American Contemporary Skating Festival – AIT BOSTON
The third annual American Contemporary Skating Festival took place June 6-9 in Somerville, MA with a weekend full of seminars, choreography workshops, dance classes, lift classes, edge classes, and improv movement. Big thank you to Festival director Kate McSwain and assistants Berlin Sohn & Caite Fortune for making it such a successful event and to our presenters throughout the weekend including Kate McSwain, Adam Blake, Ashley Wyatt, Jacob Regan, Isabelle Ragnarsson, Jenn Edwards & Philip McDermott, Elin Schran, John Mucko, Aislinn Munck, Garrett Kling, Sean Marshinski, Vitale Vaugin, Kate McCall, and Maja Luther.
Stay tuned for a couple hot ticket items which include 1) a more detailed blog post about the festival with pictures & videos libido-portugal.com! 2) a promo video of the entire festival weekend created by videographer extraordinaries Andrew Hatling & Evelyn Sadowski of NOBLE. But for now, check out a short video made by Jordan Cowan & On Ice Perspectives of the Saturday edge class with Kate McCall!
U.S. OPEN PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
AIT Boston & AIT New York both participated in the 2019 U.S. Open Professional Championships held in Palm Springs, CA on Tuesday, May 21. AIT Boston performed ‘Juxtapose” a piece choreographed by Kate McSwain and skated by Ashley Pekrul, Emily Murdach, Kjerstyn Hall, Garrett Kling, Vitale Vaugin, Gillian Robidas, Chiquita Limer, Meg Rinaldi-Young, Gabby Schorg, Jessica Yen, Jessica Fransworth Kruss, and Sydney Kosiak. As the skaters gathered from all over the world for the competition, they put together the piece and made it performance ready in only 48 hours!
AIT New York performed “Flight of the Birds” choreographed by Chiquita Limer and skated by Limer, Danielle Cinone, Jordan Bailey, and Nathalie Borgella. The piece has been in their company repertoire for the season. AIT’s own Chiquita Limer and Jordan Bailey performed a solo at the competition as well. Congrats to all these skaters for representing AIT so beautifully!
Watch a video of AIT Boston’s performance on Facebook here.
AIT UTAH
AIT Utah Director Stephanie Chace Bass & husband Scott welcomed a healthy baby boy Chace Greenwood on February 26, 2019. They feel it is their best DIY project yet!
The 2019-20 AIT Utah season started on June 1 with tryouts for their upcoming season. It will also decide the skaters for the 2019 ProSkaters Open Competition in Sun Valley, Idaho July 21.
The season rehearsal schedule will start August 26 where the skaters will begin a choreography workshop learning the pieces for the season which will culminate into a full production in the winter of 2020. They are expecting a cast of over 30 skaters.
AIT MINNEAPOLIS
On Sunday, June 2 AIT-Co Executive Garrett Kling & assistant Izzi Gorowsky conducted the summer seminar for 28 skaters at the Chaska Community Center. The skaters were introduced to the “Six Ways of the Spine” curriculum during an off-ice dance class, and then translated the movement to the ice while learning a Billie Eilish combo.
Gorowsky joined for the seminar just days before starting her journey with Disney On Ice — congrats Izzi and good luck on tour!
A fall seminar will be announced later this summer, along with more info on the AIT Minneapolis- St. Paul Ensemble which will perform locally around the Twin Cities for the 2019-20 season.
AIT CHICAGO
An off-ice dance workshop took place Saturday May 11 at Centennial Ice Arena in Wilmette, IL with Ballet for Figure Skaters‘ Certified Instructor Angela Como teaching an “Skates On” ballet class while Garrett Kling held a modern dance class.
AIT BOSTON
AIT Boston held a spring seminar in April at Veterans Memorial Rink in Somerville with special guest Brooke Frieling called “Spring, Fling and Swing.”
AIT Boston’s company piece “Doomed” choreographed by Kate McSwain was performed throughout the spring season for club shows in the New England Area & the Manchester Monarchs hockey half-time performance. They finished their season on June 9 at The American Contemporary Skating Festival. AIT Boston Company skaters are Kat Vitaro, Jessica Ricketts, Shanya Smith, Berlin Sohn, Ella Stanwood, Sydney Kosiak, Julia Rapela, Toby Evett, and Victoria Craw.
Stay tuned for a full video of “Doomed” by On Ice Perspectives coming soon!