"When I Skate It Just Feels Free": Figure Skating in Harlem

[Vagabond]

Figure Skating in Harlem helps young women of color see themselves on ice.

Great article and photographs in the New York Times.

There should be a comparable emoticon with dark brown skin and black hair, but please bear with me on this one.

 

[SmallFairy]

This is awesome! ?????? (Best I could do, not bad at all!)

 

[Buzz]

LOVED this article!!! Thanks for posting. And maybe in a few years we will see one of those young ladies at US nationals!

 

[Sylvia]

CBS This Morning's 5-min. video feature on the Figure Skating in Harlem program (includes a mention of Mabel Fairbanks and her student, Atoy Wilson, being interviewed about her):

"Figure Skating in Harlem" organization empowers young girls in underserved communities

"Figure Skating in Harlem" is the only organization to bridge education and figure skating to empower girls in underserved communities. In our A More Perfect Union series, Vlad Duthiers introduces us to the group and two skaters breaking barriers on and off the ice.

www.cbsnews.com

"Figure Skating in Harlem" is the only organization to bridge education and figure skating to empower girls in underserved communities. In the "More Perfect Union" series, Vlad Duthiers introduces us to the group and two skaters breaking barriers on and off the ice.

A full transcript can be read here: https://news.yahoo.com/figure-skating-harlem-organization-empowers-145707521.html

 

[Sylvia]

The late Mabel Fairbanks, her student Atoy Wilson, and Skating Club of New York President Susan Kittenplan will be honored at FS in Harlem's Champions in Life Virtual Benefit Gala on Thursday, April 22, 2021: https://figureskatinginharlem.org/calendar/2021-champions-in-life-virtual-benefit-gala/

Free registration to attend virtually: https://www.fshchampions.org/

Thanks to @pixie cut for posting this link in the Mabel Fairbanks thread a few days ago:

Tribute performances to Mabel Fairbanks highlight FSH virtual gala | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

Excerpts:

The event will honor the late Mabel Fairbanks (she passed away in 2001), who graced the February cover of SKATING magazine. Fairbanks discovered skating when she moved to New York City, but as an African American in the 1930s she was unable to access any skating clubs. She taught herself and then received lessons from renowned coach Maribel Vinson Owen, who taught Fairbanks afterhours in secret.
After a career skating in shows, some built around her, Fairbanks settled in Los Angeles, where she nurtured the talent of young skaters of color, including Atoy Wilson, 1966 U.S. novice champion, the first Black skater to win a national title. Wilson is one of the honorees at the gala.

“To bring Mabel’s story to life and to light is the greatest privilege,” [FSH Founder & Executive Director Sharon] Cohen said. “She is the energy behind this gala. We are giving the first Mabel Fairbanks Legacy Award to Atoy Wilson.”
Wilson has been involved with FSH since its inception.
“The contribution that I have hopefully made with my skating initiates a sense of inspiration for them and recognition that I developed into a national champion and an elite performer in the world’s biggest ice shows,” Wilson said. “To have this organic link between my teacher, coach, mentor, inspiration and guiding light, Mabel Fairbanks, and FSH, being honored with her means a lot to me.”

A highlight of the gala will be a special tribute performance to Fairbanks, choreographed by Derrick Delmore and performed by U.S. senior competitor Starr Andrews. Andrews is the inaugural recipient of an award from the Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours Fund and a student of Delmore’s. Three-time Olympian Vanessa James also performed a tribute program for Fairbanks, choreographed by Delmore. Wilson had input into the music selected.
French champion Maé-Bérénice Méité was also supposed to participate but was injured at the World Championships. Instead, she filmed a video introducing Andrews’ number. [...]
Andrews was filmed in New York by Jordan Cowan of On Ice Perspectives. James was filmed by another videographer in Canada under Cowan’s direction. Cowan edited the entire piece.

Also, appearing at the virtual gala will be actress Gal Gadot, who portrays Wonder Woman; actress Tamara Tunie of Law and Order: SVU, a longtime supporter of FSH; Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright; actor and Queer Eye cast member Jonathan Van Ness, who appeared in the Netflix series Spinning Out, for which he learned to skate; and Olympian Adam Rippon.
FSH did not do its annual show, but the skaters performed their routines and were filmed. The programs were about the elements — fire, water, earth and air. Part of it will be shown during the gala.

