“My favorite part about figure skating is expressing myself artistically, because a lot of the other sports I do are very technical. Figure skating is technical, but you can also put a lot of expression and emotion into what you are doing,” said figure skating captain Vivien Pihlstrom ‘25. The Figure Skating team has an upcoming showcase on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Hopkins campus. While the members of the skating team begin practicing for their solos during the winter season, a majority of the team practices on ice year-round outside of Blake’s team. Outside of the showcase, the figure skating team competes in a national cyber challenge; students submit recordings of their dances, and, based on different levels and skill sets, they are ranked compared to the other teams competing.
The theme of this year’s performance is Shania Twain, a Canadian singer and actress.
“Giddy Up,” by Shania Twain, is the opening number of the whole performance, showcasing the whole team all together. The figure skating team also ends the show with another group number called “Waking up Dreaming.” While practicing their solo numbers beginning around December, the team doesn’t actually learn the opening and closing number until one day before the show. “We usually pull it off though. I think it will be good, all the people on the team are really talented and good at learning choreography quickly,” said Pihlstrom. Each of the skaters are very committed to what they do, and they always are able to pull their numbers together in merely one day.
During the middle part of the showcase, each individual performs a solo that expresses the skills and emotions that they are best at. “‘I’m skating to Nothing Breaks Like a Heart’ by Miley Cyrus, and I like it because it’s a little rustic,” said Pihlstrom. “It’s kinda like a mix of country and pop music, and I really like my dress this year.” Ava Mittra ‘25 is skating to Hero by Mariah Carey, especially liking it “because I get to do a lot of jumps, but also a full choreographed step sequence with gliding maneuvers that are real crowd pleasers.”
The team always creates a very positive and cooperative environment during and outside of practice. Especially when trying to record their video for the cyber challenge, the members all work together to be helpful and kind. Every Sunday morning, the team goes to their rink to have some pastries prior to skating. Aside from practicing together for multiple days each week, they make it a priority to bond with each other in other environments.“I’m hosting a bonfire at my house in a couple weeks for the team, which is super fun, and it’s nice bonding with the middle schoolers who we don’t get to see very often,” Philstrom said.
