The Ice Show

Way back when Coraline was in grade one, she came home with a permission slip for a skating field trip.  "We're all going skating!" she said, excited.  She didn't even own skates.  I know nothing about skating, so I rushed her to Play-it-Again Sports, a second-hand sports shop. I got her a pair of hockey skates, because the salesman told me they were easier to skate in than figure skates, as they didn't have toe picks.  

Coraline went out on the ice and barely managed to stay upright.  She toddled around the ice for an hour, taking teeny tiny steps in her skates.  Most of the time she held onto the boards around the ice surface, or an adult's hand. She fell down a lot. When she came off the ice I asked her how it was. "IT WAS AWESOME!" she exclaimed. 

A very young Coraline.

And so began a 6 year skating journey.  First we started with CanSkate, a Skate Canada program designed to teach fundamental skating skills to future figure and hockey skaters. There she learned to actually skate (and not just take tiny steps while wearing skates).  She quickly moved up into figure skating.  What started off as lessons 2 days a week turned into a 4-5 day a week commitment. As she moved up in levels Coraline began regular off-ice exercises at the gym, followed by 90 minutes of skating (most of which was one-on-one coaching with Coach C). Saturday mornings were spent doing simulations (practice competitions).

Part of skating with a club means being part of an Ice Show.  Every year the club picks a theme (On the Radio, Canadian, and Frozen have been a few of the Fort William Skating Club's themes).  An "Ice Show Committee" is formed of volunteer parents and coaches.  Coaches select costumes, music, and choreograph multiple routines to be skated just for the show. The shows are expensive to produce and require a lot of fundraising.  They also require many, many hours of rehearsal time, costume alterations, fundraising, set design, etc. Skaters sell tickets and the community turns out to see the show and support the club.

Trying on costumes for last year's
show. (Nevermind the cat socks.)

Michael Jackson ice show number.

Grand finale from a few years ago.

As you know, resources are very limited in Iqaluit.  Considering that, and that there is only one head skating coach (who has some helpers), I assumed an ice show just wouldn't be possible. I was surprised when I heard the figure skating club here in Iqaluit actually holds a show every year, and it is very well attended.   

It isn't the same as what we are used to.  Practices for the ice show didn't really start until about 2 weeks before show day. There weren't many "extra" practices added to the regular skating schedule (only one evening and one dress rehearsal). There also aren't a lot of costume changes.  (Last year Coraline had four.)  No DVD's of the show to purchase. Still, its a great opportunity to skate in front of a large crowd, something Coraline enjoyed last year.  

Fast forward to one week before show day.  

This ice show feels like it is hanging on by a thread. Communication between parents and the club is almost non-existent.  There is a lot of anxiety about decorations not being ready, with frantic emails and facebook posts asking for last minute volunteers. Coraline and I showed up to help one day and walked around the arena for 10 minutes looking for people. We found out later that they had just gone home without telling us (despite an organizer confirming they would be there). Other parents are equally frustrated with the confusion. Coraline is upset with how unprepared she feels, and is anxious about the show.  She didn't realize she'd be skating a solo until about a week ahead of time.

Sometimes, the nonchalant, "island time" attitude here can be frustrating. When we registered for the winter session in December I had to include Coraline's dress size in the paperwork (so costumes could be purchased). About a month ago I got an email asking me what her dress size was, again. "What? Surely they have ordered show dresses by now!" I thought. After all, just to get regular stuff from Amazon.ca generally takes a few weeks. Turns out costumes were not ordered until the very last minute. Coraline was supposed to pick hers up  during Tuesday night's skating practice. Normally costumes should arrive in time for everyone to try them on and have alterations done if needed. Tuesday, only 4 days before dress rehearsal, was cutting it very close. As it turns out, the dresses have not even arrived yet. The organizers are now hopeful they will arrive by Friday. The show is Sunday. 

UPDATE: We found out via the grapevine on Wednesday night that the costumes have arrived in Iqaluit!  The skaters will indeed get them on Friday. We have no idea if they will fit. 

Two days to show time: Coraline has a rehearsal this afternoon after school, followed by pizza. She got her costume--it is too small!  Ack! No time for alterations, and the show must go on. (Luckily, she is still able to do everything she needs to do without the dress tearing.) 

One day to show time: DRESS REHEARSAL! Turns out all the dresses for Coraline's group are too small, but all the girls are being good sports about it (and they look gorgeous).  The arena looks great, with lights and curtains up in place for tomorrow.  

The theme for the Iqaluit Ice Show this year is "When I Grow Up".  The kids are dressing up as various professionals and skating to appropriate songs (the firefighter group is skating to Elvis Presley's "Burning Love" for example). Coraline's group is skating to an Inuktitut song by an artist named Ritt, called "Imiqtaq".  Their profession is gatherers, a traditional Inuit women's role. The girls are wearing blue dresses with fox fur in their hair.

Gatherers

Sailors during dress rehearsal.

Doctors

Coraline helping the little train conductors during
practice for the finale.

Watching from the stands.

Show day: The dressing room is abuzz with excitement. The stands are full of parents, grandparents, extended family, and people from the community.  There aren't many events held in town, so turnout for the ice show is impressive. There are volunteers selling flowers and helium balloons in the tiny lobby, as well as collecting donations and handing out programs. (I was surprised to hear that they don't sell tickets to the ice show, in Thunder Bay that's a huge fundraiser. The concern here is that attendance would go down as many people would not be able to afford tickets.)

The arena looked fantastic, the show started promptly on time, and there were no glitches. The club pulled it off!  The volunteers and parents really pitched in to pull everything together, and worked their magic. The little kids looked cute falling over in their skates, and the older skaters skated beautiful solo performances. It seems like everyone in town was there, and by all accounts people really enjoyed the show. Coraline did great, and was a little sad when it was all over.

Coraline ready for her solo.

Solo time.

 Photos of the skaters on display. They are all holding
a sign saying what they want to be when they
grow up.

Young hockey players.

Firefighters.

At home still wearing the dress from the
group number.

Relaxing after the show, with her flowers.

That's it for now!  Tune in again next time when I reveal my birthday surprise.