FSC program when a skater outgrows the current pair.


“I am thrilled beyond belief for the honor of this grant. The money will be spent for skates and ice time for our athletes who de- serve the best we can give,” said Linda Huber, Pennsylvania fi gure skating sports director and head coach for the York County Special Olympics program.


The Wenatchee FSC’s Charli Berends and Liam Kapeikis perform at the Winter Ice Gala.


Numerica’s Winter Ice Gala showcases Ice Theatre of New York, Wenatchee skaters


Ice Theatre of New York ice dancers (ITNY), the Wenatchee Figure Skating Club Synchro- nized Skating Team and a variety of other local performers entertained more than 200 guests at the fourth annual Numerica Credit Union’s Winter Ice Gala formal dinner and ice show at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee, Washington, on Jan. 22.


Guests were seated at tables at the edge of the ice, little more than a handshake away from the ice skating performance.


ITNY skaters Elisa Angeli, Tyrrell Gene, Jes- sica Huot, Beata Handra and Conor Wagar; and 2010 Russian champion Ksenia Makaro- va dazzled guests with contemporary dance pieces and artistic ice skating to benefi t the arena’s youth enrichment fund.


The fund enables local youth, who might not otherwise be able to do so, to learn to skate. In 2015, more than 2,700 youth from area school districts and not-for-profi t orga- nizations were funded to learn to skate or use ice time.


White Rose FSC receives Theisen award for its Special Olympics program


The White Rose FSC’s Special Olympics pro- gram in York County, Pennsylvania, is the recipient of the annual Elaine Theisen Dia- mond Ice FSC Fund Award.


The $500 award will be used to provide the York County Special Olympics skaters with quality ice skates and to maintain these skates by providing complimentary sharp- ening, laces and repairs during the season. In addition, the skates purchased and used by program participants will be passed on to other Special Athletes in the White Rose


48 APRIL 2016


The Theisen Fund was established in 2012 to provide grants to Special Olympics/Thera- peutic Skating programs or to member clubs who wish to enhance or expand their opera- tions to attract, involve and encourage new generations of skaters.


Mrs. Theisen was an active member of the Saint Louis fi gure skating community. She passed away in October 2011 at the age of 51.


Sky Rink All Stars win SCNY Showcase


The Clinton FSC’s new parent-child class has been well-received.


Clinton FSC unveils new programs


Organizers of the Clinton Figure Skating Club, located in central New York, have been busy brainstorming and off ering new pro- grams to their members.


How does a skating team that practices only on public sessions once a week win The Skating Club of New York Theatrical Show- case Competition?


Very strategically, said their Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers coach, Marni Halasa. The Sky Rink All Stars, Showcase national medalists for the past three years, seem to thrive while performing under pressure, with little rehearsal.


The key, Halasa said, is chemistry, camarade- rie, casting and analysis.


“It’s pretty democratic; I want the girls to have a voice in the process, but then we make the right decisions,” Halasa said. “We analyze each skater’s strengths, the most interesting formations, jumping passes, footwork and what truly entertains an audience. The strat- egy works.”


Halasa also gives a lot of credit to the girls, who have a commitment to the team despite busy schedules, increased homework, inju- ries and fi nancial pressures.


“The girls really want to be here,” she said. “They understand the power of ensemble skating and being part of a group. When you are part of something larger than yourself, all things are possible.”


Sky Rink All Stars win the SCNY Theatrical Competi- tion with their rendition of The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s “Time Warp.”


New this season, the Clinton FSC added a synchronized skating class for beginner skaters, a parent-child skating class and a Theater on Ice program.


National competitor Jen Campos is directing the synchronized skating class.


“This program is proving successful in cre- ating unity and piquing the interest of our young skaters,” Campos said. “After all, they are the future of the club.”


The parent-child program has proven to be a big hit for both young and old, as well as the coaches. The children get to share their sport and, in many cases, become the teach- er while their parents learn more about the sport they have been busy supporting.


“For some, the success is seeing the adults become more confi dent on the ice while the younger students take pride in what their parents have accomplished,” instructor Cait- lin Fenton said. “For others, it becomes an eye-opening experience when they realize just how good their mother or father once was on the ice. Regardless, it’s fantastic, quality time skating together.”


Diff erent from its annual Fantasy on Ice show, the club’s new Theater on Ice program merges skaters of all levels to tell a story. The theme for the inaugural season is “Joy,” and the moment that brings that joy is realizing that “School’s Out” for the summer.


“It’s a great team-building exercise and so fantastic for the young skaters to watch and learn from the older, more advanced athletes,” said Campos, who also teaches this program. “The skaters look forward to this class every week and, being such a new concept to their club, quite a few people are watching the class to see what it’s all about. The club is looking for venues for the class to perform at and hopes to take the show on the road.”


For more information regarding the Clinton FSC, go to www.clintonfsc.com and locate it on Facebook.


— Michelle Cramer Batson


PHOTO BY MARNI HALASA


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