Dick Button Artistic Figure Skating Festival Showcase Coming Oct 14

The Skating Club of Boston, New England’s premier figure-skating club and training center, will host the Dick Button Artistic Figure Skating Festival Evening Showcase on Saturday, October 14 from 7:00-9:00 pm. The event will cap off a two-day celebration, including workshops and seminars, dedicated to the legendary Olympic Champion, Dick Button, and his legacy of innovation and passion for the creativity of artistic skating. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 15 at 9:00 a.m.

The evening showcase will feature the unique works of highly-acclaimed artistic skating companies including, American Ice Theatre, Ice Dance International, Ice Theatre of New York, Joy Skate Theatre Productions and The Next Ice Age.

Olympian Paul Wylie and Curtis McGraw Webster of the Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation are the founders and visionaries behind the event. Boston-native and Olympian, Dr. Tenley E. Albright will also serve as Honorary Chair of the Festival.

“Our goal for the Festival is to honor the legacy of two-time Olympic Champion, Dick Button, with a focus on the primary, artistic-skating companies celebrating the artistic and creative heritage of the sport,” said Paul Wylie, Olympian and Festival co-founder. “These artistic skating companies are unique to our sport, and a source of inspiration and creativity for the young skaters and choreographers of today.”

“My mother, Lisa, was an early supporter of John Curry’s company which spawned companies devoted to the expansion of creativity in skating including, The Next Ice Age, Ice Theatre of New York, Ice Dance International, and Figure Skating in Harlem,” said Curtis McGraw Webster, Festival co-founder. “Paul and I are very happy to help present this event, and we want to thank The Skating Club of Boston and all the contributing, artistic companies for coming together to celebrate this occasion. A huge fan of Dick Button’s, Lisa would have embraced the Dick Button Artistic Figure Skating Festival!”

The evening showcase will also feature special performances by guest skaters, including four-time U.S. Champion and two-time Olympian, Jeremy Abbott, and the Lexettes, the renowned synchronized skating team representing the Hayden Synchronized Skating organization and the United States in international competition. Three local-area skaters representing The Skating Club of Boston will also perform artistic-oriented programs.

“The mission of the Club is to help develop and promote interest in the full breadth and depth of all the sport of figure skating has to offer,” said Doug Zeghibe, CEO and Executive Director of The Skating Club of Boston. “This is a one-of-kind evening of skating coming to the Boston area for the first time. You will not see this anywhere else. Audiences will hear from the artistic directors of each of these companies about their mission and vision, as well as personal introductions to each of the original solo and ensemble works being presented on the ice. It promises to be an evening of beautiful skating and world-class entertainment.”

The workshops and seminars at the Festival are open to skaters throughout the region and details can be found here.

The Festival’s Evening Showcase is open to the public and tickets are $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for seniors, students, and children 12 and under. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit the event page. The event will take place at the Tenley E. Albright Performance Center at The Skating Club of Boston located at 750 University Ave. in Norwood, MA.