Year after year, Berkley Ice Show is special for community and those involved By Jeremy Selweski BERKLEY — The Ice Capades may be the gold standard for all things flashy on an ice rink, but what the Berkley Ice Show lacks in glitz and glamour, it more than makes up for in spirit, enthusiasm and a friendly price tag. Starting April 4, about 70 Berkley-area residents will lace up their skates and slip on their finest costume for the 32nd annual event, held at the Berkley Ice Arena. The skaters range from preschoolers to seniors, from rookies to experts, representing both Berkley’s Learn to Skate program and its Royal Blades Figure Skating Club. As always, the show is a big family event for the entire community, but Naomi Miller, director of the show, said it’s the kids who get especially excited for it every year. “They have so much fun doing this,” she said. “It’s the culminating act of the year for these kids. They get to show off what they’ve learned, which makes them feel really special.” This year’s show has a theme of “That’s Entertainment!” and will showcase performers skating to music from movies, television shows, Broadway musicals and Las Vegas revues. Featured songs include “Singing in the Rain,” “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” “Phantom of the Opera” and more. A choreographer from Onyx Rochester Ice Arena worked with the skaters on the two-hour event’s opening number, and for the first time, the show will feature a junior chorus made up of some of the youngest skaters. Sue Richardson, one of the organizers of the popular annual event, said she is continually impressed by the quality of the ice show each year. “The people that put it on always do their best to make it a well-produced show with skaters at all different levels,” she said. “They manage to put on a great show for a reasonable price.” Craig Joeright and his wife, Larissa, are former medalists at the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships at the junior and senior levels of pairs competition, and have worked as coaches at the Berkley Ice Arena since 2003. The couple will be skating in the Berkley Ice Show for the third consecutive year. As a skater and coach with a couple decades of experience under his belt, Joeright believes that one of the things that separates the Berkley Ice Show from other local shows is the quality of its skating. “In general, the choreography of this show is a step above what you see in a lot of shows,” he said. “They take a little extra time and pay attention to all the little details.” For Joeright, the best part of the event is “seeing it all come together at the end. Every year, they do something special for the high school girls who might be leaving next year (after graduation), and it’s great to see them get that big finish.” One of those girls is Royal Oak High School senior Megan Bauer, who has been skating at the Berkley Ice Arena for the past 12 years. She will be performing in two group numbers and — as the only high school senior at this year’s show — will have her own featured solo. “It’s a very nice spotlight moment,” Bauer said. She said she relishes the opportunity to participate in the show each spring because “it’s definitely all about the community. The people there make it so enjoyable, and the atmosphere is more than pleasant. It’s something I look forward to every year.” Bauer, who hopes to become a skating coach in the future, said she loves seeing so many local residents come out to support the skaters. But her favorite part is taking part in the final preparations during show week. “As crazy and hectic as it is,” she said, “I get to spend countless hours at the ice arena completely immersed in the sport and the people. We eat together, work together and live together for a few days.” Berkley High School junior Rachel Starks also has a solo in this year’s show, in which she will be skating to the song “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” Starks, who has been skating at the Berkley Ice Arena since she was 5 years old, said she has performed in the show “forever.” She really enjoys the familiarity of all the faces she sees every year. “I like the fact that I know almost everyone who’s in the show,” she said. “It’s a great chance to skate and have fun with your friends.” Miller, who has been working with the ice show since 1980, stressed that volunteer help from the community has been essential to the show’s success. Parents of the skaters, in particular, always lend a hand, doing everything from working as ushers to selling tickets and building props. “The parents really do a lot to help out and keep everybody safe,” she said. “Without the parents, this show would not be possible.” Joeright couldn’t agree more. “They put a lot of time and work into this,” he said. “With the parents involved, it brings everyone a little bit closer — like a family.” The Berkley Ice Show will be held on April 4 at 7 p.m., April 5 at 6 p.m. and April 6 at 3 p.m. at the Berkley Ice Arena, located at 2300 Robina Ave. in Berkley. Tickets may be purchased at the door before the start of each show. Prices are $7 for adults, and $5 for children 14 and under and seniors. For more information, call (248) 658-3460. You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Selweski at jselweski@candgnews.com or at (586) 218-5004. |
