Royal Oak Ice Show makes its way to ‘Toyland’

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Ice Show is making its big return for its 43rd annual event next month.

The ice show will be held May 6-7 at the John Lindell Ice Arena, located at 1403 Lexington Blvd. The show, put on by the New Edge Figure Skating Club, is titled “Toyland,” which will feature performances set to music inspired by toys and games.

Skating, by nature, is an individual sport, Director Marcia Little said, but with these events, it brings skaters together to put on a show as one big ensemble.

“It is providing enough time for skaters to come together as a group to be able to rehearse and feel comfortable in front of that audience,” she said of the rehearsal process. “The rest of the majority of skaters are individual skaters. So this gives everybody that opportunity to get comfortable with everybody on the ice.”

The show features about 90 skaters, ranging from kids as young as 4 to graduating high schoolers and adults.

One of those skaters is Ruby Dingman, an 18-year-old senior from Royal Oak High School who’s been a member of the skating club for about five years. She skated a bit as a child, but got back into the sport after going to an open skate with some friends five years ago, when she realized she missed skating.

Dingman called shows like “Toyland” a lot of fun because it’s a social event for the skaters, as opposed to competitive skating events, which are more solitary.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “We’re in the rink every day for the ice show rehearsals. They’re super fun. I mean, I don’t think anybody ever really has nerves about (the show). It’s just more of like a fun thing for all of us to do together.”

Dingman’s roles in “Toyland” will be as one of the skaters featured in a superhero-inspired performance, and she will have a solo performance as a ballerina. Three other graduating seniors, Shayley Bammel, of Ferndale; Grace Garska, of Berkley; and Grace Liu, of Troy, will have solo performances.

Based on rehearsals, everything has been going really well, Dingman said.

“Every show is a little bit different,” she stated. “I think all the themes require a little bit of creativity to make it match, but this one in particular has been pretty open-ended as to what our costumes are. So I think we’ve all had a lot of fun picking them out, figuring out what we’re going to do.”

Little concurred, saying the skaters are good to go and they’re moving on to making sure that the other aspects of the show are ready.

“We’re moving to the process of making sure we have all our props in order. We did the walkthrough at the rink as far as where the curtains are going and our lighting and all our kind of backstage stuff, because you have to have that for it to be successful. So we’re on top to have a good, successful show this season,” she said.

The ice show will take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, and at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7. Tickets, which can be purchased at the arena, cost $12 for people ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 6-12 and free for children under the age of 6.

For more information, call (248) 246-3950 and visit royaloakicearena.com.