Ice Theatre of New York

Ice Theatre of New York
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Name	Ice Theatre of New York
Formation	1984
Headquarters	New York City
Type	Non-profit performing arts company
Purpose	Ice dance performance, education, choreography

Ice Theatre of New York

Ice Theatre of New York is a nonprofit performing company that creates, commissions, and presents figure skating as contemporary dance and theatrical performance. Based in New York City, it connects choreographers, dancers, and skaters from institutions such as Juilliard School, New York University, Columbia University, Barnard College and Pratt Institute with venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York City Center. The organization collaborates with artists associated with Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and engages with cultural institutions like Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

History

Founded in 1984, the company emerged amid artistic movements involving figures linked to Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Pina Bausch, Twyla Tharp, and Jerome Robbins. Early projects intersected with festivals such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and with performing spaces like The Public Theater and The Joyce Theater. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the group expanded collaborations with choreographers and composers tied to Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams (composer), Gustavo Dudamel, and designers associated with Yves Saint Laurent, Issey Miyake, and Jean-Paul Gaultier. The company has premiered works linked to movements in contemporary dance and modern art, resonating with audiences at events like Dance Theater Workshop and initiatives by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Organization and Leadership

The nonprofit governance structure features a board drawn from arts institutions such as The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and corporate supporters including Bank of America, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank. Artistic leadership has included collaborations with choreographers and directors who worked with George Balanchine, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Pina Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal, and composers connected to Aaron Copland. Administrative roles have interfaced with presenters like Dance/NYC, Dancers' Resource, and producing partners such as A.R.T. (American Repertory Theater) affiliates and festival directors at Glasgow International Festival.

Programs and Productions

The repertoire blends original commissions, adaptations of works associated with Isadora Duncan, Anna Pavlova, Rudolf Nureyev, and experimental pieces inspired by collaborations with artists from Fluxus and movements linked to Dada and Surrealism. Productions have been staged at spaces including Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Carnegie Hall Zankel Hall, BAM Harvey Theater, and international venues comparable to Sadler's Wells, Opéra Garnier, and La Scala. The company's seasons have included thematic programs referencing composers and creators such as Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Franz Schubert, and visual designers from Alexander McQueen and Damien Hirst collaborations.

Training and Education

Training programs draw on methodologies from institutions like Juilliard, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and CUNY Graduate Center, integrating expertise from coaches associated with Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan, Brian Boitano, Olympic Games, and national federations such as U.S. Figure Skating. Education initiatives partner with universities including Columbia University Teachers College, arts education advocates like Lang Lang Foundation, and youth outreach organizations such as City Parks Foundation and After-School All-Stars. Workshops often involve choreographers and teachers who have worked with companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and touring ensembles from Royal Ballet and Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Competitions and Festivals

The company participates in and curates festival presentations at events modeled on Jacob's Pillow, Montreal Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and film-and-arts festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. It fields teams in showcases paralleling competitions run by U.S. Figure Skating, International Skating Union, and collaborates with cultural festivals such as Lincoln Center Festival, Made in NY, and citywide arts initiatives like NYC 2012 legacy programs. Exchanges and tours have taken place alongside ensembles featured at Spoleto Festival USA, Krakow Film Festival, and arts markets including Association of Performing Arts Professionals gatherings.

Notable Performers and Alumni

Alumni include skaters, choreographers, and directors who have affiliations with Olympic Games, World Figure Skating Championships, and companies such as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and international troupes like Bolshoi Ballet and Mariinsky Theatre. Performers have collaborated with artists and institutions tied to Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carlos Acosta, Sylvie Guillem, Natalia Makarova, and contemporary choreographers associated with Wayne McGregor and Crystal Pite. Alumni have gone on to roles at colleges and conservatories including Bard College, Rhode Island School of Design, School of American Ballet, and cultural agencies such as National Endowment for the Arts.

Community Outreach and Partnerships

Outreach programs connect with civic and cultural partners including New York City Department of Education, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Robin Hood Foundation, City of New York, and neighborhood organizations like Harlem Arts Alliance and Lower East Side Tenement Museum initiatives. Partnerships engage health and wellness collaborators such as Mount Sinai Health System and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, arts advocacy groups including Dance/NYC and Americans for the Arts, and international cultural exchange programs sponsored by organizations like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and British Council.

Category:Performing arts organizations in New York City