Figure Skating in Harlem: Much more than skating

About eleven years ago, I was skating at Sky Rink, when it used to be on 33rd Street in Manhattan. (Subsequently, Sky Rink made its new home on 23rd Street, at a sports complex called Chelsea Piers.)  At the "Old Sky Rink," which is what we call it now, I sometimes saw a woman who would be leading a group of young African American girls in a skating program. I used to watch them rehearse and wondered who they were.

Fast forward eleven years later, and here I am at Riverbank State Park Skating Rink in Upper Manhattan talking to the woman who was leading the girls -- Sharon Cohen, Founder and Executive Director of Figure Skating in Harlem ("FSH"). FSH is a not-for-profit organization that was formed in 1997 by Sharon and as she describes it, "by accident." Sharon grew up skating in Delaware, and after she received her gold medal in figures and free style, she went off to Brown University to study filmmaking, thinking that her skating days were behind her. After college, she moved to New York City, got a job at CBS News and learned of an after school hockey program in east Harlem that she wanted to be involved in. They asked her if she could, instead, teach figure skating to some of the girls, who were not interested in hockey. Sharon agreed and from 1990 - 1996, taught figure skating to hundreds of girls in the Harlem community. During those six years, she realized how important skating was to her girls and how much it instilled a great sense of work ethic, discipline and pride, which extended to other aspects of their lives.

Sharon was determined to create a program that would combine figure skating with education and mentoring in what she believed was a unique way to develop and educate young girls. In 1997, Sharon and a group of parents banded together to form FSH. FSH started with 30 girls, and today, there are over 125 girls in the program ranging in ages from 6 to 18, with a waiting list of over 100! Sharon also has a staff of 30, which includes educators, counselors, skating instructors and office personnel. Keep in mind that, when the program first started and when I saw her at the Old Sky Rink, Sharon was the educator, counselor, skating instructor and office personnel, all rolled into one. Sharon told me that all the applicants are interviewed in the fall to participate in the program for the season, and it is a commitment. The girls skate twice a week plus the weekends and for that privilege (I've always considered skating to be a privilege), the girls must maintain a B average in school (report cards are checked regularly) and show a true desire to learn the art of skating by taking skating lessons, dance classes, as well as classes in skating history. In addition to the on ice training, there is mandatory homework period from 4 - 5 p.m. before skating class, and they also take classes in nutrition, financial literacy, public speaking, and participate in career workshops and cultural and educational trips. Tutoring and counseling are also available.

According to Sharon,

This is a girls' development program, so we look at the whole young lady. We care about their grades in school, we teach them about public speaking, we try to expose them to different careers, and we give them counseling. We want them to succeed and go off to Harvard, not just be great skaters.. .We emphasize the education component because that's going to take the kids even farther.

I chatted with Nyasha, age 10, who told me that her favorite trip to date has been spending a day at the Bloomberg Building! She liked "learning about different techniques of selling things and that we pretended we were workers for the day, doing financial things." Isn't that fantastic? I wasn't aware of what exactly "Bloomberg" was until, oh, Michael Bloomberg decided he wanted to run for Mayor of New York.

One of Sharon's goals for FSH is to be able to provide a year round rink and educational facilities for the girls. (Their current outdoor rink turns into a roller hockey rink over the summer.) Sharon is also working to expand the program and it's philosophy to other communities in NYC. Relatedly, another of Sharon's goals is to have more corporate sponsors, in addition to Bloomberg, Macy*s, Kraft, Maybelline, L'Oréal, SoftSheen Carson and The Bank of New York Mellon.

Currently, everyone is busily preparing for FSH's annual recital on April 5 and 6 called Fire on Ice. Each year, a different theme is chosen and for the 2007-2008 season, it's all about Latin heritage and honoring Latin culture. The girls will be skating to, and have been studying, the music of Celia Cruz, Elvis Crespo, and Jennifer Lopez, among others. All the girls in the program are in the show, and costumes for the recital were generously donated and designed by former competitive skater Brenda Lovie of Lovie Couture. Sharon expects over 1200 people to attend the event over the course of two days. There are 11 group numbers planned, including a finale to Ricky Martin's Cup of Life that really does make you jump out of your seat and dance to the music! I watched the rehearsal for the finale number which has most of the girls participating, and it is truly a miracle to have all these girls in sync  -- kudos to the skating instructors of FSH! Can't wait for the actual show with full costume! Sharon also hopes that their surprise guest will be able to make it to the recital. She wouldn't divulge the name but gave me a clue that this year's theme is very appropriate to the special guest.

