Community Corner

Royal Oak Skater to Represent Team USA in Spain

The Harmony Theater Company will be sending two teams to compete in Spain at the Nation's Cup this April.

Ashley Hanson, of Royal Oak, has been selected to represent Team USA at the Nations Cup for theatrical skating.

Harmony Theater Company, which is based out of Hartland, will travel to Spain in 2013, where two of the four teams will compete to bring home the gold for their country.

With 48 young skaters representing towns across Michigan, the skaters will perform a long program and short program in a combination of theater and skating.

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“Theater on Ice is a combination of technical skating and theatrical skating, it’s like musical theater on ice,” coach Michelle Hunt said. “It’s done in six minutes and we can have up to 30 on our team and we tell a story from beginning to end.”

Although details of their upcoming performance our kept secret, The Harmony skaters are working hard to prepare for their elaborate performances that will include music, costumes, acting and technical skating.

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“Skating is so tense- competitive skating- it really is,” Hunt said. “So this is just a nice outlet to remember that you love skating. To have that one day that you just get to come in and have fun and still be competitive and still be challenged, but just to enjoy yourself.”

Isabella Colasanti, 16, says she decided to try theatrical skating to join a team and skate with her friends.

“You can tell that everyone is having fun,” the Highland skater said. “But they’re trying their best and they want to win.”

This past June, the team traveled to Ohio where they competed at the National Theater on Ice Competition. The skaters from the preliminary team won gold, while the junior, senior and adult teams won bronze.

Their accomplishments and placing during Nationals earned them a place on the US team, according to Hunt, and fulfilled a team goal she and her young skaters had set back in 2009.

“What’s a better life lesson than that,” Hunt said. “Work and achieve your goals, now we just have to get them there.”

Fundraisers and Community Support

The team, which currently has no sponsors, will be sending 64 people including skaters and coaching staff to compete in April. 

“I feel like its such an amazing opportunity for any child to be able to compete for their country,” Hunt said. “It’s our own form of a little Olympics here.”

Focused now on fundraising, team parent Lisa Johnson, who handles public relations for the team, said they were determined to make sure each skater was able to make the trip.

“They’re talented, they’ve earned this right and we don’t want them to not be able to go because it’s a financial burden,” Johnson said. “That would be a crime.”

Several team fundraisers will be planned for the team, with the first one taking place this Saturday at LaFountain Automotive, where $20 will be donated to the team for each person who comes to take a test drive.

The team also accepts donations through their website. To make the trip to Spain, each skater needing $2,500 so the team is hoping for support from the communities their skaters are from including Birmingham, Brighton, Bloomfield, Fenton, Hartland, Highland, Royal Oak, Novi and White Lake. 

For many of the young skaters, however, the reality hasn't hit yet that they will soon be wearing red, white and blue and skating for their country.

“It hasn’t really sunk in no matter how many times I’ve told someone,” said Hartland skater Jacque Shrader-Goetz. 

For now, the team continues to focus on their skating, spending hours on the ice preparing for their journey together.

“They’re dedicated to their sport,” coach Baiba Lieckfield said. "They work really hard, but they’re dedicated to each other. They love it, they love each other and they work hard together. I’m really proud of them."

The Harmony skaters also have a Facebook page for anyone who would like updates or to follow the team on their journey to Spain.

Harmony skaters that will travel to Spain and be competing in the Nation's Cup include:

 Senior Team

City

Junior Team

City

Bartholomew, Paige

Brighton, MI

Alestra, Madison

South Lyon, MI

Beck, Holly 

Fenton, MI

Amick, Bree

Canton, MI

Bodo, Emily

Howell, MI

Apple, Carly

Milford, MI

Brown, Richard

Detroit, MI

Bennett, Remington

New Lothrop, MI

Colasanti, Isabella

Highland, MI

Biehl, Abbey 

Pinkney, MI

Conrad, Paige

South Lyon, MI

Biernacki, Beth

Fenton, MI

Corrigan, Kelsey

Brighton, MI

Brooks, Angela

South Lyon, MI

Craw, Victoria

Monroe, CT

Bryant, Kelli

Brighton, MI

Dorantes, Olivia

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Colasanti, Sonoma

Highland, MI

Frost, Mikenzie

Davison, MI

Domka, Anna

Brighton, MI

Griswold, Emily

Madison Heights, MI

Gallette, Sophia

Birmingham, MI

Guerra, Crystalrose

Los Angeles, CA

Greenwald, Halle

Fenton, MI

Hanson, Ashley

Royal Oak, MI

Iglewski, Holly

Brighton, MI

Hartsell, Steve

Westland, MI

Kummerfeldt, Meghan

Howell, MI

Hunt, Piercyn

Grand Blanc, MI

Legacy, Alissa

Brighton, MI

Kormos, Alyssa

Milford, MI

McDavid, Shannon

Milford, MI

Lepkowski, Cat

White Lake, MI

McDavid, Sydney

Milford, MI

Lepkowski, Megan

White Lake, MI

Nussle, Jacob

Fenton, MI

Lieckfield, Ali

Howell, MI

Pagogna, Isabella

White Lake, MI

McGraw, Erin

Hartland, MI

Petty, Anna

Novi, MI

Olson, Ashlyn

Grand Blanc, MI

Shrader-Goetz, Jacque

Hartland, MI

Pantano, Ashlee

Fenton, MI

Vermillion, Jessica

New Hudson, MI

Rickert, Morgan

Swartz Creek, MI

Wignal, Cassandra

Trenton, MI

Tamakloe, Candice

Soutfield, MI

Vassel-Beasley, Jolie

Bloomfield, MI

Wagner, Chloe

Birmingham, MI


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