Getting Ready for the Artistic Showcase, Aug 7-9

I've been working very hard, getting ready for the National Artistic Showcase this weekend, which takes place at my home rink and the home of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, Pickwick Ice Arena. According to the USFS website, "Showcase fuses artistic creativity with figure skating...National Showcase is truly a festival of inspiration." Skaters from all over the US will be flying into Burbank and competing. This year, the competition is so big, they had to add an extra day...I'm told there are over 700 "starts"!

The focus is on theatricality and interpretation rather than technicality (although your really don't want to fall)! It's a chance to really have fun and celebrate great costuming, choreography and storytelling. And you skate under a spotlight.

 I qualified for two programs: Light Entertainment and Dramatic. And as I wrote earlier, I'll be competing in the Adult Silver category. For the Light Entertainment program, I'm skating to Barbra Streisand's rendition of "I'd Rather Be Blue (Thinking of You)" from the movie, "Funny Girl". Check out my costume:

This was taken last weekend, when I skated at the ISI event in Westminster. It was a great warmup for this weekend! When I landed my loop jump, my little flapper hat went flying across the rink, and my coach was terrified that my wig was going to follow suit. (It didn't!)

For the Dramatic program, I'm skating to "1000 Years" by Christina Perri, and I'm skating with a rhythmic ribbon. It has been a challenge to work with this prop and I think I'm coming along pretty well. Last week I added a few "tricks" so we'll see how that goes. Behold the ribbon:

I'm not freaking out this time, like I did when I took the Silver test. I really plan on having fun, enjoying my time out there, and not getting thrown by the spotlight!!