Sharon and the board of directors are also preparing for FSH's fourth annual benefit fundraiser on Monday, March 31, called Skating with the Stars, Under the Stars. The gala event is held at Central Park's Wollman Rink and this year's Honorary Chairs are Whoopi Goldberg, Terry and Tina Lundgren (Terry is CEO of Macy's), and Donald and Melania Trump. At the fundraiser, guests as well as the FSH girls have the opportunity to skate with Olympians and World medalists, including Sasha Cohen, Todd Eldredge, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, Jennifer Robinson, Kimmie Meissner, Evan Lysacek, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, Sarah Hughes, Johnny Weir, Timothy Goebel, Viktor Petrenko and many others. The event is also attended by nonskating celebrities such as Kelly Ripa and hubby Mark Consuelos, Vera Wang, Carol Alt, Carson Kressley and the cast from Law & Order SVU, including Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, B.D. Wong, and Tamara Tunie. At this year's gala, FSH is honoring skating icon Dorothy Hamill. As Sharon explained, "We want to honor her courage and perseverance for all that she's done, not just in skating as a super champion, but as someone who has overcome the odds and really had courage in her life.. .These are traits we want to instill in our kids."

In partnership with FSH, charitybuzz is holding an online charity auction to raise money and awareness for the organization. Bidding ends April 9, and some of the items up for bid: skating lessons with Sasha Cohen, Viktor Petrenko, JoJo Starbuck, tickets to Stars on Ice plus backstage tour, VIP tickets to ESPY awards in Los Angeles, Caribbean vacation packages, and many other amazing items. My personal favorite item up for bid: Lunch with Dick Button. Hm...I might bid on that myself. Charitybuzz will also be present at the Skating with the Stars, Under the Stars gala, so if you're lucky enough to attend, please stop by and bid.

The FSH program ends for the season on May 2, with their awards banquet. Afterwards, Sharon and the staff have a little bit of respite before they begin preparations for the 2008-2009 season. After spending a few hours with Sharon, I was reminded, again, of how unpredictable life is. Eleven years ago, I watched Sharon run through a skating program with a handful of girls and today, she cannot believe that she has returned to skating, running a program this size, combining skating with education, making a difference in so many girls' lives, and charting a plan to expand the program to include more girls in more communities. I'll be attending the Fire on Ice recital and will be back with some great footage. Stay tuned! (Click here for Fire on Ice recital!)

Clip of the week - Ice Theatre of New York performs Olé Manolete

Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) was founded in 1984 by Canadian ice dancer Moira North and is dedicated to developing ice skating as a theatrical art form through performances and educational programs. Each year at Rockefeller Rink, they put together a Lunchtime Ice Concert Series where they showcase new works to the public. They also provide skating clinics for public school students as part of their educational outreach programs.

Recently, I attended their first concert for 2008 at Rockefeller Rink and as usual, the pieces were great to watch. I always come away with a different appreciation of skating as an art form after an ITNY performance.

The piece was called Mi Andalucia, a three-part work that joins elements of Andalusian dance, flamenco and bull fighting. The choreography is by acclaimed ballroom dance choreographer Peter diFalco. This is the third and final element, Olé Manolete, which expresses a bullfighter's intense fears, and is performed by Elisa Angeli and Jiri Prochazka. This piece was commissioned by ITNY and the Gertrude Vanderbilt Endowment. Love the brilliant colors of the cape. Where else, but in NYC, can you be walking in midtown Manhattan, and come across a free skating show, complete with cape?

ITNY's next (and final) performance at Rockefeller Rink for the Lunchtime Ice Concert Series is at 1 p.m. on April 2, 2008, so if you're around the area, come on by!

Janesville FSC: "It took a bunch of moms."

How do you turn around a skating club where membership and interest are rapidly dwindling? As Tina Matykowski, co-president of the Janesville Figure Skating Club, succinctly puts it, "It took a bunch of moms." About three years ago, the board of directors (comprised mostly of moms) decided to take charge and focus their efforts on increasing membership. In order to accomplish this, they expanded the club's activities to more than just figure skating. The club's philosophy was to emphasize the fun and social aspect of joining the club, so in addition to skating, it's members enjoyed baseball game outings, picnics, cookouts, swim parties and car washes, to name a few. And the result? Today, the club is 50+ strong, still remains a social enterprise, and the board hopes to increase membership in the coming months, while continuing to support it's young skaters.

The club is also extremely proud of the Spice on Ice show that they have been putting together every November for the last four years. Spice on Ice is a free event sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. For 2007, 25 skaters performed in the event, which is also an opportunity for the higher level skaters to run through their programs before regionals. There is a lot of community involvement in making the show a success and Tina and the rest of the club look forward to Spice on Ice 2008!

Recently, the club's skaters also competed in the Badger State Winter Games, open to residents of Wisconsin. Ten skaters, ranging in ages from 6 to 14, from Janesville FSC participated in the figure skating competition. Medals are awarded for first, second and third place, and the Janesville skaters brought home 14 medals! (Tina's 11 year-old-daughter, Miranda, competed in the short program, long program and interpretative skating and medaled in all three -- Go Miranda!) The medalists are now eligible to compete in the State Games of America, which are held every two years. The 2009 State Games of America will be held July 30 - August 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Previous State Games athletes include Nancy Kerrigan and Paul Wylie (who trained at one time in Janesville).

