Figure Skating Club prepares to perform
The Cache Valley Figure Skating Club’s “Skate-A-Palooza” is a tribute to musical artists throughout the decades and will feature skaters of all ages, including the Utah State University figure skating class.
“It’s going to be the best show we’ve done as a club,” Betsy Judd, president of the club, said. “The skaters are at a level where it is really fun to watch.”
The performers range in age from 5-to-15-years-old. The “Hot Chocolate Club,” a group of the adult members of the club, will be skating to “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Jail House Rock,” by Elvis Presley.
The Cache Valley Figure Skating Club was formed last year and has many members who have placed in local and regional competitions. Thirteen-year-old Montana Judd won first place in the Central Pacific Regional Competition in San Jose, Calif., last October.
“I skate everyday,” Judd said. “I worked really hard for regionals.”
Montana will also be skating solo to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” at Skate-A-Palooza.
“This year we have more skilled skaters, and our show is more organized,” said 11-year-old, Ellie Judd. Ellie has been skating for about three years and will be performing in a group, as well as a solo to “Orange Colored Sky,” by Natalie Cole.
“We’ve been working on our routines for about a month and a half,” Ellie said. “The hardest thing in my routine is probably an axel. I’ve been working on it for about a year.”
All of the girls who are able to execute an axel are called the “High Free Skate Girls.” These skaters will be performing a group number to “Black or White,” by Michael Jackson.
The USU figure skating class will be performing two group numbers to songs by Abba and Queen. The figure skating class is an eight-week class held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:45 p.m.
The Cache Valley Figure Skating Club has 45 members, at a beginning or intermediate level. The coaches and choreographers of the club are professionals from as far away as Florida and Alaska.
The club has the Eccles Ice Center reserved for an hour on Mondays for practicing. However, many of the skaters come on other days during “free skate” to get more practice. To be a member of the club, it costs $60 a year. This fee pays for the club’s membership in the United States Figure Skating Association.
Skate-A-Palooza will held on Saturday April 30 at 8 p.m. at the Eccles Ice Center. The tickets for the show are available at the Eccles Ice Center at 787-2288, or visit www.ecclesice.com.
Adult admission is $5, children younger than 12 are $2 and family discount tickets are $12, which include six family members. USU students will receive a discounted ticket price of $2. After the show, spectators are invited to stay and skate from 10:15 p.m. to 12 a.m. Skating admission is $3.50 plus $1.50 skate rental. A two-for-one skating coupon is provided on the ice show ticket.
-bsheperd@cc.usu.ed