USFSA Fanzone Article on Rohene Ward

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Rohene Ward loves skating. More than anything in the world. It's his first love, and there's no replacing it. Skating gives him freedom. It's a form of expression rivaled by few others, except maybe his hair.

Yet the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships marked the lowest point in his career. He finished in last place.

Fifteen years later, the thoughts don't haunt him. He didn't give them a chance. Life and figure skating are inseparably woven to form the tapestry that is Ward. Negative experiences are shrouded behind thousands of threads that represent why Ward loves the sport.
 

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Jackie Wong just tweeted a clip of Rohene doing a cw 2A followed by a ccw 3S

That's originally from Eliot Halverson's (another great MN skater) instagram, which has a few other clips of Rohene, and a really interesting conversation between Eliot and Rohene in the comments (plus many other comments about Rohene's skating from his peers, including Ashley Wagner; and lesser known Minnesota skaters who grew up skating with him). Worth reading all the comments).


eliothalverson

It is Black History Month and Rohene Ward @rohenew is the epitome of Black excellence. He may be championed as a brilliant choreographer now, but the two of us grew up in Minnesota and I had a front row seat to the ridicule and judgement he faced as a visibly Black and Puerto Rican and gay person in the skating community. His experience left a profound mark on me. I so wish people would have recognized that I could have used Rohene as a role model and inspiration, but instead he was painted as an example of what I should not be and we were kept very far apart from one another. It took many years for me to tune out those voices and shed my fears and live with the same freedom that Rohene does. Today, we are sisters and have a forever bond. I am endlessly grateful for the road that Rohene paved for me and I am committed to making the skating community more accepting of Black and Brown and LGBTQ+ skaters. Not to mention, he remains to be one of the most beautiful and TALENTED (reverse rotation jumps/forward spiral-triple axel, hello?! šŸ¤Æ) skaters to ever live. Happy Black History Month! āœŠšŸ¾ā›øšŸ³ļøā€šŸŒˆ #diversifyice
 

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Bumping this up with a new article from IFS Magazine: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/rohene-ward-let-the-music-play/amp/

On Jason's Programs:
This year, we actually did a version of ā€œRiverdanceā€ as a short program. Last year when he came to me, we made three different programs. ā€œSinnermanā€ was my first choice. I wanted it for the Olympic season, and I knew it would take two years to develop. We also did ā€œMelancholy,ā€ which he used as an exhibition number ā€” but it was actually made for a short program.

Jason wanted to do ā€œMelancholyā€ initially because it is an exquisite piece, and it was more in his style. He plays the piano and he skates to piano music like no other. It was so easy for him. Right from the start it felt like he had had it for years.

On perceptions of race and gender:
I believe that sport has no place for race or sexual orientation. Figure skating is a sport; it is what we do, not who we are. I personally never came out; I never told a soul I was gay and I never felt like I needed to. I thought everyone already knew I was gay. I had enough issues being black. No one ever cared in skating that I was gay; they cared that I was black.
 

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Figure Skating Diversity & Inclusion Allianceā€™s post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaoDp5brhxp/

The immensely talented Rohene Ward is the 2021 recipient of the Paul McGrath Choreographer Award, the Master visionary behind Olympic Bronze medalist Jason Brown dynamic and spell-binding Sinnerman program and many many others. Join us Friday March 4th at 2pm PT/5pm ET as we speak and pick the brain of the brilliant Rohene Ward.

Happening in about 50 mins. - Zoom link is at the top: https://linktr.ee/FSDIA

ETA that it started half an hour late & also was on IG Live (hopefully a replay will be available later): https://www.instagram.com/figureskatingdia
 
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