Artistic Director Editha Dotson-Bowser, Show Coordinator Lisa Ciobota and Technical Director Christopher Bowser did a superb job of displaying the student's talents and skills, while running a seamless show in under two hours and keeping the audience enchanted. I especially appreciated the quick pace and effortless scene transitions.
Of course the students were the highlight of the show. Not only did they skate well, but the costumes were a treat for the eyes. The skaters ranged in age from 3 years old up to high school. My favorites were the tiny skaters. I especially like the opening number with nine Charlie Chaplins, complete with mustaches and ranging in age from those that could barely walk (Mathew Shapiro) to the most skilled of skaters (Jeffrey Williams & Peter Davison). Another cute act was the little girls with Shirley Temple (Miranda Shapiro) singing the "Good Ship Lollipop."
Other personal favorites included James Bond (The World is Not Enough), "Grease," "Chicago," and "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." As the show progressed the acts got harder culminating with David Sanders's performance of the Paul Newman and Robert Redford movie theme song "Sting." Other soloists included Julia Stone, Natasha Henman, Matthew Shapiro, Miranda Shapiro, Candace Ciobota, Amanda Harris, Maggie Franklin, Jordan Gober, Jenny Gober, and Natalie Smith (see photo gallery).
As I watched the show, I learned to appreciate all that goes into skating: a combination of showmanship, talent, dancing, skating skill, personality, creativity, stamina and discipline. There's also the "cuteness" factor of the younger kids and the skill and expertise of the older skaters. What a wonderful activity, hobby and interest to instill in kids! While the rest of the country's children are sitting around playing video games and watching TV, these kids are being active and having fun while doing it.
This is the first Spring Show for the Huntsville Skating School. They play to have an even bigger event next year and I, for one, can't wait to see it. They do a smaller show at Christmas time. The public is invited to attend the events at the Wilcoxon Ice Complex on Leeman Ferry Road--a much easier place to find and park than the VBC Arena! If you have children or grandchildren, I encourage you to bring them out to watch these kids skate and see if they might be interested in taking up ice skating. The school has a summer camp that is designed for all skill levels. Even if you don't have kids, the show is just a fun event to watch and shouldn't be missed! For more information on the Huntsville Skating School, 256.883.3773.
