SAVE THE DATE: Adult Weekend Skateaway
Our second annual retreat-style weekend skating getaway for adult skaters is back – mark your calendars for Friday, September 23 – Sunday, September 25 in Austin, TX.
This weekend gives adult skaters the opportunity to connect, create and collaborate with each other, offering the space for skaters to view themselves as authentic and integral contributors to the artistic skating community. Registration will open on Friday, July 1.
ed-italia.comCORE CAMP Registration Extended to Monday, June 6
AIT’s summer artistic figure skating training camp helping skaters develop the “Mind-Body-Movement Connection” will again take place at the RecPlex Ice Arena on Thursday, July 21 – Saturday, July 24 with an extra “Cool Down” on Sunday, July 25 for skaters Intermediate MIF+ and ages 13+.
Registration is still open with a late fee through Monday, June 6. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!
Coaches: you can come & learn how to teach artistic concepts by observing and attending CORE Camp too! Coaches Registration is now available. Coaches with 4 or more skaters registered for CORE Camp can attend or observe all CORE Camp classes for free. Coaches who do not have any skaters attending – or fewer than 4 – will pay $40 per day fee to participate.
ACSFest Showcase Tickets on Sale
Calling all Boston contemporary skating fans! Come to watch the American Contemporary Skating Festival Showcase Sunday, June 12 happening 6:30 PM at the Warrior Ice Arena. The showcase will feature AIT Boston and AIT NYC Professional Companies, the AIT Boston Junior Company, 2022 Young Artists Showcase Champion Cameron Claire, and international choreographers presenting workshop pieces put together over the course of the festival weekend.
Tickets are $15 if purchased in advance and can be purchased here.
YAS & Q4C 2022
Our busy spring schedule was filled with creativity as we wrapped up the 2022 Young Artists Showcase and Quest for Creativity Competitions.
Cameron Claire, from St. Paul MN, won the Young Artists Showcase with 325 total stars, and runner-up Jordan Bailey from New York City was close behind with 323.5 stars.
Cameron’s piece for Challenge #1, “The Star Challenge,” won Best Choreography Piece. Cam’s piece was set to the music of Cosmo Sheldrake and skated by National Champion & Olympian, Jeremy Abbott. Jordan Bailey won the award “Best Diverse Body of Choreographic Work,” while 3rd place finisher Paula Jagodzinska from Sydney, Australia won “Most Innovative Piece” for Challenge #3, “Unconventional Skating,” skated by Paula Jagodzinska and Sarah Batey.
You can watch these performances on YouTube and also check out our entire 2022 YAS Playlist to see all the performances and judges feedback.
The 2022 Quest For Creativity Title went to Giulia Paolino, a 16-year-old from North Royalton, OH. She skated to music by Wooded and videography by Tonia Kwiatkowski. As the winner, Giulia is named “The Emerging Choreographer” at our CORE Camp in July at Pleasant Prairie RecPlex. She will receive a complimentary flight to CORE Camp, a discounted rate for CORE Camp and the opportunity to create an ensemble piece for the CORE Camp Showcase on Saturday, July 23.
Second place went to Isabelle Desens, 16-years-old from Oronoco, MN and third place went to Jessica Kemper, 20-years-old from Palmdale, CA. They will both receive the opportunity to perform their solos at the CORE Camp Showcase.
To check out all 17 submissions and judges feedback, please visit our 2022 Q4C YouTube playlist.
The Importance of Tendu – New Article by Annette Thomas
“Just as in my previous article “The Importance of Plié”, Tendu (or Battement Tendu) is a fundamental part of almost every move we make – whether in skating or in dance. Plié is how we prepare, but Tendu is how we move. The genius of Russian ballet Methodology, Agrippina Y. Vaganova, said that it is the very foundation of the entire ballet methodology. Tendu means to stretch or tense – not just the foot or the knee, but to use the floor (or ice) as resistance in order to stretch and lift the entire body away from where we are to where we are going. In terms of physics or biomechanics you could say that Plié is the Potential energy, while Tendu is the Kinetic energy – so they go hand in hand and both exercises need equal scrutiny to master.”
AIT Satellite Updates
AIT CHICAGO
AIT Chicago held their Spring Seminar on Saturday, May 15 at the McFetridge Sports Center. It was led by AIT Chicago Director Molly Olson Poniatowski and AIT Chicago Company Member Kayla Grayson.
Their Winter Seminar was held at the Wilmette Centennial Ice Rink and was co-led by Poniatowski and Ami Parekh, an AIT Company Member.
Ami Parekh, a former World Competitor for India, was also recently featured on AIT’s IG Live chat in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. Interviewed by AIT Phoenix Director Jacqueline Benson, Parekh shared insights about her upbringing and her role in giving platforms for BIPOC skaters today.
Visit AIT’s IG page to check out the interview!
AIT CLEVELAND
AIT Cleveland, led by director Elizabeth Misson, choreographed a company piece for her AIT Cleveland professional ensemble. The skaters include Marissa Diaz, Alyson Pekkola, Giulia Paolino, Vivian Gabbard, Kaelynn Higgins, Chloe O’Brien and Anastasia Migyanko. They submitted their piece to the 2022 U.S. Open Professional Championships set to take place Tuesday, May 24.
AIT Cleveland held their Winter Seminar on Sunday, February 27 in North Olmsted with AIT Cleveland Director Elizabeth Misson and guest artist, coach/choreographer Frank Singley.
