TAWAS CITY – On the first weekend of March, many families and friends found seats inside the Tawas Bay Ice Arena for the annual show of the Tawas Bay Figure Skating Club (TBFSC), on the recently Zamboniized ice. Colorful lights swirled around the oval shape.
While temperatures outside were in the 60s, true winter temperatures awaited inside as spectators huddled in blankets and full winter gear, patiently awaiting the season's much-anticipated figure skating show. Ta.
There was little advance promotion beyond a brief social media promotion, a few flyers, and word-of-mouth advertising, so the rink was packed and standing room only on Friday and Saturday nights.
Club director Marisa Nunn has been organizing this annual show for many years. Despite free admission for all parents, she still sold over 200 tickets on the show's opening night. Figure skating coach Amy Michalak became Nunn's right-hand man during the event, making sure everyone was in place and all needs were met.
“We are planning another successful TBFSC Ice Show!” Nunn expressed.
She said how proud she was of the skaters who put in so much effort to make the annual ice show fundraiser great. She also thanked the volunteers, student helpers, supportive parents, community members and of course the rink staff, saying this weekend would not have been possible without their support.
Nunn also praised the continued efforts of Michalak, the other half of TBFSC’s dynamic coaching duo. “Your contribution to our club is valuable.”
The program's music and costumes were chosen to match the theme of the 2024 event, titled “Radical Rewind: A Completely '80s Ice Show.” Performers skate in solos, duos, trios, and more, decked out in neon colors, black lace stockings, big hair, and/or lots of sparkle, and take to the ice to memorable hits from 40 years ago. It glowed and rotated. There was a wide range of ages and levels in the lineup, from the youngest beginners to top gaming teens.
Teen Nora Kasba, a senior at Tawas Regional High School, has been figure skating for seven years and had two solo performances in the program. She placed third in the first half, and Kasbah, dressed in a sparkling black outfit, gave an electric and energetic performance to “Welcome to the Jungle.” guns and roses. Her second performance included multiple seemingly perfect jumps and spins with numerous rotations, performed to her “Dream On.” aerosmith.
Other soloists also gave great performances, including Abby Kloska skating to “Putting on the Ritz.” TacoJune Walter skating to Billy Joel's “Uptown Girl” and Kylie Chamel skating to Billy Joel's “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” Wham Brooke Herrick skates to Kenny Loggins' “Footloose.”
Far up in the rafters, Joey Richardson of Joey Mac Entertainment hit the nail on the head with his technologically advanced song selections. Richardson holds a walkie-talkie to communicate with the floor organizers, and if plans need to be disrupted for a moment, he's prepared for last-minute changes or he adds B-roll backup music so the audience can seamlessly I was prepared to see what I could see. The show – it definitely was.
Some of the youngest skaters, who may have been performing in front of an audience for the first time, bravely took to the ice to seize their moment in the spotlight. Ice dance duo Erin Manet and Joli Vitti skated to Rick Astley's “Never Gonna Give You Up.” They kept close to the audience for most of their performance, captured the audience's attention with their engaging repertoire, and clearly had fun performing.
The synchronized skating group's performance showcased similar skills in a variety of choreography, including linear, rotational, and circling elements, as well as blocking and crossing movements.
More memorable group costumes included a set of purple sequin leotards with white ruffled front panels and cuffs, reminiscent of Prince's Purple Rain days. A group of small ball players wearing red shiny ball caps. and a trio wearing daylight neon skirts and black lace stockings.
This year's figure skating show was clearly filled with effort, joy, and fun as all the skaters were seen smiling and glowing throughout their performance. Even the Zamboni was led onto the ice like a large animal and proved to be a source of entertainment during the break. Emblazoned with team and club names, the bikes hang around the rink's oval, making increasingly tight turns as ice-cold water drips into grooves carved into the ice by the performers' skate blades. did.
Finally, all the skaters returned to the rink for a final salute and were greeted with a standing ovation. Skaters relaxed and freestyled with friends as spectators slowly filed in, clearly breathing a sigh of relief after a job well done.
For more information about the arena and the events held there, as well as opening hours for skating, please visit: tawasbayicearena.com.