Theatrical Figure Skating Takes To The Ice for Showcase Competition

BRIGHTON, Mich. - March 21, 2018 - PRLog -- Quickly emerging as one of the country's leading theatrical figure skating clubs, the Ice House Skating Academy will host both a qualifying event and the National Showcase championship competition this year at the Kensington Valley Ice House, 10540 Citation Drive, in Brighton.  Michigan Showcase 2018, an annual theatrical skating competition open to all skaters, will be held March 23 – 25 and serves as a qualifying event for competitors to reach the National Showcase 2018, to be held August 2 – 5, 2018.

Showcase figure skating fuses artistic creativity with figure skating, creating a unique combination of artistry and athleticism. Participants include singles skaters, duets, small ensembles of three to seven skaters and large production numbers of eight to 30. Similar to an ice show, singles and duets participating in light or dramatic entertainment programs will perform under spotlights; all other events are performed under full house lighting.  Competitors qualify for the National Showcase event by placing in the top four at any showcase/theatrical/interpretive event at sanctioned, nonqualifying competitions in the U.S. or by placing in the top four at National Showcase the previous year.  The first National Showcase championship was held in 2004.

The 2017 National Showcase competition, held in Santa Rosa, Calif., included 541 individual skaters and 111 duets/teams from across the country competing in nearly 837 starts at the competition. As a formidable leader in theatrical figure skating, competitors from the Ice House Skating Academy took the top five places in the 2017 Duet category; fifth through eighth places in the final round/Parade of Champions category; second place in Interpretive; and saw three finalists in the Junior Parade of Champions, one taking second place, at the 2017 Showcase Nationals in California. Piercyn Hunt, a coach and competitor at Ice House SA is a six-time National Champion in Showcase skating, holding more titles than any skater in the country. Other Southeast Michigan skating clubs placing in the final rounds include the Onyx-Suburban Skating Academy in Rochester and the Chelsea Figure Skating Club in Chelsea.

"Our skaters love theatre - plain and simple," said Michigan Showcase Director Amanda Goetz.  "The majority of them also compete Freestyle or Test Track, but when it comes time to dive into our costume closet and start choreographing dramatic and entertainment programs - the Ice House comes alive.  The creativity and pure joy that follows is nothing short of magic, thanks to our passionate, dedicated coaches and parent volunteers."

Performances are judged from an entertainment standpoint, for theatrical and artistic qualities. Technical skating skills and difficulty will not be rewarded as such; however, skating must be the major element of the performance and be of sufficient quality to support the selected theatrical elements. Unintended falls, poorly executed skating elements and obvious losses of control will negatively affect the competitor's/team's marks.  Unlike traditional figure skating freestyle events, jump difficulty is not rewarded in showcase; therefore jumps, if choreographed, should be performed with style, flow and confidence. Theatrical elements evaluated will include are but not limited to: • Reflection of the musicality as it pertains to the concept of the program • Projection • Energy • Timing • Acting • Skating skills that relate to the music • Use of props and scenery • Interaction (Duets and Ensembles only)

Michigan Showcase 2018 (http://www.Michiganshowcase.org),  is hosted yearly by Ice House Skating SA and has grown exponentially since its inception in 2010, as the Showcase and Theatre On Ice disciplines continues to draw skaters who seek to combine their creative side with their athleticism. Ice House Skating Academy also hosted the National Showcase in 2015. While theatrical skating has existed since 1974, the first U.S. FIGURE SKATING sanctioned National Showcase was held in 2004. For more info., visit www.Michiganshowcase.org.  Michigan Showcase serves as a qualifier for the National Showcase.  For more information about Showcase skating, visit the US Figure Skating Showcase link- National Showcase (http://www.usfsa.org/programs?id=84078).

Since 2009, Ice House Skating Academy has more than doubled its membership, thanks in part to a successful Learn to Skate program; the wildly successful Harmony Theatre Company; and the Showcase discipline of US Figure Skating – which continues to be one of our primary focuses.