PHOTO BY P. TSAI
Ice Theatre of New York
2019
Gala By Terri Milner Tarquini
O
ut of humble beginnings can grow beautiful things. When a group of “very interested professional skaters” began practicing at what was then one rink at Sky Rink in New York in the middle of the night, no one really knew where it would lead 35 years later. “We would meet at midnight or one in the morning and skate until 4 or 5 a.m.,” said Moira North, founder and artistic director of Ice Theatre of New York. “It was very grassroots; no one got paid. We used to joke that no one would recognize each other in the light of day.” What they did recognize was that there might be something… well, more. North’s vision took the shape of creating a space where skating artists could integrate contemporary dance, music and art, and break with the conventional definitions of figure skating and launch movement on ice to the next level. “We were all just very dedicated and excited by the idea of skating as a dance form,” North said. “For me, knowing I wasn’t a top competitor, it was finding my own voice in the sport I loved. But there were a number of top skaters who had passionate ideas and things they wanted to do on the ice that the competitive world didn’t really allow.” Gary Beacom In May 1988, audiences turned out to see Olympic and World champion John Curry, known for combining a variety of dance influences into his programs, as well as creative Canadian ice Continued on page 26
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JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2020
ITNY ICE ANGEL AWARD
Hughes Family By Terri Milner Tarquini They say the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. This might be especially true for the Hughes family. Make that all of the apples. Starting with dad John Hughes, who captained the powerhouse Cornell team that went 29 and 0, laying claim to the 1970 NCAA Championship and a record still unbroken nearly 50 years later, all six Hughes children have skated, and most of the grandchildren. “My husband spent every, single day of his life on the ice,” mom Amy Hughes said. “Then, not too long after our oldest, Rebecca, was born, I was in a rink every day.” The family moved to Great Neck, New York, in 1981—and they immediately put down roots that grew deep at the local rink, with John playing hockey and five-year-old Rebecca (Hughes child number one) in group skating classes. “At least one member of our family has either figure skated, played hockey or taught skating in Great Neck every season since then,” Rebecca wrote in the ITNY program, including all three of her own children. And all six Hughes children, ages 42 to 28, were in attendance with their parents at the Ice Theatre of New York’s annual gala when they were awarded the Ice Angel Award for their ongoing contributions to figure skating and hockey. Amy Hughes made sure of that. “I was totally blown away when I got the call that they wanted to honor us with the award, but I immediately called each kid—this kind of thing is a family decision,” Amy said. “Everybody was on board right away with no hesitation. So, the next thing I said was, ‘Here’s the date, put it on your calendars.’”
