May 18th, 2012
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May 18th, 2012
Ice skating has a long history at the Hall, dating back to 1889 and has seen us welcome a wide variety of ice shows.
History
The first ice rink at the Hall was constructed in March 1889 for an Ice Carnival, Bazaar & Festival for the benefit of the West End Hospital (closed in 1972). This event featured snow shoe races and comic skaters.
Olympic gold-medal winning skater John Curry, known for combining ballet and modern dance influences into skating, brought his show A Symphony on Ice to the Hall in April 1984. This was the only time the whole arena floor was frozen over.
An extended stage formed a skating rink in December 1995 for David Essex’s Beauty and the Beast. During the performance David was surprised by Michael Aspel, presenting him with the famous This Is Your Life red book.
The Imperial Ice Stars were first welcomed to the Hall in February 2010 for the critically acclaimed show Cinderella on Ice. The group return again in May 2012 for Swan Lake on Ice.
Image Gallery
Transforming the Auditorium
Converting this 141 year old concert hall into an arena fit for ice dancing takes several days.
For the Cinderella on Ice show, 9 tonnes of crushed ice were spread across a ‘miniature pond’ created on the floor and then sprayed with water. The ice was kept frozen by some 16 miles of piping that connect to 3 chillers located in the Hall’s basement. Learn more on this BBC News feature.
View a time-lapse video taken during the construction of Cinderella on Ice here in 2010:
Removing the ice is a tricky logistical issue itself. In 1984 following John Curry’s A Symphony on Ice, the ice was chopped up, put on skips and dumped in the River Thames.
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May 15th, 2012
Learn to Skate Summer 2012
The Ice House Learn To Skate(“LTS”) program is ranked among the 10 best programs in the entire country by the United States Figure Skating Association. The LTS program consists of a comprehensive lesson and testing structure that is very exciting, rewarding, safe and fun. It has been a great success for many years and is a great way to learn how to skate and meet people. Whether your goal is to achieve Olympic fame or simply enjoy the recreational benefits of skating, the Ice House LTS program is the ideal thing for you.
We have proficiency levels ranging from Basic 1 to Basic 8. For our 4 and 5 year olds we offer a 3 level Tot program (called Snowplow Sam) to prepare them for our regular classes. We also offer Parent/Tot classes! The skater will learn various techniques such as stopping and turning, just to name a few.
Every week one of our designated testers will evaluate the kids to see if the skater is ready to advance to the next level. Once the skater has successfully passed a test, we will immediately move him/her to the next level and give them a certificate of achievement. No skater is held back in a class that is too easy for them.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. We will be happy to help. Have fun.
Class Information
Parent/Tot
Tuesday & Thursday 1:00pm-2:00pm
2-6 years (Parents only pay for rentals)
Parent/Tot
Saturday 11:45am and Sunday 11:45am (2-3 years)
Parents and children will be taught the very basics of skating using fun and interesting games and instructional techniques. (Parents only pay for rental.)
Tot and Children
4-5 years: Snowplow Sam 1 through 3 introduces preliminary moves to preschool age skaters not yet ready for Basic 1. (Skaters who graduate Snowplow Sam 3 move directly to Basic 2.)
6-14 years: Basic 1-8 carefully planned levels allow the beginning skater to feel comfortable on the ice while gaining the basic skating knowledge needed to advance into any of the next level of the program.
Adult
Saturday 10:30am and Sunday 10:30am (15 years & up)
Four levels of proficiency geared to the beginner adult ice skater.
General Information
- NO REFUNDS ONCE THE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED. payment for classes must be made with application to the Skating School Office. ($25 charge for any returned checks.)
- CLASSES ARE CONFIRMED AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, unless otherwise notified.
- Maximum class size is 12-16 per class. USFSA Testing will be done on a weekly basis. placement decisions are at the sole discretion of the staff testers.
- Ice House reserves the right to cancel or change programs based on class availability.
- THERE ARE NO MAKE UP CLASSES. Classes will not be altered due to school vacations, holidays, or inclement weather unless otherwise specified. Absolutely no switching of days and times after the series has begun.
- WE ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO WEAR: HELMETS, WARM LOOSE CLOTHING, THIN SOCKS, AND GLOVES.