Their Spring Seminar will be held on Saturday, June 18 at the Skating Club of Cleveland. This seminar will be led by AIT Cleveland director Elizabeth Misson and will feature guest artist Chip Rossbach. Chip was a principal ice dancer with Ice Capades, a principal skater in Nutcracker on Ice, a former U.S. Open Professional Figure Skating Champion and U.S. National Ice Dance medalist. He has coached many skaters from beginner through national competitors in the Cleveland area for many years.
The seminar is titled “On Balance, Off Balance” – the first hour will focus on skating skills and edge quality and the last hour will focus on taking those skills “off balance” and trying unique ways of moving your core with maintaining balance and control.
AIT BOSTON
AIT Boston held their spring seminar at Warrior Ice Arena on Saturday, April 30 with AIT Boston Director Kate McSwain, Assistant Director Jimmy Morgan, and special guest artist John Mucko.
The skaters enjoyed exploring contemporary movement and improvisation together. Be on the lookout for the Summer seminar coming up this August!
AIT Boston Professional Company has been performing their company piece “Walls” choreographed by McSwain throughout the spring at various club show performances. In April, they skated the piece in Fitchburg & Reading and in May they performed in Boxborough & Haverhill.
Company skaters include Kelly Annese, Brittany Ballard, Hilary Clausius, Toby Evett, Amanda Greel, Abby Pierce, Julia Rapela, Johanna Geary, Kat Vitaro, and Gillian Robidas.
The Professional Company (along with the AIT Boston 2022 Junior Company ensemble) will perform their respective pieces at the American Contemporary Skating Festival Showcase on Sunday, June 12 at 6:30pm.
AIT MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
The AIT MSP Spring Seminar was held Sunday, April 10 at the Eagan Civic Arena. Participants were treated to a special off-ice workshop “Yoga & Journaling” led by Ellie Roscher. In this workshop, Ellie led participants through a yoga flow while taking time to journal with prompts focused on mindfulness, body awareness and mind-body connection.
The on ice portion was led by AIT MSP Director Garrett Kling where skaters participated in Six Ways of the Spine edge class, improv exercises focused on the senses and a choreography combo.
The Cottage Grove Figure Skating Club brought in AIT MSP Director Garrett Kling and AIT MSP Assistant Director Joey Millet for a half-day seminar on Saturday, April 9. The skaters went through an off-ice dance class working through Six Ways of the Spine and learning a choreography combo. Once they got on the ice, they continued Six Ways class, improv exercises and performing a choreography combo for their families. Thanks to Lindsay Johnston for bringing AIT into the club.
Kate Charbonneau Shurts led as the special guest artist at the AIT MSP Winter Seminar on Sunday, February 13. Kate is a former international competitor and led skaters through a contemporary combo and edge class.
The AIT MSP Professional Company performed at two club shows over the spring season. The Northern Iowa Figure Skating Club hosted them on Saturday, April 2 where the company performed two pieces – “Clouds” choreographed by Kate McSwain and “404” choreographed by Garrett Kling.
On April 23-25, the company including Haley Jostes, Cameron Claire, Berlin Sohn, Joey Millet, Ashley Harris, and Nila Cooper also skated at the Rochester Figure Skating Club show, performing “404”
The AIT MSP Summer Seminar will be held Saturday, August 27 at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. Check back this summer for updates.
AIT NEW YORK CITY
AIT NYC is excited to announce Sarah Zanolli as their new Assistant Director! Sarah teaches around the New York City metro and will join leadership with AIT NYC Director Jordan Bailey. Happy to have you on board Sarah!
AIT NYC held their Winter Seminar with Jordan & Sarah at the World Ice Arena in Flushing and their Spring Seminar at the Murray’s Skating Center in Yonkers.
AIT NEW HAMPSHIRE
AIT NH wrapped up their trial season with their spring seminar on Saturday, May 14 at the Conway Arena featuring AIT NH Director Gillian Robidas and Kate McSwain.
Their winter seminar was led by Robidas for the on-ice portion with a special yoga flow class by teacher Victoria Hanson.
AIT DETROIT
AIT Detroit, led by Director Hazel Dodson, will have their Spring Seminar on Sunday, June 5 with a special Aerial Acrobatic Workshop with Danielle Gamelin.
Danielle is a former competitive ice dancer with her brother Alex Gamelin (who also was the guest artist for the fall seminar).
Unfortunately their outdoor winter seminar was cancelled due to the weather.
AIT PHOENIX
AIT Phoenix, led by director Jacqueline Benson, held their Winter Seminar on Sunday, February 13 with guest choreographer Nancy Pluta.
The AIT Phoenix Spring Seminar was held on Sunday, April 10 with special guest artist Kate McSwain. This seminar was full of contemporary skating exercises and introducing figure skaters to the joy and freedom of improvisation! We look forward to reconnecting with all the Phoenix contemporary skaters – ages 8-80 – at the summer seminar in July!
IG LIVE Yoga Class with Lauren Williams
Did you know that AIT yoga instructor Lauren Williams conducts a free yoga class on IG live on the last Sunday of every month? Join us for our next class – Sunday, May 29 at 1pm ET. Breathe, relax and unwind with Lauren!
DEEP DIVE Videos Available
The Deep Dive Series from this past winter on “IJS Choreo Tools” is available to purchase on demand at our store. You may individually purchase a class or buy the bundle of four classes. The 2021 series “Ensemble Choreo Tools” is also available on demand.