Theater and Ice... An Unlikely Combo With International Attention

So what are you doing on the second weekend of April? If you don’t have any plans, check out the 2011 Nations Cup and US National Theatre on Ice Competition from April 6-10 at the . Why, you ask? It's a very cool competition and my daughters and a hardworking team of girls are participating.

 Yes, my daughters and thirteen other hard working young ladies are part of the Barnstable Blades Ice Theatre team and they will be competing on both Saturday, April 9  and Sunday, April 10 as part of the 2011 US National Theatre on Ice Competition hosted by the Yarmouth Ice Club.

The Barnstable Blades have a unique story. Theatre on Ice combines the athleticism of figure skating with the creativeness of theatre and dance. My girls have always been involved in the Barnstable Recreation Learn to Skate program and this was a class begun a few years ago under the tutelage of Laura Kelliher and Kelly White. My girls, along with several other young ladies, wanted to see what it was all about.

Now it’s the fall of 2010. Laura Kelliher approached me with information that we were lucky enough to have a NATIONAL competition for Theatre on Ice right in our own rink! It was a win-win situation and would we be interested?

Well….YES! And so the Barnstable Blades Ice Theatre team was formed. Ranging in age from ten to fifteen, from all different schools and backgrounds, these girls have one thing in common:  They really enjoy the theatrics of skating!

These skaters come together each and every week to practice to perfect their routines that they will be unveiling in April. 

As a parent of two members of the team, it fills my heart to see all these girls working so hard on their goal.  We gathered for a delicious pizza dinner at restaurant recently, and to be honest, the parents don’t know each other well so we spent the time asking each other about our lives, but the girls sat right down and chatted as old friends. I guess they are. They have worked together since September with one goal in mind: competing in April.

Would they like to earn first place? Absolutely. Will they come away from the experience appreciating what they’ve been a part of? You know it.

I would like to say a huge and hearty thank you to the skaters on the Barnstable Blades Ice Theatre team and I think I speak for all the parents of these athletic and spirited young ladies. Thank you for having the drive and dedication to come together as a team to represent your home ice. We are very proud of you and are so looking forward to the 2011 US National Theatre on Ice competition.

Good luck, Barnstable Blades!

If you are on Facebook please "like" the Barnstable Blades Theatre on Ice Team.  Thanks!

The Barnstable Blades are accepting donations to help with the cost of competing and donors will be thanked on the Blades website. Please feel free to email if you are interested in donating  lmcarlon@comcast.net.