Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) announces the 2023 Benefit Gala and Performance on May 8, 2023 at 6:30pm at Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers followed by cocktails, dinner, and an awards ceremony at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. Part of ITNY's 2023 Home Season, the event will feature performances by the 2023 Honoree, US Champion, Olympian and Ice Artist Jason Brown as well as the ITNY Ensemble and guest artists. ITNY will also present the Choreography Award to Rohene Ward and the Alumni Award to Marni Halasa. Gala performance tickets are $50, and tickets for the Benefit Gala start at $550. There are also a limited number of $2,000 tickets for seats at the Honoree Table with Jason Brown. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/X029oI.

 

"ITNY is proud to honor Jason Brown; for his accomplishments and for being a role model in our "icy" world. Besides being a renowned World and Olympic competitor, Jason is a very creative and innovative performer," said Moira North, Founder/Artistic Director.

 

"Artistic skating and dancing on ice are what I aspire to and ITNY embodies this. I am delighted to receive this honor," responded Jason.

 

About the Honorees

2023 Honoree: Jason Brown

This award is given to someone who is accomplished within our ice dance world and has stayed connected to the field beyond their own performances; someone who has given back to our "icy" world and has been a role model for others to follow.  

 

Jason Brown just presented two breathtaking performances at the 2023 US National Championships. Next, he will compete in the World Championships in Saitama, Japan in Mach of 2023. Jason is also the 2015 U.S. national champion, a nine-time medalist on the Grand Prix circuit and a two-time Four Continents medalist. Jason won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, becoming one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic medalists. Known as one of the world's most artistic skaters, some of Jason's programs have become iconic, including his Irish step dance free program and his 2021 short program to the music of Nina Simone with choreography by Rohene Ward. His two programs from 2023 will certainly be added to this list. Jason is hugely popular around the world and particularly in Japan, which has prompt him to learn the language to the delight of his Japanese fans. Jason was the host of ITNY's streaming broadcast "Pivoting Through The Pandemic" in May of 20221. His coaches are Tracy Wilson and Brian Orser (ITNY's 2017 Past Masters Award Recipient).

 

Choreography Award: Rohene Ward. 

The Choreography Award is given to a choreographer who has contributed to the creation of dancing on ice as a performing art.

 

Rohene Ward is Jason Brown's choreographer. Rohene has been a frequent ITNY guest performer, skating "Purple Rain," his choreographic tribute to Prince, in ITNY's 2016 Home Season and at one of their City Skate Concerts at Rockefeller Center. Rohene may be the most decorated show skater in the world. His originality, creativity, flexibility, and technical strength combined make him one of the most popular show skaters internationally. Rohene competed four times at the United States Championships and in 2004 was crowned Puerto Rican National Champion. He has choreographed for national, world and Olympic athletes and was named Choreographer of the Year by the Professional Skaters Association three times – the highest honor in his field. His choreography won critical acclaim when Brown's long program "Riverdance" ("Reel Around the Sun" by Bill Whelan) created an internet sensation, garnering more than five million YouTube hits following the 2014 US Championships. In 2020, Ward and Brown co-choreographed a tribute to Alvin Ailey set to Nina Simone's version of "Sinnerman," which Brown competed in both the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, including at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Rohene's two new pieces for Jason Brown in the 2023 Season are masterpieces of dancing on ice. Some of his other students include Mariah Bell, Alexa Gasparotto, Karen Chen, Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates along with many others.

 

Alumni Award: Marni Halasa 

The Alumni Award is given to someone from the company who has gone on to develop something major within the figure skating/ice dance community. 

 

Marni Halasa is a United States Figure Skating Double Gold Medalist and has trained skaters for the past two decades in freestyle, moves and choreography. She coaches all levels, from children dealing with their first steps on ice, to advanced professionals, needing to perfect their technique. She coaches the artistic ensemble, Sky Rink All Stars, who have been USFS National Showcase Medalists for the past 5 years and NYC's longest-running children's ensemble theater on ice. The Sky Rink All Stars frequently perform at ITNY's Winter Holiday Skating Show at Riverbank State Park. Marni was a member of ITNY from 1996-2009, and has skated with ITNY in various shows at Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park, and fun special events such as the Mermaid Parade! Marni was involved in iconic ITNY repertory pieces such as "La Revolte Des Enfants" and "Hot Chocolate."

 

About Ice Theatre of New York

Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) exists to create and advance ice dance as (an ensemble) performing art form with its professional ice dance company. ITNY is also dedicated to providing education and to presenting public performances to people of all ages. We aim to inspire people to experience the balance, flow and flight of skating and to engage in a lifelong healthy activity.

 

Founded in 1984 by Moira North, Ice Theatre of New York has changed the face of figure skating by creating works that integrate the sensibilities of contemporary dance, music and art challenging the perceptions and conventional definitions of figure skating. Through its performances in both traditional and site-specific venues, ITNY presents ice dance that opens one's eyes to seeing skating in unexpected ways. ITNY was the first ice dance company to receive dance program funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit www.icetheatre.org.

 

ITNY's programming is supported, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of 

Governor Kathy C. Hochul and the New York State Legislature. ITNY is also supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and former NYC Council Member Shaun Abreu.

 

Additionally, ITNY receives funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation, the Will Sears Foundation, and its generous private patrons.