ICE DANCE INTERNATIONAL (IDI) SHARES
Champion skaters Alissa Czisny and Wesley Campbell
will perform with other world-renowned IDI company members,
bringing to life inspiring new works created for the 2021 winter season
IDI POP UP performances in Maine, New Hampshire
KITTERY, Maine — January 4, 2021
After a ground-breaking 2019 performance that made it the first ice dance company invited to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival site in Becket, Mass.; the distribution of 2 national public television specials shown on PBS; and an acclaimed national tour; this winter, IDI is staying local and will bring programming in free and unexpected ways to towns in New Hampshire and Maine. Performances include outdoor pop-up shows at The Rink at Thompson’s Point, at Labrie Family Skate at Strawbery Banke Museum, and at venues around the City of Portland in a series presented by Portland Ovations!
IDI’s Winter Surprise and Delights showcase a mix of world-premiere pieces created by Douglas Webster, IDI’s Artistic Director. The two new works, REVIVAL; set to the music of Mumford and Sons, Jason Castro, and Audra Mae; and NEW WORLD, a fantasy ice ballet set to a commissioned score by Jonathan Galland are both designed to lift the spirits during this unprecedented year. Mr. Webster says that the opportunity to create during this Covid-era inspired thoughts of hope, joy, and overcoming struggle.
Award-winning performers on this tour include: Grand Prix Final Champion, two-time Skate Canada Champion and two-time U.S. National Champion Alissa Czisny (from Detroit, Mich.); ISU International competitor and Junior World Team Member, Wesley Campbell (from Nashville, TN); and Team USA Skater, Angela Wang (from Denver, CO).
Additional IDI company members include Adam Kaplan (Providence, R.I.), Lara Shelton (Wayland, Mass.) and Neill Shelton (Wayland, Mass.).
Costumes for IN FLIGHT: LIVE are by Alicia Jackson.
Webster says the chance to see world-class skaters at this level, performing solo, in smaller groups, and as a large ensemble in the relative intimacy of outdoor local venues, provides a thrilling event for everyone involved. IDI’s Surprise/Delights showcase the very best things ice dancing gives to its performers and its audiences alike – the feeling of what it’s like to fly and glide freely,” Webster says. “That freedom was the inspiration for our two public television specials, and for these events as well.”
In addition, IDI will engage with local communities in Maine and on the Seacoast of NH in safe and socially distant ways teaching, inspiring, and sharing the joy of dance on ice.
Dates, times, and locations of IDI’s Rehearsals and Surprise/Delights are listed below. IDI Pop Ups are 13 minutes in length
Scheduled Performances:
Note: performance and times may vary and additional performances may be added. Please note that the times at SBM will not be released until the day before the event. Info will be made available on Ice Dance international’s social media pages and updated on the website.
NEW RAIN DATE: January 18th; The Rink at Thompson’s Point, Portland, ME; 12:30, 3 and 5:30pm. 3 REVIVAL
January 30th, Synthetic skating performance at Halo at the Point, Portland, ME
Additional pop-up dates can be found on Ice Dance International’s Website!
FUNDING AND COMMUNITY SPONSORS
IDI’s Surprise and Delights and winter residency 2021 are funded in part by the Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation, Southern Maine Planning Commission, the Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Margaret Burnham Charitable Trust, Kennebunk Savings, Eastern Bank, and the Via Agency.
ABOUT IDI
Founded in 2014 founded in Kittery, Maine, Ice Dance International (IDI) creates classical and contemporary ice ballet with its professional company. It educates, and inspires interest in the artform through mentorship, creative opportunities, collaboration, teaching, outreach and performance. IDI was co-founded by ice dancer, choreographer and leading artform advocate Douglas Webster with: two-time Olympic figure skating champion Dick Button; celebrated ballet dancer, Kennedy Center honoree and a National Medal of Arts winner Edward Villella; and Debbie Gordon. Button and Villella serve as Executive Advisors. IDI Board Members include Olympic Gold Medalist Dorothy Hamill, World Medalist JoJo Starbuck, and Olympic Bronze Medalist Scott Allen.
In just over a half decade, IDI has established a strong presence across the country. It has developed creative residencies in Stowe, Vermont; Sun Valley, Idaho; Portsmouth, N.H.; and Portland, Maine. The company has completed 75 performances in the United States, led 50 free or low-cost skating clinics, delivered community engagement programs for nearly 55,000 participants; and performed at venues as diverse as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Aspen Gay Ski Week, Rockefeller Center, WGBH’s Open Studio, and Fenway Park. IDI has recorded and seen broadcast of its two public television specials (“The World of Ice Dance International” and “In Flight: The Art of Ice Dance International) across the country in nearly year-round rotation.
IDI has reached more than 107,000 skating enthusiasts live and millions more through its television specials. The company has been featured in The New York Times, the Boston Globe, Dance Magazine, Dance Informa, Dance International, The Dance Enthusiast, and Skating Magazine.