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Sports

Area Skaters to Star in 39th Annual Birmingham Ice Show

The annual show highlights the Birmingham Ice Arena this Saturday and Sunday.

This weekend 160 area children will tell the story of famous people, places and events on the rink at the , taking place Saturday and Sunday at the .

For the 39th annual performance of the ice show, students from the ice arena's basic skill classes figure skating club will be participating, said Ann Endres, skating director for the city of Birmingham. And with each show featuring an eclectic arrangement of music, recreation coordinator Connie Folk said each show will last just shy of two hours.

“It’s skating and dancing on the ice — the kids just have a ball,” Endres said. “They’re usually laughing, having fun and it’s just really cute to watch.”

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Tryouts for the show began in November, and Endres said the kids have been preparing for the show for two months. According to Folk, it's the city who sponsors the show each year, which began in the 1960s as an attraction for what was then the city's outdoor skating rink. Around 11 skating coaches and choreographers coach around 180 students skaters in group and solo routines. Previous themes have includes Broadway musicals, Alice in Wonderland and stars on ice.

Of the 40 skaters with solos, Birmingham resident Tina Krizanic’s daughters Kaitlyn, 17, and Jaclyn, 11, are particularly excited for their time in the spotlight.

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This is a memorable year for Krizanic, she said, as it will be Kaitlyn’s last year participating in the show before graduating from high school while Jaclyn will be starring in her first solo this year.

Krizanic said she thought that fame as the theme was exciting and something that the kids were having fun with. During Jaclyn’s routine, Krizanic said she portrays Las Vegas as a "famous place." While skating she goes from rags to riches by finding a coin on the ice, putting it into the slot machine and transforming into an elegant girl symbolizing the city.

“Once they get their opportunity to do a solo, they just want it more and more each year so they work harder during their skating lessons,” Krizanic, who also works as the volunteer coordinator for the show, said.

Krizanic said soloists can also pick out their own costumes, making the performance special for those who practice year-round to show off their style during the annual performance.

According to Endres, other featured performances will touch on Malibu, Woodstock and the Statue of Liberty. Music will range from Elvis, James Dean and Charlie Chaplin, to Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha.

“It’s fun, the music’s fun, we have good skating and the costumes are great,” Endres said. “I think people will be amazed to see how talented these kids are.”

Performances take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available for $13.50 if purchased in advance at the Birmingham Ice Arena. Otherwise, tickets are $15 at the door. Ticket sales go back to funding the event year after year, Folk said.

“It gives people an opportunity to see what kids in the community are doing,” Folk said. 

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