Program Includes
- One half hour of instruction, one half hour of practice.
- The annual USFSA Basic skills registration fee of $15.00 per skater includes: basic skills membership material. (July 1-June 30).
- Discount cards entitle holder to $1.00 off rentals & $1.00 off public session admission. (skate rentals – $3.00) There is a $2.00 charge for lost cards.
Applications accepted (space permitting) by phone, mail, fax, or walk in.
PRIORITY IS GIVEN TO SKATERS WHO SIGN UP DURING REGISTRATION WEEK
Skate Rental Not Included
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May 15th, 2012
We had a recent post about the subtle similarities of various squats here in our Functional Fitness program. Click here to see the post. In the same vein, I wanted to put out a post about some very close elasticity movements that may be so similar that folks get a touch confused.
Here is the list of the exercises and the matching video links:
Lateral Bound
Slalom
Ice Skaters
I’ll start with Lateral Bound. A Lateral Bound is one of the more slower of the three exercises. Essentially, you are lifting up the inside leg and pushing off the ground with the outside leg. For example, you lift up your left foot, push off with your right foot and land on your left foot as far to the left as you can. When you land, there is a “stick,” meaning you hold it on that left foot for a split second to absorb the shock that way. Make sure to bend your knees to help with the force absorption.
An Ice Skater looks very similar to the Lateral Bound. The difference is more in the upper body. You are swinging your arms and bending over at the waist more to create the illusion you are an actual ice skater (yes it is a mystery why we call these Ice Skaters). Also, as in the example above, when you land on your left foot, your right leg continues past the left leg by sliding across the ground behind your left leg - another motion that creates the ice skating feel. This is usually done faster than the Lateral Bound, especially when you are challenging yourself. In other words, you can speed skate!
The Slalom is the fastest of the three, but it stays with the winter theme  . With the Slalom, you are moving both legs at the same time. Basically, you are hoping to the right, then left, with both feet landing at the same time. Feel free to add in the arm swings like you are skiing…and sound effects are always welcome. Swooosh. Swooosh.
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May 12th, 2012
For senior figure skater Elizabeth Abramzon, regularly giving up three- or four-hour portions of her day is a mundane aspect of her life. A select portion of the school’s students sacrifices large chunks of its time in a similar manner, but for competitions and prestige. Abramzon stands out in stark contrast; she practices passionately only for the sake of enjoyment.
Abramzon has been skating for seven years with a demanding regimen of seven four-hour sessions a week in middle school and four three-hour sessions a week after entering high school. Her schedule resembles that of a highly competitive athlete but her words tell another story. In an environment of hyper-competition where many continue with extracurriculars for the ulterior motive of college, Abramzon maintains a more easygoing attitude toward her genuine interest. Abramzon said, “I don’t really compete that much but it’s more something where you can go out and enjoy yourself and get your mind off of school and stress… It’s really enjoyable.”
Even when she does compete, Abramzon focuses not on the medal or the trophy, but on the sheer enjoyment of being in the ice rink.
In competitions, Abramzon said, “You present what you’ve been working on for the whole year. You go out and there are parents and friends cheering for you… It’s a fun time to show what you’ve been working on all this time.”
Despite her massive sacrifice of time for ice skating, Abramzon tries to keep it from taking over her life. One benefit of Abramzon’s struggle for balance in ice skating and everything else is her tendency to be organized.
“I have to prioritize so obviously school comes first, but I schedule things on a planner so I can balance and find time to do homework and go to practice afterward,” said Abramzon.
A significant motivational experience for Abramzon that fed her passion for skating was her encounter with Disney on Ice, a spectacular ice skating show with Disney characters. Abramzon was able to go backstage and interact with the Disney skaters.
“It was a cool experience to speak to people who were performing professionals,” said Abramzon. “It was more motivational for me because after watching the show, I was like, ‘Holy moly,’… after talking to them, I realized how much work they put into it and it made me realize that if I was able to put more time into it and put more creativity into my routine, it would bring me a step closer to being as good as them.”
Though Abramzon is determined to continue with her sport, there are some aspects of ice skating that Abramzon finds to be frustrating.
