Ice show highlights local skaters with a holiday theme

WASILLA — Jada Bowers may have been The Littlest Angel, but her performance drew some big applause.

Bowers was among 30-some local skaters who performed in the first Holiday Ice Fantasia show Saturday at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. A showcase for the center’s Learn To Skate program, the holiday show culminated more than two months of training and rehearsal, said Natasha Bowers, Jada’s mother and skating director for the rink.

“This is the first Christmas show ever done at the sports complex,” she said. “Our Learn To Skate program is kind of the foundation for the show, and we have skaters from all over the Valley joining in.”

Like a recital on ice, the show carried a Christmas theme with skaters ages 4 through adult displaying abilities from beginner to a performance by Keegan Messing, a 19-year-old from Girdwood who recently qualified for the U.S. National Championships. He skated Saturday about four weeks removed from winning the Cup of Nice international competition in Nice, France.

“We’ve got the babies who’ve just learned how to skate and we’ve got Keegan,” Bowers said. “Keegan is the best in Alaska, so why would we not want him in our show? He’ll showcase and be an inspiration to the other skaters and to the community to see what he can produce.”

On the ice, Messing displayed the speed, power and precision that have made him an international gold-medalist. It also was a nice break from the five-day-a-week training schedule and competition pressure, he said.

“I love seeing the little kids out here,” he said. “It keeps me down to earth a little bit. You see the little kids and it, like, shows you where you started and how far you’ve actually come. It’s always fun to come out and do local shows. It reminds you why you get into skating in the first place.”

His intricate footwork and speed captivated the group of friends and family in the stands, and he drew loud applause when he landed a triple axel. Although Messing had fun with the show, he’s now training for the upcoming U.S. National Championships and hopes to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the worlds.

“You shoot for worlds, national titles and to try to get to a spot where you will be chosen for the Olympics,” he said. “There are two spots for men; I’m hoping to be one of the two guys.”

One of the more expressive performances of the show came from 19-year-old Wasilla resident JenJen Roelfs, a Houston High School graduate and student at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She did an upbeat routine as Jack from the popular film “Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“You’re going to see (Jack) in his signature song ‘What’s This,’ when he discovers Christmas and he’s all excited and happy and stuff,” Roelfs said. “It’s a very bubbly number.”

Performing on the ice is challenging, she said, because the skater can’t verbally communicate with the audience.

“Basically, it’s like an acting job,” she said. “You have to show it through your movements and facial expressions, because you can’t talk to the audience.”

She also likes doing shows as a break from other competitions.

“This is, like, my 19th show,” she said. “I think they’re great. Because it’s not competition, it’s a more relaxed environment and everybody can go out and have fun. You don’t have to worry about being judged, you can just go out there and do your thing.”

With programs like Learn To Skate, Roelfs said she hopes more visible public shows like the Christmas program will spark more local interest in figure skating.

“Because hockey’s more popular, there’s not as many skaters,” she said. “But I have a feeling it can grow with more exposure. Some people are surprised we even have figure skating in Alaska.”

The show opened with a group routine and a nativity scene, including individual solo skates from the perspectives of Mary (Courtney Villanueva), The Shepherd (Becca Nichols), Little Drummer Boy (Jordan Ellis) and The Littlest Angel (played by the young Bowers).

The performance was tasteful and featured some soulful and familiar holiday tunes. And it maintained good taste, Natasha Bowers said. “Jesus is in the manger; he does not join us on the ice.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.