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MARATHON -- There was glitter, glamour, music and mayhem at the Marathon skating arena this weekend, as the Marathon Figure Skating club staged their annual Ice Show.
‘Encanto’, based on the Disney movie, was the first production since 2019 and featured more than 25 skaters, ranging in age from three to 16. The skaters, clad in self-designed costumes of flowers, donkeys and their favourite Encanto characters, danced and twirled to music, telling the story of a family who live hidden in the mountains of Columbia where their peaceful, but magical, village is in danger, and one little girl named Mirabel may be the family’s only hope.
From the beginning to the end, the young athletes thrilled the audience with their amazing skills on ice, twirling and dancing with passion and excitement. Even the false fire alarm on Saturday evening couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm. After a 30-minute interruption, the audience returned to their seats and the skaters were back in their enchanted village once again.
Although the skaters were the stars of the show, and high school student Selah Brunskill choreographed the fabulous production, the old saying is true: many hands make light work. An army of behind-the-scenes volunteers was needed to help weave the magic of ‘Encanto’. The Marathon High School senior art class constructed the set and props, creating an amazing portable village which the young skaters brought in, piece by piece, and put together on the ice, before the audience’s eyes.
Parents, students, and the board members of the Marathon Figure Skating club worked hard to create costumes, decorate the arena’s hallways, run the sound and lighting system, work at the door, and set up and tear down the sets after the last curtain call.
“It was thrilling for the kids,” says club president, Megan Wilson. “It was wonderful to see such joy, such pride in what they’d accomplished. It was amazing to see the support they gave to each other, too; the older skaters high-fiving the younger kids and encouraging one another. At the end of the show, they didn’t want to leave the ice after they’d taken their final bows and curtseys, they were having that much fun!”
The skaters were thrilled when they received a carnation at the end of the show, thanks to Sirard’s Independent Grocers, who donated 100 individually wrapped carnations as a fund-raising opportunity. Parents and friends were encouraged to buy a flower for their budding ingénue. The club also held a 50/50 draw at each show, as well as a ‘Money Tree’ draw, consisting of lottery tickets donated by members of the club.
It was an enchanting evening for everyone at the Marathon arena. If you missed the Marathon Figure Skating club’s rendition of ‘Encanto’, don’t fret; plans are already being made for next year’s show.