Abramzon said, “Because [with ice skating] you never know, because the ice is different every day, it can be really frustrating when you keep falling.”
However, Abramzon has been able to turn her frustration into a positive through continuous practice.
“It’s definitely a learning experience. If you fall, get up and keep going — it’s definitely given me that kind of motivation,” said Abramzon.
All sports players know that sports affect not only muscles and motor skills, but also mental toughness that is useful in every aspect of life. In the same way, Abramzon turns her falls into an opportunity to rise higher than before. “There are hard times, but every time I think about ice skating and how every time I fall, I’m able to get up and continue. It’s a sport that has taught me life lessons and I am thankful for that,” said Abramzon.
Hong Suh, Lifestyles Assistant
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May 12th, 2012
At Figure Skating in Harlem, the girls must keep at least a B average in order to stay on the ice. NBC’s Dexter Mullins reports.
By Dexter Mullins
NBC News
When Paula Assou first started figure skating, she cried.
“I was terrified of skating,” she said. But that didn’t keep her off the ice. “I wanted to try skating as something new and to overcome something I was really afraid of.”
That was nearly six years ago. Now, at age 16, Assou is part of Figure Skating in Harlem’s junior synchronized skating team. The girls recently won their first gold medal in a regional competition.
Sharon Cohen founded Figure Skating in Harlem in 1997. It was the first program in the nation to pair figure skating with academics, and since then it has grown to serve thousands of girls, ages 6 to 18. A former competitive figure skater, Cohen was teaching ice skating to girls in East Harlem for about seven years when she decided to start the organization she now runs full-time. With the help of grants and donations, Figure Skating in Harlem teaches about 200 students a year.
“We ended up starting this organization that really had education as its core focus and figure skating as the hook,” Cohen said. “So the girls get the physical benefit of fitness and grace and artistry through skating, which is very unique and not truly accessible to kids especially from inner-cities. And they also get core educational lessons that help them to get into some of the best colleges.”
To stay on the ice, the girls must maintain a minimum of a B average. The girls come after school to get help with homework, receive tutoring, and practice their skating technique. The organization also teaches financial literacy and writing, and offers communications classes.
Of all the students enrolled in the program, 85 percent have maintained at least the required B average, while 31 percent are straight-A students.
“They go on to four-year colleges and have gone onto places like Spelman College and Howard University. We have a student on a full academic scholarship to Brown University,” Cohen said.
For students like Paula, Figure Skating in Harlem was just a way to enhance the talents she already had.
“I’ve always been a really strong student and I just think skating strengthened that because I had to work hard to stay in the program, and in order to maintain my grades,” she said. “When I started out I was really shy and quiet, and I wasn’t very vocal, and I also came from a school and a summer camp where I was bullied a lot because I was smart and because I was quiet. So coming here was just a way for me to escape from that.”
Figure skating can be a very expensive sport, even for recreational skaters. According to Cohen, it can cost $40,000 to $50,000 to train an elite skater at the highest levels. Even for a recreational skater, the costs can be in the low thousands. High costs like that make sports like skating out of reach for a lot of students, especially those in the inner-city.
“We’re looking at kids who wouldn’t have the opportunity because financially they’re in an obstacle from their parents to provide them with this sort of sport, which is tremendously expensive,” Cohen said. “Nobody is turned away because they can’t pay.”
Sharon Cohen, the founder of Figure Skating in Harlem, says the students in the program have come to realize anything is possible as they learn how to push through obstacles, get back up, and keep going with the guidance of supportive mentors. NBC’s Dexter Mullins reports.
To help make the sport affordable, the organization only charges $350 in tuition and provides the girls with skates, a place to study and learn, and access to career-building experiences.
Last year, Cohen took some of the girls to meet Supreme Court Justice Sonja Sotomayor. Just a few weeks ago, the organization received a letter from First Lady Michelle Obama commending them for their hard work. The group has also brought in top executives from companies like Viacom, MTV, UPS and more to expose the girls to the opportunities that are out there.
Sharendalle Murga, who joined the organization 10 years ago, was thinking of becoming a doctor, so last year Figure Skating in Harlem arranged for her to see a live surgery. And when she heard about the girls who met Sotomayor, she began to consider what else she could do.
