BY KAREN BOSSICK
They skated for hours during a cold snap in September, filming their graceful moves way past midnight on Sun Valley’s outdoor ice rink.
And now a special big screen viewing of the American Public Television special, “The World of Ice Dance International” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8, at the Sun Valley Opera House.
The screening will follow the airing of the show nationwide on Saturday, April 7, and Sunday, April 8. Those with Cox cable can find it at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7, on Channel 116, KIPT-TV. It will repeat four hours later at midnight Sunday, April 8. The show will run on KAID TV in Boise and KISU TV in Idaho Falls.
None of the TV airings will have the red carpet photo op that will be present at the screening at the Sun Valley Opera House, nor the introduction by Douglas Webster, the artistic director for the company. Webster formerly worked as artistic director for Ice Theatre of New York and with such companies as Disney on Ice, Stars on Ice and Holiday on Ice.
Tickets are $6.50 and $8.50 for the screening, available at https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1660006?utm_medium=bks. Those who wish, can also spring for a Celebration and Conservation ticket for $25 to join Webster and others at the Knob Hill Inn where they will be feted with appetizers, wine and beer at the Knob hill Inn following the screening. Tickets are available at http://www.icedanceinternational.org/upcoming-events--parties--and-special-happenings-and-past-events.html.The show will also air nationwide on Saturday, April 7, and Sunday, April 8. Those with Cox Cable can find it at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7, on Channel 116, KIPT-TV. It will repeat four hours later at midnight Sunday, April 8. The show will run on KAID TV in Boise and KISU TV in Idaho Falls.
The television special was created by Stellar Adventure Media with Spencer Cordovano and Mark Oliver.
It features skaters familiar to Sun Valley audiences, such as Brent Bommentre, Joel Dear, Kim Navarro and Erin Reed, as well as Wesley Campbell, Carly Donowick, Beata Handra, Jonathon Hung, Ian Lorello and Anastasia Olson.
The show features four pieces of repertory choreographed by Websser and ballet great Edward Villella, who has come to Sun Valley for the past couple falls to work with Ice Dance International.
Ice Dance International has sought to redefine the art of figure skating, incorporating traditional ballet elements in it. Among the pieces that will be shown is a classical Balanchine ballet and a contemporary work featuring music by Moby.
The show includes footage of American skating icons Dorothy Hamill, JoJo Starbuck and Dick Button, as well as local skating celebrities Stephanee Grosscup and Judy Blumberg.
The show also features documentary footage about the history of ensemble skating, which was started more than 40 years by 1976 Olympic Champion John Curry. And it will explain the vision of Ice Dance International, which Webster founded more than two years ago as a contemporary ice ballet company featuring top skating talent from across the globe
The show is dedicated to Debbie Gordon and Sun Valley skating personality Marilyn Kasputys, both of whom passed away last year. The 2017 residency during which the show was filmed was also named in Kasputy’s honor.
“Ice Dance International was created to showcase the pure craft of skating—the joy, the speed, the athleticism,” said Webster. “We want to move our audiences emotionally, as if a painting was unfolding in front of their eyes.”