May 2010
Well, what a year it has been for the Los Angeles Ice Theater! Winning both the
National and International Championships in the Senior Division in Bensenville,
IL last June was incredible. Our "Forrest Gump" long program and "Flight of the
Bumblebee" short program wowed the crowd, and were popular among the other teams
as well. Despite facing some inevitable last-minute obstacles encountered by a
traveling team of nearly 30 skaters and an entourage of parents, siblings, and
other supporters, we conquered a power outage at the rink, lost practice ice,
and costume and prop problems to defend its US National title and qualify for
the first-ever official World Theatre on Ice Championships in France!
Unfortunately, April brought an insurmountable obstacle-- the natural disaster
that occurred in Iceland when a volcano erupted, spewing ash and debris all over
Europe and preventing air travel. The team stayed optimistic and working hard,
but eventually we had to accept that getting everyone over to France in time for
the competition would just not be possible. We were extremely disappointed and
upset, but were grateful for the support we had from our communities and each
other.
Now we are looking ahead to the end of June, when the 2010 National and
International Theatre on Ice Competition will be held in Troy, Ohio. The team
is very excited to show the world its new "Avatar" long program and "Troy" short
program, and hopes to repeat last year's successes. We have a fantastic group
of skaters who have been working hard every week to make each performance the
best they can, and after the disappointment of not being able to skate at
Worlds, they're more motivated than ever to make each performance count.
All in all, I feel blessed to have so many people show their love and support
for LAIT. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Our skaters
have accomplished so much, and none of it would have been possible without your
dedication and support.
With sincerest gratitude,
Danelle Cole, Director