 

[Sylvia]

Meryl Davis Continues to Leave Her Mark on the World with Involvement in Figure Skating in Harlem and Detroit - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

When Meryl Davis heard Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) was considering branching out to a second city, she used her staple charm and conviction developed over her

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Excerpts:

Both Figure Skating in Harlem, founded by Cohen in 1997, and Figure Skating in Detroit combine the powers of sport, specifically figure skating, and education for young women of color to "build champions in life."
"I think Detroit is the perfect place for a program like this, both because there's need and because there's an incredible figure skating community," Davis, the 2014 Olympic ice dance champion with Charlie White, explained. "The opportunity is certainly there to impact the lives of young people in the city of Detroit, and yet in the greater Detroit area we have this incredible figure skating community and history."
A founding board member of Figure Skating in Detroit, five-time U.S. champion Davis has been involved since the start and continues to serve the program to this day.

"I was just completely blown away," Davis remembered. "I was so taken with the girls and their power and their confidence, and their joy in both skating and talking about the program off the ice as well was infectious. I was sold right then and there."
Cohen explained, "Honestly the mission seemed to come so naturally to her because she believed in giving children opportunities and helping children empower themselves."
The gala has been held every year since 2006, and this year's edition – appropriately titled Champions in Life – will be held virtually on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. ET. It is open to the public for free, and Cohen is eager to set an attendance record. [...]
Figure Skating in Detroit will have its own inaugural virtual Celebration of Youth gala on May 13.

ETA link to Barry Wilner's article for AP: Figure Skating in Harlem finds ways to deal with p*ndemic

But with the world going virtual during 2020, those young women were forced to deal with separation caused by the global pandemic, as well as economic uncertainty for them and their families, and the as racial unrest across America.
So FSH stepped up its involvement.
"We had a class called 'Real Talk' in which our amazing social workers and teachers brought the girls together virtually by age," [Sharon] Cohen says, "and they were able to have a session to just express their emotions and where they are, and express their fears, and be given some tools to work through that, so they recognized they weren't alone.

 

[Sylvia]

Starr Andrews and Vanessa James to Pay Tribute at Figure Skating in Harlem’s Champions in Life Virtual Benefit Gala - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Figure Skating in Harlem's Champions in Life Virtual Benefit Gala will showcase a special performance by Starr Andrews and French pairs skater Vanessa James on April

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

"While Mabel was never able to compete, she paved the way for Black skaters like Starr, myself and others," James said. "I remember growing up looking to Derrick as an idol in skating because he looked just like me and [because he] was a very beautiful skater. So, it's nice that it has come full circle and that I'm doing his choreography alongside his star athlete."

Note: Derrick Delmore and Vanessa James both used to compete as members of the Washington FSC.

When Delmore was first asked by FSH to choreograph the piece he hoped Andrews, James and French skater Maé-Bérénice Méité would have the opportunity to practice and perform the piece together in New York. Unfortunately, due to an injury at the 2021 World Championships in March, Méité was not able to participate. Then, due to travel restrictions, Andrews and James were forced to work on the piece separately from Los Angeles and Montreal, respectfully, as Delmore provided guidance via video. The final performances were filmed and edited together as a montage for the gala.
"I chose the piece 'Listen' from [the 2006 musical film] Dreamgirls with the idea that there would be all three ladies [to mirror The Dreamettes]," Delmore said. "While the meaning in the movie is a little different, the lyrics can pertain to the state of affairs for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community in skating. I thought it was something that could make a wonderful statement and something the three ladies could share together."

Figure Skating in Harlem's post "TODAY is the day—9 hours till our Virtual Gala!! All are welcome to attend, so spread the word!": https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-KVyVrxBD/

Free registration to watch tonight: https://www.fshchampions.org/

 

[DreamSkates]

Love the title of this thread. What we all need to find whether figure skating or something else, we feel free.

 

[Sylvia]

Here's the video of "Listen" (from the Dreamgirls film) performed by Starr Andrews & Vanessa James that recently premiered during the FS in Harlem benefit gala (article linked in post #7): https://www.instagram.com/tv/COBxmMOnAm2/

Re-posting the Meryl-focused article with excerpts re. FS in Detroit:

Meryl Davis Continues to Leave Her Mark on the World with Involvement in Figure Skating in Harlem and Detroit - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

When Meryl Davis heard Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) was considering branching out to a second city, she used her staple charm and conviction developed over her

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Davis won the metaphorical gold medal in that race for the program's expansion, and Figure Skating in Detroit was born in 2016.
Both Figure Skating in Harlem, founded by Cohen in 1997, and Figure Skating in Detroit combine the powers of sport, specifically figure skating, and education for young women of color to "build champions in life."
"I think Detroit is the perfect place for a program like this, both because there's need and because there's an incredible figure skating community," Davis, the 2014 Olympic ice dance champion with Charlie White, explained. "The opportunity is certainly there to impact the lives of young people in the city of Detroit, and yet in the greater Detroit area we have this incredible figure skating community and history."

