It’s always best to close a long season with some fun.
For the Thunder Bay Figure Skating Club, their annual Stars on Ice show is a celebration of the work put in by the skaters throughout the course of the season.
Stars on Ice event chair Karen Hoard said the fun shows are a lot less pressure for the skaters after going through a lengthy season of competition.
“For the competitive ones this is fun for them and they just get to let loose,” Hoard said prior to an afternoon show at the Port Arthur Arena on Saturday.
“It’s the equivalent of a dance recital. The kids skate all year long and this is their opportunity to skate together as a group. They get to wear costumes, makeup and get to come out in the spotlight they’ve worked towards all year.”
There are 83 skaters making up the show, ranging from as young as three-years-old to adult coaches.
The show was a homecoming of sorts for 17-year-old Jarret Melanson, who was a member of the club before originally relocating to Quebec and now Toronto for elite training.
Melanson describes celebratory shows like Stars on Ice as being performance based.
“It gives everyone more of a relaxed feeling instead of trying to keep a certain idea or theme throughout the show. It lets everyone skate the programs they have and just relax and have fun,” he said.
“You see a lot of individuality when skaters have their solos and you can see they each have their own style how they like to perform and there are different things about them that come out when they are showcased.”
Having a club-wide show allows younger skaters to take to the ice with some of the older, more established skaters they look up to.
With Melanson pursuing the sport at the national level, he appreciates coming back and performing in front of his family, friends and supporters.
“This is the same place I started skating so it feels nice to come back and skate after I’ve been away for a couple of years,” he said. “It’s really nice to see everyone again.”
Organizers of the show beginning preparing nearly a year in advance.
They have to select and create costumes, music and develop choreographed routines for all the skaters of different ages and skill levels.
