theatre’s Please save the date for Ice Theatre of New York’s upcoming performance at the Staller Center for the October Performance and Benefit Gala at Arts at S.U.N.Y at Stony Brook on Long Island on Chelsea Piers in honor of Aja Zanova Steindler. Saturday, October 15, 2005. Aja is a two-time World Champion and spent many With YOUR support we will not only maintain and sustain the important work that we are doing but we will years as one of Ice Follies and Ice Capades’ top stars. be able to provide the means to significantly increase our She has continued to be an avid supporter of figure exploration of the endless possibilities of movement on ice. skating and she has been a patron of Ice Theatre of Please help us enter our 21st season with renewed New York since it’s inception. enthusiasm and support! We look forward to the exciting The event will begin at 7 PM on Monday, October performance opportunities and the realization of a 17, 2005 with a performance by the Ice Theatre of skating school and theatrical “home” in our future. New York ensemble and guest stars at Chelsea Piers’ Sky Rink. We will then adjourn to the fabulous Thank you! Moira North Lighthouse (the event center directly below the ice rink) Founder/Artistic Director for cocktails, dinner and festivities honoring Aja. THE YEAR create his first piece for ice. Performed by Company skaters Line Haddad and IN REVIEW David Tankersley, Twist previewed at the Gala Benefit and was premiered at Winter Festival. Ice theatre’s 20th Anniversary year was The 20th Anniversary Benefit Gala last a big one in many ways. The third annual October 13th was a great celebration of Jamestown Residency took place for the Company’s history. Founder/ three weeks last August. Once again, the Director Moira North was the Company was very well received by the honoree, along with Company members community. Katherine Healy, Heather past and present. The Gala began with a Harrington, and David Liu crafted new short performance at Sky Rink and pieces for the 20th anniversary year at was followed by a silent auction, the Residency. The Company performed cocktails, dinner and celebrations at the a free Open Rehearsal Performance for Lighthouse. Skating that night with the the Community (with about 500 in Company were former Ice Theatre skater, Ice Theatre skater, Trina Pierre, and attendance) followed by a light lunch for Gia Guddat who performed her unique Cirque du Soleil star, Oleg Ouchakov, our sponsors and town dignitaries. and acrobatic 4 Skates with skates on performing at the cocktail party. The Company, with funding help from both hands and feet, 8-time Georgian NYSCA, commissioned renowned New Champ Vakhtang Murvanidze, like to acknowledge our new company York choreographer David Parsons to and Olympic Champion Oksana members and apprentices who Baiul. Many renowned names from performed with us: Heather Cookson the skating world were in attendance Rothman, Aidan Daley-Hynes, on Gala night, a great tribute to the Jessica Hunt, and Raye Levine. dream and hard work of our Artistic Ice Theatre recently finished another Director Moira. year of dynamic performances with the Home Season 2004 was called Rockefeller Center Concert Series. Winter Festival and was co-produced The season concluded with a prized with Sky Rink / Chelsea Piers during the performance at the world’s most famous last (and coldest) week in December (27 Rink by one of the world’s greatest ice- – 30th); the temperature inside the rink dancers, Ms. Judy Blumberg, skating was only one degree warmer than the a piece called Reminiscing that looked outside temperature. Nonetheless, CBS- back at her work with Michael TV came out early one morning to tape Seibert. Judy created this piece with a rehearsal and our fans and supporters Douglas Webster for the 25th braved the frigid temperatures to cheer the Anniversary Reunion of the 1980 Lake Company on. Suzanne MacDonald, Placid Olympics. Judy will always Vakhtang Murvanidze, Jennifer enchant us with her quality skating. Wester & Daniil Barantsev, and You will find references to Ice James Yorke joined the Company as Theatre’s plans for the fall in other Vera Wang, Dick Button, guest skaters at the Festival. We would sections of this newsletter. Palmer Baker and Moira North Ensemble Director, Judy Ice Theatre founding members Cecily Board Members Caroline Aja Zanova and Blumberg, and Board Member, Morrow (with son Prime), Moira North, Moore and Joan Erdheim Nicole Bobek JoAnna Mendl Shaw Marjorie Kouns, and Jirina Ribbens page 2 Ice Theatre of New York - The Cutting Edge, Spring 2005 HIGHLIGHTS ICE THEATRE PAST & PRESENT AT THE 2004 GALA Michiko and Angelo Grasso on their wedding day. Children’s Performance Club at the NYC2012 pep rally. 2005 World Junior Dance Champions Our Company members as the Olympic Champion Oksana Morgan Matthews & Max Zavozin. Hot Chocolate waiters in Polar Express. Baiul performing with ITNY. ICE THEATRE’S LEADING LADIES Judy Blumberg Alyssa Stith Katherine Healy Kim Navarro Ice Theatre of New York - The Cutting Edge, Spring 2005 page 3 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH Ice Theatre of New York would like to take this opportunity to thank our home rink, Chelsea Piers, for its enthusiasm in helping establish a new beginning for our Performance Club. We now have two ongoing programs: an adult and a Ice Theatre Children’s Performance Club. children’s division that are connected Class group includes: Judy Blumberg, series of teaching inner city school with the Chelsea Piers Skating School. Rory Flack-Burghart, Stephanee children during spring break for the The classes are on Saturday mornings Grosscup, Jamie Isley, David Liu, JPMorgan Chase Sports and and have a rolling admission. Both Cindy Stuart, and Douglas Webster. Arts Festival. Participation in the classes performed on May 13th at the Our Outreach Program continues skating portion of the Festival was up Chelsea Piers’ show Celebration. to flourish. Ice Theatre is proud of its again this year and serviced in excess of In addition, Chelsea Piers is promoting eleventh season of the New Works 500 children. Douglas Webster’s edge and turn class and Young Artists Series at Continuing to provide other Let it Flow, which has been ongoing on Riverbank State Park. This year reached organizations with skating talent for Tuesday afternoons at 1:30 and more than 2,000 pupils from public their own causes, Ice Theatre continues through May. schools in Upper Manhattan, and with participated in shows for Figure Broadening our seminar division, Ice the help of The Skating Club of Skating in Harlem and The Boys Theatre created a department called New York, we were able to showcase and Girls Club of the South Bronx. Master Class. Seven well-known the 2005 Junior World Dance Special thanks to Angela Chiang, choreographers have each created a Champions, Morgan Matthews Kim Navarro, Vakhtang, and all master class to be taught in seminars and Maxim Zavozin. the skating teachers and youngsters for around the country. The first Master We also supervised another successful their participation. We have signed on with Industrial New York’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. Artists Management who will A major highlight this past season was represent us for non-ticketed events. performing in the middle of Times We are looking forward to enhancing Square with two-time Olympic champion many corporate events worldwide Katarina Witt at an event promoting the with our portable shows. Please check health drink Tahitian Noni Juice. us out on their website at Samantha Adams (producer of the www.industrialartistmanagement.com event) wrote about Ice Theatre: “They truly Otherwise, we had a busy Holiday are professionals, and take pride in their Season skating at many functions work. Everyone thought they were brilliant. including the opening party for the movie They are fantastic people, and I’m thrilled Polar Express, tree lightings at that I had the pleasure of working with all Rockefeller Center and Riverbank of them.