About the Company

What we do

Ice Theatre of New York® (ITNY) creates and advances dance on ice as an ensemble performing art, and provides education and public performances to people of all ages. Founded by Moira North in 1984, ITNY created the first not-for-profit professional ice dance company in the United States and was the first to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

ITNY achieves its public arts and education mission by:

    • Commissioning and performing new choreography of pieces created by recognized and emerging dance and ice skating choreographers. The company has created exclusive works by choreographers Elisa Angeli, Lorna Brown, and Joel Dear; modern dance choreographers Jacqulyn Buglisi, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, David Parsons, and Jody Sperling; performance artist Ann Carlson, McKnight Choreographer Fellow Deneane Richburg, and ballet great Edward Villella. We have exciting collaborations with choreographer and dancer Kolton Krouse, singer Alicia Hall Moran, and continued new media explorations with artist and technologist LaJune McMillian ahead.
    • Making performances accessible to diverse audiences and presenting dozens of free performances, featuring our current repertory throughout New York City in our City Skate Concerts.
    • Offering arts education programs on ice dancing and figure skating for school-aged children in the New York City area through live, in-person evens and online virtual programs, annually serving over 1500 public school students across all 5 boroughs.
    • Training company skaters, guests artists and members of the skating community in our weekly Edge Classes, as well as training programs for aspiring ice artists in our performing apprentice program.
    • Collaborating with choreographers, producers, presenters, administrators and advocates from the dance and skating worlds and beyond while exploring creatively exciting relationships with artists from theatre, music, circus and new media disciplines.

How we started

Moira North saw a need for a place where skating artists could create works that integrate the sensibilities of contemporary dance, music and art challenging the perceptions and conventional definitions of figure skating. The company was founded at the end of 1984 by Ms. North in collaboration with Belgian modern dance choreographer Marc Bogaerts, figure skating coach Cecily Morrow and artist Marjorie Kouns. Modeled as a dance company, ITNY has trained a professional ensemble of skaters and built a critically acclaimed repertory of performance pieces that have been presented both nationally and internationally.

The company's Founder/Artistic Director, Moira North and Executive Director, Jirina Ribbens have equally impressive backgrounds in choreography and management and a combined experience of over three decades in production, artistic direction, and public relations.

Since its inception Ice Theatre of New York® has changed the face of figure skating by creating over 125 pieces of repertory choreographed by ballet, modern dance, skating and contemporary choreographers.

In tribute, Olympic ice skating gold medalist Dick Button has lauded ITNY as “making a forceful and valued impact on the creative artistry of the fine art of skating” through championing bold, new choreography and uniquely expressive performances in association with top ballet and ice dance masters.

How we reach the community

ITNY is dedicated to making performances accessible to diverse audiences and presents many free performances featuring the current repertory throughout New York City. ITNY also reaches its public arts and education mission by:

  • commissioning new choreography, with pieces by recognized and promising ballet and ice skating artists;

  • offering free admission to public performances each year, including our City Skate Concert Series at area seasonal rinks;

  • holding Master Classes led by ITNY dancers for skating professionals and enthusiasts at our home rink, Sky Rink;

  • offering apprentice/training programs for aspiring young ice dance artists and providing performance opportunities for this Junior Ensemble;

  • conducting our New Works and Young Artists Series for NYC public school children, which introduces them to the fine art of gliding on ice and the sport of figure skating with both a performance and a skating clinic component;

  • presenting the Will Sears Award at our annual Fall Frolic in October to a skater who has shown exceptional daring and persistence in pursuit of their passion;

  • presenting our Annual Benefit Gala honoring someone who is accomplished in our Ice Dance world and has stayed connected beyond their own performances; someone who has given back to our 'icy" world and has been a role model for others to follow.

Ice Theatre of New York® believes that it is vital to reach out to the next generation of skaters and audiences through education, community outreach, and training programs. We are committed to continuing and expanding our joyful work with public school children with the aim of introducing America’s youth to the athleticism and artistry of skating and ice dance.

We are dedicated to promoting skating as a healthy recreational activity for people of all ages by educating the public about the tremendous benefits of coordination, balance, focus, and discipline that is required and gained from learning on a challenging surface of cold slippery ice.

To support ITNY click here.

With your help we continue to create dancing on ice for all to enjoy and we reach more public school children to introduce them to the joy of dancing on ice. 

Thank you!

Highlights of the current 2023- 2024 Season

  • Our Master Edge Class  on the ice at Sky Rink Chelsea Piers started September 13, 2023 and will go until December 20, 2023. This class is taught by Outreach Director & ITNY Ensemble Member Sarah France. Contact the office about participating and to be added to our class notification list.
  • ITNY again participated in the annual Dick Button Festival of Artistic Skating now in Norwood, MA on October 14, 2023. 
  • Our Fall Frolic Performance and Fundraiser took place on Friday, October 27, 2023 at Sky Rink and the Sunset Terrace at Chelsea Piers. The show took place in an "unplugged" format without theatrical lighting. Performers will included our professional ensemble, ITNY performing apprentices and guest artists Emmanuel Savary for Diversify Ice, and the Junior Skyliners with the participation of Alicia Hall Moran. We presented the Will Sears Award Dare Greatly Award to Diversify Ice. The Will Sears Award is presented to an individual or group who has shown exceptional daring and persistence in pursuit of their passion or mission. 
  • Our Master Edge Class  on the ice at the Rink at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park started October 31, 2023 and will go until February 27, 2024. This class is taught by Outreach Director & ITNY Ensemble Member Sarah France. Click here to sign up for this class. Contact the office about participating and to be added to our class notification list.
  • ITNY will participate in the Tree Lighting Show at Bank of America Village at Bryant Park
  • ITNY will provide a skating Santa, elves and the official ambassador of Rockefeller Center, "Roxy the Owl," at Rockefeller Center.
  • Our City Skate Concert Series will feature "Pop-Up" and longer performances by the ITNY professional ensemble, special guest artists and youth apprentices at rinks around the city. Dates TBD.
  • On December 2, 2023 we will perform a short concert with Johnny Weir in Nemacolin, PA 
  • In December we will present our annual Winter Holiday Skating Celebration and Tree Lighting at Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, free for the community, on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 4PM.
  • Our New Works and Young Artist Series (NWYAS)for NYC public school students will again take place at Riverbank State Park, Sky Rink, Wollman Rink, and in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, as well as virtual. Dates and how to sign up can be found here. First, our talented  professionals and young apprentices performed for the students. ITNY teachers and performers then engaged the students in a free skating clinic. Students learn that ice skating is more than a competitive sport; they are introduced to the integration of athleticism and artistry necessary to create dancing on ice.

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