Langley Skating Club is celebrating 50 years with a greatest-hits ice show, “Party at 50! A Journey Through Five Decades of the Langley Skating Club," featuring a cast of 150 skaters ranging from beginners to senior-level competitors.
"This is the first ice show since COVID," observed club president Michelle Towstyka.
"A lot of the new skaters don’t even know what an ice show was and we had to explain it."
This year's show takes a long look back at the many end-of-the-year musical productions presented by the club over the last five decades.
Ice Show Director Rob Woodley said the program will feature around 20 different “high energy” routines, including on-ice performances by both beginning and senior skaters in the club.
It will include all levels of skaters, some as young as four years old, up to the nationally certified Canskate program, and senior Starskate levels.
"Our last show was in 2019 and for most of our current group of Starskaters they’ve grown up only knowing competition skating," Woodley told the Langley Advance Times.
"This will be a first-time experience for all the younger skaters and most of our higher level Starskaters."
"There are no rules when it comes to putting on an ice show," Woodley explained.
"We don’t have to have a prescribed number of jumps or spins. We don’t have to cater our performance to where the judges sit. During the show, they’ll have professional lighting and the spotlight on them. No skating for points, they’re skating for themselves, and to entertain the audience on both sides of the arena. It’s an introduction to show skating, and quite possibly for some, a little preparation to join a show like Disney on Ice or others when they’re finished with their amateur careers.'
The event will feature guest skater Kayla Halliday, who is a product of the Langley Skating Club.
Halliday started in the club's Canskate program and progressed to the juvenile level. She was ranked fiftth in the country in 2022 at the Novice level and has been recognized in 2023 with the prestigious Toller Cranston award for the strength of her program and performance marks. She now skates at the top senior level and has set her sights on securing a spot at this year’s Nationals.
"Kayla has never lost her connection to us here in Langley and we’re excited to welcome her back as the headline skater in our 50th anniversary Ice Show," Woodley said.
Langley Skating Club has been at George Preston since March 1975, shortly after the arena opened in November of 1973.
There will be two performances of “Party at 50!" on Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at George Preston.
Tickets are available for purchase in advance online at https://www.skatelangley.com/ or at the door: $25 for adults (includes a show program); $15 for adults (without program) and $5 for children 12 and under.