“Some of the girls went to Washington last year and when they came back I thought maybe I want to be a lawyer,” she said. “All these different trips that we go on, they open my mind, so I’m not really sure what I want to be yet, but all of these things they help me.”
Cohen says those type of experiences are what the group is all about.
“What’s so beautiful is that so many girls have come through our program, thousands since we began 15 years ago, that the young ladies now don’t think it’s odd at all to be a figure skater in Harlem,” she said. “So by having this organization, they’ve come to realize that anything is possible.”
To find out more about Figure Skating in Harlem, visit their website figureskatinginharlem.org.
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May 9th, 2012
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Out of the mouths of children…
Ryan: Can I have a barbarian filled doughnut? (Bavarian)
Ginny: Can I shovel the cards? (Shuffle)
Tyler: I wear shin guards so my ribs don’t get hit.
Ginny: “Can I hatch the eggs for the cake?” (crack)
Tyler: “I like my piggy class.” (P.E class)
Tyler: “Do you remember when I stuck the eardrum in my ear and broke the q-tip?” (reverse the words eardrum and q-tip)
Joshua: I love Root-beard (root beer).
Ginny: Where do people get the big inflatable Santas that they have in their yard? i looked all over the dollar store and didn’t see them.
Joshua: I want to learn to play the trumpet. It looks easy.
Mom: Why do you think it would be easy to learn?
Joshua: Because it only has three buttons.
After visiting an animal park, Ginny announced that her favorite animal was, “That cute turtle we almost ran over in the road.”
Ryan: Where has dad been all day?
Mom: He’s been at the hospital taking an ACLS course to learn new medicines for saving people’s lives.
Ryan: Oh, I thought he was just wasting his time.
We were late for the wedding and got there just as the preacher pronounced them husband and wife. As we were exiting Joshua said, “This is why I like being late – the services are shorter.”
Ginny: Watch me dog peddle. (paddle)
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May 9th, 2012
Skating siblings share RBC Cup ice
By Darren Zary, The StarPhoenix May 9, 2012 3:04 AM There are plenty of skating siblings here this week at the 2012 Royal Bank Cup national junior A hockey championship tournament at the Elgar Petersen Arena. Take the Penticton Vees.
Read more on StarPhoenix
Anisimov gets an education with Blueshirts
Artem Anisimov stood in a dojo in his hometown of Yaroslavl, Russia, as a six-year-old boy when a coach from the local hockey school observed his athleticism and suggested Anisimov try on a pair of skates. So he entered the system of Russian pro …
Read more on New York Daily News
Komets’ notebook: Chaumont draws iron, big crowds for big games and records …
The University of Saint Francis graduation started at 2 pm, and by 6 pm the hockey glass was up, all the chairs and flooring had been removed and players were able to check out the ice. Everyone on the building staff, management included, pitched in, …
Read more on Chicago Tribune
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May 6th, 2012
I seem to be getting more and more behind in my blog posts. April was a really busy month for me, so here are a few updates on what extracurricular activities I’ve been up to besides just working in my school…
For the past few months, the Peace Corps Volunteers in Kharkiv Oblast have been organizing free English clubs at the Kharkiv American Center. We meet once monthly and usually we have about an hour of general speaking club, then we show an American movie and discuss different themes from the movie. This English club has been pretty successful, we started out in December with about 10 people and its grown to about 30 attendees.
In March, our English club theme was St.Patrick’s Day! I told everyone to wear something green ahead of time, but some of the Ukrainians thought this was strange (because they didn’t know the tradition of wearing green). We presented about the history and traditions of St. Patrick’s day and then we watched the movie “Leap Year”. Afterwards, we went to an Irish restaurant in downtown Kharkiv to celebrate.
While hanging out in downtown Kharkiv, I’ve discovered a few cool things to do and places to see that I didn’t know about last year… this is the advantage of making friends with more locals who know more about their hometown! I went ice skating with a few friends and some students in a huge shopping mall called Karavan which is located near the metro station Heroiv Truda (the last stop on the blue line). It cost only 30 UAH (about $3) for an hour of ice skating, which really surprised me because things are usually very expensive in the city.
