Stars On Ice is a treat for the senses: Interview with figure skating stars Kurt Browning, Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Interview with figure skating stars Kurt Browning, Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Figure skating is a sport, Olympic event and metaphor for life. When you put together a talented ensemble of athletic champions who would be as comfortable on a Broadway stage as they are on the rink, you get Stars on Ice, which tours around the world, including Santander Arena in Reading.
A treat for the senses, this show features a lineup of champion figure skaters which changes every season. Performers dazzle with lavish outfits, choreography and highly-stylized artistic expression set to a blistering soundtrack. In existence for more than 30 years and the brainchild of Scott Hamilton and Robert D. Kain of IMG, the show has earned accolades including four Emmy awards and an Ace Cable Award.
Part of the appeal is that performers are not in competition but rather work collectively. The cast is a who’s who of skating.
Kurt Browning has represented Canada in three Winter Olympics and is a member of both Canada’s Sports Hall Of Fame and Figure Skating Hall Of Fame. His routine injects a retro vibe with a 1940s era gangster persona.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White are America’s most decorated ice dancers winning both the World Title and Olympic Ice Dancing Gold Medal. They brought the romance with a love story set to a Queen medley. The audience holds its collective breath every time the skaters propel themselves to grab some air, but this duo’s synchronicity and complete trust returns them flawlessly to the ice.
The show culminates into a party-like atmosphere during which all the skaters pull out all the stops.
Mirai Nagasu and Bradie Tennell, Olympic medalists who earlier in the show conquered the laws of physics individually, now skate together pumping up the crowd. The sheer enthusiasm and joy of these performers can’t be denied.
Interview with Kurt Browning, Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Rodeo: What does a professional figure skater need to make a connection with an audience?
Kurt: Before your music starts you look up into the audience. People chose to be here. Trust them and it makes it easier to perform. Instead of feeling pressure you feel almost assistance like guidance.
Rodeo: What advice do you have for a young person who dreams of pursuing a career in sports?
Kurt: Do it because you want to. Your sport should choose you as much as you choose your sport.
Rodeo: What is your favorite thing about visiting this area?
Charlie: This is our second time so there’s maybe a little bit of a comfort level, the fans and the support they have for skating. The skating community in this area is really awesome.
Rodeo: What is the biggest challenge currently facing female athletes?
Meryl: There are so many challenges. One of the most difficult things is believing in yourself and finding a way to use your voice to empower others.
Rodeo: Can you reveal something about training for the Olympics that most people may not realize?
Meryl: It really comes down to hard work but one of the things that Charlie and I really focus on was bringing it 100 percent every single day in practice.
To watch the full interview go to https://youtu.be/1_IMD_TeQvA.
Kid reviewer Rodeo Marie Hanson, 13, of Fleetwood, contributes entertainment columns to BerksMont Newspapers.