It’s Showtime!

by Randy Winship

While many of us are knee-deep in winter weather, busy skating schools and local competitions, it’s not too early to start planning your spring ice show. It can take many months of preparation to make your “spring spetacular” bloom into a successful show production.

The key to any successful ice show production comes down to only three words: planning, planning, PLANNING! If you do your homework and get everything organized, your event can come off without a hitch and you will be the “star.”

Show formats range from an easy exhibition style to a full-fledged production show. Choose the kind of show that is the best fit for your arena and your skaters. It’s not important what type of show you do; what counts is that everyone has a chance to participate in a special skating event without being “judged.”

Here are my “Top 10 Tips for a Successful Ice Show:”

  1. Find a place for everyone in your production.

Make sure everyone — tots, beginners, hockey skaters, adults and even the national competitors — feels that they have a special part to perform and contribute to the show’s success. Some skaters don’t like competitions because they are “judged.” Your show event can be a good place for them to have fun performing in a group while they show off their skating skills for their friends and family.

  1. Be careful if you plan “tryouts” for solos.

Some great show skaters like performing in a show because they don’t have to perform for judges (as in a competition). As a tryout alternative, you can set solo assignments by skating test levels or even have a “Cast A” and “Cast B” with alternate performances to allow more skaters a chance at a show solo.

  1. Get the coaching staff and rink staff working together.

Whether it’s cutting music, designing costumes, building props or selling tickets, if possible, let everyone contribute their “creative input.”

  1. Creativity and variety add “spice.”

Don’t just follow the same show routine that you’ve always done. Make your production numbers exciting and come up with new, innovative and creative ways to use different music in your show. Try to use many types of music so everyone in the audience can hear one of their favorite songs.

  1. Reuse existing music, costumes and props.

It’s easy to adapt previous show-number routines for competition event entries, and vice versa. Use a family spotlight, team compulsory or production routine that has placed first in a local, district or national competition event as part of your show program. I always made my show finale a new Kaleidoskate number each year, so I would already have costumes, music and choreography ready for next year’s competition event.

  1. Keep the choreography simple.

Group numbers that don’t have much practice time together need to have fun and look good. Those are the important elements for a good show routine. Everyone should emphasize their best skills in the show so they can shine.

  1. Recruit parents and family members.

They can serve on committees to handle costumes, props, set design, ticket sales, program design, practice-ice, attendance, lighting, decorations, etc. Any help they can provide will reduce the workload for the coaches and rink staff.

  1. Put posters and flyers in local businesses to get the word out.

Have skaters sell tickets to school friends and family. Link up with the community calendar of events in your local media for some free publicity. If you are bringing in a guest star, the media might be interested in interviewing them before or during a performance.

  1. Pull together all the pieces.

It takes a good “director” to make sure everything is prepared to come together before opening night. If something isn’t coming together or won’t be ready, it’s time to punt! Be flexible and find another solution that will be both entertaining and appropriate. While a show can be stressful, it should be “fun stress” for everyone.

  1. Make sure the show is a positive experience for everyone.

For many seasonal rinks, the show is an end-of-season event, and good memories will leave them eager to be involved in next year’s skating programs and events. Your show can also draw prospective new skaters to your arena. Make sure they can easily find out details for your next set of beginner lessons.

Don’t forget to relax and have fun! If you’ve done your homework, you should have time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s a lot of work, but producing a fabulous ice show can be a rewarding experience for you, your arena and everyone involved.

Randy Winship is general manager of Pasadena Ice Skating Center, serves as chair of the ISI Test and Competition Standards Committee and is the District 15 representative to the ISI board of directors.