On February 14, skaters with the Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) brought their artistic skating to the Rink at Rockefeller Center. While it was scheduled on Valentine’s Day, the event was an opportunity for two of the performers to use the sport and art of figure skating to honor Black History Month.
For coach and choreographer Joy Thomas, it was a moment filled with passion, purpose, and nostalgia. She performed to the music of Billie Holiday’s “Lady Sings the Blues” with “Skates” replacing “Sings” in a program choreographed by ITNY founder/artistic director Moira North in 1997.
“Coming back and doing this after 27 years was so meaningful because of the journey I’ve gone through as a skater,” said Thomas, who was the original skater to perform North’s choreography.
“To be able to bring that through movement and to remember the piece and bring it back was such a joyful process—to return to work from nearly 30 years prior and still be able to pull out the emotions that Billie Holiday hopefully would have wanted if she could skate.”
Having developed her own skills as a coach and choreographer made Thomas interpret the program’s blues theme and character somewhat differently from in the past, “sometimes having sadness and being able to emote more throughout and pulling deeper into certain movements,” she said. “It may not have been as flashy as I was back then, but I felt the emotions deeper.”
Theron James performed a piece of his own creation, “Amistad,” which he debuted last fall. It depicts an enslaved person devastated by his situation, but ultimately throwing off his chains and reclaiming his identity.
“It’s a very loving day to perform this,” said James. “To perform it at the iconic Rockefeller Center is big and this talks about freedom in so many different aspects. I was really happy to be able to do it here…Stepping into a new day is exactly what this piece is about. It’s about finding progress and momentum to keep moving forward.”
Getting to skate his program in front of New Yorkers who were walking around the Plaza and are not necessarily regular watchers of skating gave it additional meaning. “It makes me feel very honored to be able to have a platform through my art to express the Black history experience,” said James.