Figure Skating in Detroit will have its own inaugural virtual Celebration of Youth gala on May 13.
Now in its fourth full year of programming, Detroit had its first graduate last spring, who is now a freshman in college and decided to work for the organization as Figure Skating in Detroit's social media intern, which Davis said was, "such a wonderful testament to her experience in the program and the belief she has in the program."
Figure Skating in Detroit has ambitious goals as it continues to develop and grow, including connecting further with local companies to maximize its impact in the area. Despite still being a young organization, though, Davis noted she continues to be impressed by what they have accomplished so far, especially the staff's ability to adapt and pivot over the past year.

Meryl re-tweeted the link to watch this 13-minute uplifhting piece profiling a FS in Detroit coach that was partly filmed at the Detroit Skating Club:
IMPACT episode 1:"Ice breakers" | National Geographic Presents: IMPACT with Gal Gadot:

IMPACT episode 1:"Ice breakers" | National Geographic Presents: IMPACT with Gal Gadot

See what happens when people are acting from the most personal private place and creating an impact that echoes through their community.See Kameryn's impact....

www.youtube.com

More about Alyvia, the young poet/skater, and her coach Kameryn Everett, who both are featured prominently in the IMPACT episode:

She’s a poet, a skater and a schoolkid

If the world needs another superhero, it could choose Detroit’s Alyvia Lockett. She’s a skilled poet, a budding figure-skater … and an elementary-school student. “It’s a shame that an 8-year-old h…

www.mikehughes.tv

Excerpt:

If the world needs another superhero, it could choose Detroit’s Alyvia Lockett.
She’s a skilled poet, a budding figure-skater … and an elementary-school student. “It’s a shame that an 8-year-old has to tell you this,” she says in a poem about violence.
Or maybe it could choose Kameryn Everett, 20, her coach. (They’re shown here.) “I know that Alyvia looks up to (her) so much,” said Vanessa Roth, producer and director of “Impact,” which arrives Monday (April 26) on National Geographic’s YouTube channel.

... fresh opportunity came when Figure Skating in Harlem – which has been around for 20 years – created its first offshoot, Figure Skating in Detroit. Everett – an Oakland University student, majoring in exercise science – teaches there.
As a young skater, listings show, she won first-place in six categories and placed in many more. Now she teaches kids as young as 6.
“It honestly took until last year for me to really realize: Like, ‘No way, I have impacted hundreds of girls and I’m just still young,” [...]
One of those girls is Alyvia. “She is very articulate,” Everett said. “She is very bold and strong with her poetry.”
The film opens with one of her poems and ends with her saying that she’d just had a dream about skating to one of her own poems. “We’ll make it happen,” her mother says. And then it does.

 

[Sylvia]

Figure Skating in Detroit Celebration of Youth Gala on Thursday, May 13th at 7pm ET (to be livestreamed here):

Figure Skating in Detroit Celebration of Youth Gala May 13th

Registration for Our Virtual Gala on May 13th at 7pm ET

givebutter.com

We are so excited for our first ever virtual “Celebration of Youth” Gala celebrating, honoring and fundraising for the girl champions of Figure Skating in Detroit! This year’s production is jaw-dropping with performances by our beginners and star skaters, a fireside interview with Elladj Balde, appearances by Detroit Symphony Orchestra, NuClassica and hosted by Tati Amare! Join us as our girls dance on ice! Come out and celebrate our amazing skaters as they boogie, conga, waltz, and shimmy through decades, genres, and icons of dance. Dancers, much like a skater, are not only defined by their technique, skill, or ability to pick up choreography but by their confidence and connection with the audience. Our girls will perform as if they traded in their skates for their dancing shoes. All donations will go towards Figure Skating in Detroit.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

CBS This Morning had a segment about Asha Walker, who runs a non-profit (Health in the Hood) that grows fresh produce in food deserts. She skated in the Figure Skating in Harlem program:

Watch CBS This Morning: Asha Walker talks Health in the Hood nonprofit - Full show on CBS

www.cbs.com