Ice Theatre Skates at Staller

By Alison Prelusky
Staff Writer 

Imagine the main stage at Staller covered completely in ice. It was a reality when the Ice Theatre of New York, a figure skating group, performed at the Staller Center on October 15th. The show was beautifully choreographed, and had a very diverse selection of music which helped to compliment the extraordinarily talented ensemble. 

Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of the setup was that the skaters did not have a terribly huge performance space; the Staller stage did not allow for the same kind of show that one would see at, say, an Olympic-sized stadium. This did not take away from the performance, however; all of the performers were extraordinarily gifted at working the space for all it was worth. 

A wide variety of performance styles, costumes, and music was used, and while there were a few lulls, the positive aspects of the show certainly outweighed the negative. Some highlights included a beautifully choreographed solo piece set to Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, a lively and colorful rendition of Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town, and an act entitled “Tango Images,” which showed a noteworthy experimentation with gender roles in addition to a beautiful exploration of the dance itself. 

The performance received nothing but pure adoration from the audience, both during the show and afterward - while leaving, a little girl could be heard proclaiming to her mother that her newly-chosen career path was that of a “famous figure skater.” Naturally, the elder audience members were not immune to that same kind of captivation and wonder either. The talented ensemble members, the excellent choreography, and the incredibly varied music selections made for an enjoyable night for skating fans of all ages.