Ice Theatre Of New York Presents Edge Class Wednesdays Through December

Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) presents Edge Class on Wednesdays at 1:30pm through December 22, 2021 at Sky Rink, Chelsea Piers, NY. The full 10-week session is $150 and drop-in classes are $20. To register, please click here.

Taught by ITNY Ensemble Director, Elisa Angeli, the Edge Class allows adult figure skaters to hone their skating skills in a 50-minute session set to music, followed by an additional 15 minutes of free skating. Skaters must be proficient in their forward and backward skating with speed, able to do forward outside/inside three turns, and forward inside mohawks. Classes begin with simple exercises, then moves on to more complex patterns and ensemble skating - "birding" - exercises.

Please note that if you are looking for an instructional class, you may want to take ITNY's Tuesday Edge class by our performer, Sarah France, at City Ice Pavilion. Click here for more information.

Developed by Olympic Champion John Curry as a daily class for his skating company, the format is now used to teach the Ice Theatre Ensemble and guest skaters. The classes's on-ice format is similar to that of a dance class with a large group lesson being taught to music. Participants perform a sequence of steps ranging from basic to advanced difficulty. Sequences are then performed in small groups to develop spatial sensitivity among skaters and to facilitate flow on open freestyle sessions. The basic material may be incorporated into skaters' daily warm-up routines while more advanced sequences may be modified for use in programming.

Mastery of the edges is the key to skating. The skater of the future will be the one who combines the athleticism of the triple/quadruple jump with the artistry that comes only through the mastery of the edges. Jumps and flying spins are energetic developments of edges and turns that are performed on the surface of the ice. Balance on these basic edges and turns not only facilitate athleticism but also are inseparable from artistry.

In the ITNY edge classes, skaters gain a repertory of exercises designed to develop skills necessary for accomplishing the athletic elements of skating. These exercises help create the freedom of ice movement essential to style. The classes focus in-depth on these basics:

• Grounded knee bend (Plié)

• Dynamic placement of the free leg

• Twisting and the use of the arms to shape space

• Full use of the eyes for balance and style

Through full and proper use of the body, skaters come in contact with their basic strengths and ultimately discover their own unique ice personalities.

In accordance with Key to NYC rules, everyone twelve years old and older are required to show identification and proof of vaccination upon entry to Sky Rink and remain masked in all common areas, including on the ice.