I found another giant Adidas soccer ball in the Karavan mall! These things are oversized versions of the official EuroCup match balls and they are popping up everywhere now that EuroCup is approaching soon… I saw one of these first inside the Globos mall in Kyiv (located under Independence Square) and I’ve also seen one in Kharkiv near the main train station.
I also discovered a small Vietnamese restaurant very close to the center. Its called Fanzi Pan and located right down the hill from Pushinskaya Street, near the metro station Architectora Beketova (on the green line). I ordered their Pho and some rice crackers, and it was great being able to eat some asian food! I hadn’t had Pho since I left Atlanta about 2 years ago.
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May 6th, 2012
Please remember to arrive one prior to your scheduled time as the schedule can fluctuate throughout the day.
Also, any outstanding fees or forms are due before your test can begin.
May 8, 2012 Test Session Schedule
Shaker Figure Skating Club
1150-1158 Warm up
1158-1232 Senior Moves in the Field
Rachel Marek …………………………………Senior Moves in the Field
Jamie Traylor……………………….. Adult Senior Moves in the Field
Anna Post…………………………..………….Novice Moves in the Field
1232-1240 Warm up
1240-114 Juvenile/PreJuvenile Move in the Field
Sarah Oldford ……….……………………..Juvenile Move in the Field
Alex Deutchman …..…………………PreJuvenile Move in the Field
Claire Hawk ……………………………PreJuvenile Move in the Field
114-122 Warm up
122-158 PreJuvenile Moves in the Field
Helena Costatini ….…………………PreJuvenile Move in the Field
Heidi Mencl ……………………………PreJuvenile Move in the Field
Molly Harper ………………………….PreJuvenile Move in the Field
158-206 Warm up
206-242 Intermediate Supplemental/Intermediate Moves in the Field
Caroline Jobson…………..…….. Intermediate Supplemental Moves in the Field
Zoe Davidson ……………….…….Intermediate Supplemental Moves in the Field
Camden Spencer……………………………………… Intermediate Moves in the Field
242-255 ice cut
255-301 Warm up
301-320 Senior/Novice/Intermediate Free Skate
Geneva Augustin ……………………………………………..Senior Free Skate
Sarah Marek…………….……………………………………… Novice Free Skate
Elana Herbst …………….…………………………….Intermediate Free Skate
Lizzie Weingart ….……………………………………Intermediate Free Skate
Anna Post ….…………………………………………..Intermediate Free Skate
Gianna Stafford………………………………..……….PreJuvenile Free Skate
320-328 Warm up
328-402 Preliminary Free Skate/Moves in the Field
Helena Costatini ………………………………………………………Preliminary Free Skate
Carly Quarm……………………………………………………………..Preliminary Free Skate
Gabrielle Sudilovsky…………………………….………. Preliminary Moves in the Field
Maggie Gehrlein ……………………………………………Preliminary Moves in the Field
Abby Mann………………………………………….………. Preliminary Moves in the Field
402-410 Warm up
410-450 Preliminary Moves in the Field
Molly Geisler ……………………………………………..Preliminary Moves in the Field
Abby Harper……………………………………………… Preliminary Moves in the Field
Zoe Krantz ………………………………………………….Preliminary Moves in the Field
Peyton Munn ….……………………….…………..……..Preliminary Moves in the Field
450-458 Warm up
458-517 Preliminary Moves/PrePreliminary Free Skate/Moves in the Field
Group 1
Claire Sanses……………………………………………………. PrePreliminary Free Skate**
Maddie Riley …………………………………………………….PrePreliminary Free Skate**
Sophia Geisler ………………………………………………….PrePreliminary Free Skate**
Group 2
Rose Litvak ……………….………………………….PrePreliminary Moves in the Field**
Sylvie Prause ……………………………………….PrePreliminary Moves in the Field**
Julia Rusnak ……….…………………………………PrePreliminary Moves in the Field**
Group 3
Andrew Mohar…………………………………….PrePreliminary Moves in the Field**
Sara Cummins…………………………………………….Preliminary Moves in the Field**
517-523 Warm up
523-533 Dance Tests
Alex Schachtel ………………………………………………Kilian
Alex Schachtel…….………………………………………..Blues
**Denote Single Panel
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