Lisa Nakajima returns to perform
Since 1995, the Whistler Skating Club has hosted a gala ice show every second year, with club skaters performing numbers to go with the theme they've picked and showing off skills that they've learned. This year the theme is "Cirque Ice," with three shows scheduled for May 6 and 7.
This year the show is about circus, with 73 club skaters performing over 135 roles, ranging from circus animals to performers. The very youngest skaters, starting at age three, will perform in groups while the older and more accomplished skaters will get a chance to show off the solo routines they've put together for competitions.
Rebekah Robertson is the club's most decorated skater this year after passing her Senior Silver freeskate test in August 2010. She qualified to represent the B.C. Coast Region at the Pacific STARSkate Championships in March, and placed second in the B.C./Yukon Territories Section of Skate Canada.
Lydia Robertson will also be performing, after earning her freeskate and ice dance certificates at the preliminary level just after her eighth birthday.
Noam Steele has placed in the top three of every competition he's entered since 2009 and loves the sport for its jumps.
Lisa Nakajima, who came up through the club, is returning for Cirque Ice. She has represented B.C. and the Yukon in every major competition over the past nine years, and two years ago she joined the Vancouver Skating Club to further advance her career. In February she passed her Junior freeskate certification, which is a step towards the junior national level.
Also in the show is the club's Director of Skating Erica Finnsson, former national skater and current coach Mitchell Wallace, coach and choreographer Ciara Michaluk, and choreographer Mirielle Turcotte.
The skaters will put on three shows at Meadow Park Arena, which is being set up specifically for the figure skating show. The first show is on Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. There will be a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday, followed by another show at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids aged three to 18. There are a limited number of tickets for all three shows and the event has sold out in the past. Advance tickets are available at Meadow Park Sports Centre and the Mount Currie Coffee Company.
