Since 1994, San Diego Ice Arena has held their annual “A Fairy Tale Christmas on Ice”, a performance where skaters of every level showcase their skills in different programs. Skaters Abigail Ruckman (9), Cassidy Schmelzer (9), and Helena Shi (12) each performed in a different program in the Dec. 14 show. This was Ruckman’s and Shi’s second year performing in the Christmas show, and Shmelzer’s third.
Ruckman said that as a child she enjoyed watching the Christmas show, especially the older skaters’ solos.
“Their performances reminded me that you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone if you want to try something completely new,” Ruckman said. “[The ice show] is a really big thing in our rink, and when I started to get better, I really wanted to be in the show instead of watching it.”
Ruckman’s Cinderella-themed choreography was the 8th act of the show, and showcased skills such as a camel biellmann combo, and incorporated a lyrical skating element called the Ina Bauer, where the skater bends far back with their arms, holding the pose while gliding on the ice.
She, along with six other skaters, skated to “Ten Minutes Ago” by Jon Cypher and Julie Andrews from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997).
“I choreographed and practiced with my coach, and we tried to include more footwork and less jumps,” Ruckman said.
Five acts after Ruckman’s feature, Schmelzer and Ruckman skated to “Into The Unknown” by AURORA and Idina Menzel, from Frozen.
“We trained off the ice once a week for a month building up to the week of the show,” Schmelzer said. “We focused the most on the placement of everything, as well as the transition between the skaters and the flag portion.”
To match the whimsical melody of “Into the Unknown,” Ruckman said that the choreography is flowy and lyrical, allowing them to display many of their skills like the camel catch, where one leg is pulled above the skater’s head by the skate while the other controls the pace of the spin, and the axle, where the skater pushes off the ice and rotates 1.5 times in the air.
“[In our group performance] we lifted the younger skaters up into the air, while other members skated with large blue flags flowing behind,” Schmelzer said. “We also had to do arabesques into axles, which is a hard jump, and had to focus on our placements so we didn’t bump into each other.”
After Ruckman and Schmelzer’s performances, Shi’s group skated onto the ice. To emulate the mischievous main character in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Shi’s group’s performance centers around a skater dressed as the Grinch while the skaters skate to the cover of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” by Sabrina Carpenter.
“He is the star of the show,” Shi said. “As we perform, he causes havoc and chaos. We skate around him as he dances, and in the end, we skate away from him, singling him out for being a very naughty Grinch.”
During the performance, Shi said that there were many distractions due to 15 skaters on the ice at a time and more than 300 people watching and reacting. Factors such as timing, facial expressions, and potential mistakes ran through her mind. Shi said that to control her nerves she focused on herself and her program rather than focusing on the audience and their reactions.
“Funnily enough, during my portion, I almost ran into the Grinch, which wasn’t intended,” Shi said. “I played it off with my facial expressions, and kept skating as if it was intentional. I think it added more to the Grinch’s character.”
As SDIA’s 30th annual “A Fairy Tale Christmas on Ice” show came to an end, Ruckman, Schmelzer, and Shi agreed that they were happy with their performances.
“Nerves and anticipation take over before the show, but in the moment, I realized that all of the lessons, practices, and techniques were embedded in me,” Shi said.