Looking forward, the club is preparing for the SK8N On the Rock Basic Skills Competition, to be held on May 17, 2008.

Best of luck to Janesville FSC and be sure to get involved with all that the club has to offer. And as usual, thanks Moms!

(The Clubs count segments highlight the great work of skating clubs from around the world. Clubs form the backbone of our sport, nurturing the love of skating at all levels, sponsoring upcoming champions and forming a supportive environment for children and adults alike. If you would like to highlight the great work of your club, please drop me an e-mail at susan(at)icedigitalmedia(dot)net. Thank you and for more great club profiles, click here!)

Catching up with...Caryn Kadavy

I have a distinct memory of Caryn Kadavy at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. After the short program, Caryn was sixth and then, of all bad luck, caught a severe flu, and had to withdraw from the Olympics. NBC showed Caryn in her hotel room with a box of tissues as she watched the rest of the competition on television, and we all felt so bad for her. What an experience that must have been!

Prior to the Olympics, Caryn was a four-time medalist at U.S. Nationals (1985-1988) and won the bronze at the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships. After retiring from amateur competition, Caryn was a perennial favorite in the professional circuit. She also toured with Katarina Witt and Brian Boitano in Witt and Boitano Skating in 1988. A lot of us considered her the classic skater -- beautiful line, elegant, fluid, with effortless jumps and spins.

Life has come full circle for Caryn, as she told me during a recent interview. Last month, she joined Katarina and Brian and others, in eight cities in Germany, for Katarina's farewell tour, and hopes that the shows will be available in the U.S. for viewing. Caryn first went on tour with them when she was 20 years old. Fast forward two decades, and now Caryn said she can't believe that they are all back together -- but this time to honor Katarina's "retirement." Caryn also performed in the 2007 Fashion on Ice exhibition (see below).

Of the current crop of young skaters, Caryn enjoys watching Kimmie Meissner, Mao Asada, Rachael Flatt and Yu-Na Kim (Yu-Na's coach, 1987 World champion Brian Orser, is a great friend of Caryn's, so she roots for Brian and Yu-Na to do well). She says that she appreciates any skater who "feels the music and feels the ice. You can tell when a skater is forcing it. These girls have that 'born to skate' kind of feel to them that I really like." Of the current judging system, Caryn says that

there are so many rules, it's very difficult. The skaters have a lot on their minds when they're skating -- hold the spins for this long, hold the spirals for this long, make sure everything's just right. Sometimes it does make things better, but at the same time, it's hard to be as creative as you want to be and as free on the ice as you want to be. What I loved and still love about skating is that you can be creative and feel the music.

Life is still busy in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she grew up and maintains her roots, but she describes it as "a different type of busy" from her competitive days. In addition to touring and performing, Caryn also coaches ten students at the Westminster Figure Skating Club of Erie, at times travels to Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh to choreograph for skaters, designs skating dresses (she designed Kimmie Meissner's dresses at the recent World championships in Sweden, at right is short program dress), and tries to balance all this while being Mrs. Carter Doolittle. Caryn and Carter had a ceremony and reception for in-town family and friends on May 25, 2007 (see above). A few days later, they held a reception for out-of-town family and friends in Boca Raton, Florida. As Caryn puts it, "I still enjoy my involvement with skating, but it's nice to be able to cook dinner for my husband, and we'd like to try and start a family in the near future."

**CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP WITH MORE OF YOUR FAVORITE SKATERS!**

Name that skater!

• Randy Gardner of Tai and Randy -- discovering his birth mother and other journeys in life. [LA Times]

• New event called ISU World Team Trophy to start in April 2009 in Toyko. [icenetwork]

• We knew skating great Kurt Browning loves dogs. Now he loves babies too. [PR-Inside]

• Cool moment from Daisuke Takahashi's exhibition program at recent Worlds. [ESPN]

• Advice from Sasha Cohen: Be positive. Believe in yourself. Push yourself. [Columbus Dispatch]

• On March 20, hockey legend Bobby Orr turned 60. [NYTimes]

• Speaking of hockey, is the game gay-friendly? Do penguins have knees? [NYTimes]

• Nonskater choreographer for High School Musical: The Ice Tour says his favorite jumps to incorporate into the ice show are the flip and toe loop. Note: His associate choreographer Doug Webster is a skater. [Grand Rapids Press]

• Because Axels, Loops and Spins doesn't have enough coverage of Kristi on Dancing with the Stars. [abc7news]

• Guess who she is? "I cut wood, drink beer, work on cars, that kind of thing. That's who I am." [Seattle Times]