Johnny Weir and Ice Theatre of New York: Together at last

Johnny Weir headlines Ice Theatre of New York benefit gala

Ice Theatre of New York Honors US Champion Johnny Weir at its 2011 Benefit Gala and Performance

New York City, NY --- Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY), the nation’s premier ice dancing ensemble, will host the company’s annual Benefit Gala and Performance on Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m., at Chelsea Pier’s Sky Rink in NYC. Festivities include a performance featuring US Champion and two-time Olympian Johnny Weir and Ice Theatre of New York at Sky Rink, Chelsea Piers. Skating legend, Aja Zanova, visionary ice show promoter, Tom Collins, and founder of Fireworks Sports Marketing, Tara Modlin, will Co-Chair a star-studded benefit honoring Johnny Weir at The Lighthouse in Chelsea Piers immediately following the show. Says honoree Johnny Weir: "I'm so excited to be honored by Ice Theatre of New York because I have admired their commitment to the art and sport of figure skating for as long as I can remember. I’m also thrilled to have another opportunity to perform at my home base, New York City.” (photo at right, Johnny Weir and agent Tara Modlin of Fireworks Sports Marketing)

“We honor Johnny Weir for being an enthusiastic supporter of artistic skating as well as someone who “dares to be different,” says Moira North, ITNY’s Artistic Director. Weir joins an esteemed list of ITNY honorees including Dick Button, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton, Nancy Kerrigan, Vera Wang, Paul Wylie, and Aja Zanova. In addition to honoring Johnny Weir, ITNY will present the Ice Angel Award to Margarita Sears and the Will Sears Fund for their generous support of the creation of new works for the Company. Ice Rink Events, the leading manufacturer of modular ice technologies, will be recognized with the Arts & Business Partnership Award for supporting Ice Theatre of New York with quality ice surfaces for the proscenium stage.

For more information on the October 24 gala, including ticket purchase, contact ITNY at (212) 929-5811 or click here.

Below is last year's ITNY gala which honored Dorothy Hamill. Johnny Weir was a guest skater and performed two numbers:

Ice Theatre of New York: Free ice show on April 6 at Rockefeller Skating Rink in NYC

ICE THEATRE OF NEW YORK'S FREE CONCERT PROFILES YOUNG, AWARD WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER

Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY), the nation’s premier ice dancing ensemble, presents the 25th edition of the City Skate Concert Series--free ice concerts around New York City. The final performance of the season features diverse and exciting repertory on the world’s most famous ice stage -- The Rink at Rockefeller Plaza. Guest artist and national competitor Tommy Steenberg, winner of the Young Artist Showcase, will debut his winning, ice dance choreography to the music of Le Sacre du Printemps. Ice Theatre will highlight some of its dance-on-ice repertory, including In a Nutshell, recently performed as part of Improv Everywhere's latest mission, which since gone viral on You Tube, reaching over a million hits! Additional pieces include La Revolte Des Enfants, choreographed by artistic director of the Murray Louis and Nikolais Dance Company, Alberto Del Saz, and Dare Greatly, a commission by the William Sears Fund and choreographed by Douglas Webster.

What: Ice Theatre of New York's City Skate Concert Series
Where: The Rink at Rockefeller Center
When: Wednesday, April 6 at 1p.m. (Raindate is the following day at 1 p.m.)
Admission: FREE!

For More information, visit www.icetheatre.org, or call (212) 929-5811.

ABOUT ICE THEATRE OF NEW YORK (ITNY)
Founded in 1984 by Moira North, Ice Theatre of New York has changed the face of figure skating by creating works that integrate the sensibilities of contemporary dance, music and art. In addition to building and performing works of artistic merit, ITNY also reaches out to the next generation of skaters and audiences through its exemplary education, community outreach and training programs. "Since its establishment in 1984, the Ice Theatre of New York has combined the best of ice skating, dance and theater to create cutting edge performances that represent the very best New York's creative community has to offer." - Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Below is a sampling of ITNY's free concert series from 2010:

And don't forget to check out ITNY's upcoming annual gala on Monday, October 24, 2011, honoring Johnny Weir! Last year the honoree was Dorothy Hamill and what a magical evening that was:

Ice Theatre of New York 25th Gala Celebration (video)

On October 25, 2010, Ice Theatre of New York celebrated their 25th year as the nation's premiere ice dance company. Ice Theatre combines ice skating, dance and theatre to redefine what "ice skating" is. For their silver anniversary, founder Moira North pulled out all the stops -- Dorothy Hamill was the honoree, featured guests included Johnny Weir and Sarah Hughes, and the evening was packed with classic as well as avant-garde pieces performed by the Ice Theatre ensemble. Wonder what the next 25 years will bring...See more of what Ice Theatre of New York is about here.

Dorothy Hamill at Ice Theatre of New York 2010 gala (video)

Dorothy Hamill, 1976 Olympic figure skating gold medalist, was honored at last October Ice Theatre of New York's annual gala. We published an interview with Dorothy earlier. Here is the full video of her speech accepting the award, introduced by her friend and fan, fashion designer Vera Wang (whom we also spoke to recently).