Central Park

Ice Theatre of New York to participate in Opening Day of Wollman Rink’s Second Ice Season on October 23, 2022 in Central Park.

The day will be free for all visitors, including skate rental. ITNY will perform “Of Water and Ice” at 10am, and the rest of the day will feature eight more hours of programming to welcome New Yorkers back to the ice.

For more information, visit https://wollmanrinknyc.com/

Of Water and Ice

Choreography by Jody Sperling

Performed by Sarah France and Valerie Levine

Music: “Of Water and Ice” by DJ Spooky

Ice Theatre of New York to participate in Opening Day of Wollman Rink’s Second Ice Season on October 23, 2022 in Central Park.

The award-winning Cardinal Spellman High School marching band from the Bronx will kick of the day featuring on-ice performances by additional Wollman Rink community partners, including Figure Skating in Harlem; Camden Pulkinen, current member of Team USA; nationally-ranked Skating Club of New York competitor Jake Mao; and the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team under the leadership of ITNY Alumni Award Winner Josh Babb.

Additional programming for the day includes appearances by the choreographers and skate instructors behind cast of Broadway’s Kimberly Akimbo, who will demonstrate skating elements from the soon-to-open show and one lucky guest will receive free tickets to see this highly anticipated new musical.

In addition, DJ Rob Dinero will play music for the audience all afternoon. A SkateFest hosted by Learn to Skate USA will provide free clinics to attendees interested in getting on the ice for the first time, or learning a new skill. To round out the day, Equinox will bring back its Sound Bath event – a ticketed, meditative ice-skating experience for participants to engage in guided breathwork and moving meditation while bathed in sounds of singing bowls, gongs, and chimes, courtesy of the Creator of Equinox’s HeadStrong Meditation, Michael Gervais, and sound practitioner Franck Raharinosy.

The opening day celebration will feature programming off the ice as well, with demonstrations from a rising New York chef and live ice sculpture carving by Ice Miracles. Extending from commitments by both Wollman Rink and Great Performances to provide a platform for women and minorities in business, promote environmentally-responsible practices and nurture the talents of refugees and immigrants, Cambodian Khmer cuisine demonstrations will be provided by Brooklyn-based Chef Chinchakriya Un, founder of Kreung. Wollman Rink’s popular rinkside Hot Toddy Tent will also return by popular demand, with its signature beverage available for purchase with a valid ID.

Local area students from The Art Students League of New York and the The High School of Art and Design were invited by Wollman Park Partners to contribute to the energy and décor of the venue and will unveil designs that wrap the Wollman Rink Zambonis and add original murals within the clubhouse, to be enjoyed by visitors from New York and all around the world.      

This season Wollman Rink will partner with ITNY on its arts education outreach programming, the New Works and Young Artists Series, for underserved NYC public school children. Schools located in the Upper West Side are invited to participate on January 17 and February 14, 2023.

About Wollman Park Partners, LLC

Wollman Park Partners (WPP) is a coalition of New Yorkers representing decades of experience across multiple sectors; including sports and entertainment; finance; health and wellness; diversity, equity, and inclusion; real estate; culinary; non-profit; youth development and sustainability. The companies and organizations that make up WPP include Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Related Companies, Equinox, Ice Hockey in Harlem, Figure Skating in Harlem, Great Performances, Melba’s Restaurant, YMCA of Greater New York, The Boys’ Club of New York and Green City Force. With this expertise, and a deep passion for New York City, WPP offers an energized, year-round experience of Wollman Rink NYC to both New Yorkers and visitors alike, with an emphasis on creating a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive space that promotes equitable economic opportunity and recovery in our City. Wollman Rink partners with ITNY for its arts education outreach programming, the New Works and Young Artists Series, for underserved NYC public school children.

About Ice Theatre of New York®

Founded by Moira North, ITNY’s mission is to celebrate and advance dance on ice as a performance art. Through its performances in both traditional and site-specific venues, ITNY presents ice dance that helps to open one’s eyes to seeing skating in new and unexpected ways. ITNY was the very first ice dance company to receive dance program funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. icetheatre.org

ITNY is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and NYC Council Member Shaun Abreu and by Dance/NYC’S Coronavirus Dance Relief Fund.

Additionally, ITNY receives funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation, the Will Sears Foundation, and its generous private patrons.

MOIRA NORTH (Founder/Artistic Director)—Named one of the 25 Most Influential Names in Figure Skating by International Figure Skating Magazine, Moira has been a driving force in the development of figure skating as a performing art. Since founding ITNY in 1984, she has developed ITNY’s professional ice dance ensemble, has commissioned renowned dance choreographers to make new works for the company, has worked to integrate contemporary dance into ice dance, and has inspired the founding of dance companies on ice in other parts of the world..