Local figure skaters bring down the house

March 26, 2019

Caleb Nickerson

caleb@theequity.ca

CALEB NICKERSON

SHAWVILLE March 22, 2019

There was hardly any space left in the parking lot of the Shawville Arena Friday night as family and friends gathered to take in the Shawville Figure Skating Club’s production, “The Colourful World of Skating.”

More than 70 skaters ranging from three to 23 years-old showcased their talents for the packed house, changing costumes and routines faster than a stop light changing colours.

The evening featured a variety of numbers, from solo and duo performances to the madhouse known as the collaborative, where skaters of all ages and skill levels gather on the ice for a group finale.

Club President Ronda Richardson said that they have seen a bump in numbers this year, due largely to the popularity of their fundamental skills program.

“We’ve seen an increase, especially in our CanSkate program,” she said. “I’ve had to shut registration for CanSkate for both sessions this year, and that’s a first.”

CanSkate, as Richardson explained, is a program designed by Skate Canada that teaches the fundamental skills of skating. As Richardson explained in an email, the program teaches youngsters the basics for all types of on-ice activities – including hockey, figure skating and speed skating.

The club has two full-time coaches, Dana and Kayla Savard, who are assisted in their supervising duties by older skaters known as program assistants. Richardson said that they are invaluable to the club, both for teaching as well as coordinating the routines for the performance.

“They come up with all the music, they cut the music, they do the choreography,” she explained, adding that some of the older program assistants also add their input to the choreography. “They’re very dedicated.”

Following the show, attendees were gathered for refreshments above the rink at the Lion’s Hall.

The 2018-19 Shawville Figure Skating Club awards were:

Most Improved Senior – Marissa Lang

Most Improved Junior – Brayleigh Barr

Program Assistant of the Year – Sydney Coté

Volunteer of the Year – Haillee Hamelin-Dorzek

Sportsmanship Award – Payton St-Pierre

CanSkate Champion – Shealie Griffin

CanSkate Champion – Isobel Clarke

Most Improved CanSkate – Chloe Trudeau

Most Improved PreStar – Lea Asselin

The Shawville Figure Skating Club held its year-end show on Friday night, packing the arena with friends and family. Pictured, Kiersten Sharpe performed to “Black Cadillac” as part of a trio with Bree Barr and Olivia Rowat.

This year’s show was entitled “The Colourful World of Skating” and each musical number related to various shades and hues. The program assistants led the evening with a group performance to “Blue.”

The CanSkate Beginners had one of the cutest performances of the evening, to “Feeling Green.”

Sydney Coté and Émile Proulx delivered a stunning duo performance to “Colours.”

The Senior Star Skaters had a high-flying finish to their routine. The group performed to “Red Lights.’

The Intermediate Star skaters slip past each other during their number early on in the show. They performed to ‘Red.”

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