Scrolling through Facebook, I came across this promo from Elvis Stojko about a show in which he is performing this weekend in Burlington, ON.
The brainchild of choreographer and Beau Ideal theater company founder Roselle Doyle, I decided to get in touch to see what it was all about.
Pj – What was the inspiration for the show:
Roselle: “This show has been a long time coming together. My husband, Glen Doyle is a screen writer for years and years and I approcached him if he could write a show and he knows I am into the mystical and legends and we pieced the numbers together bit by bit.”
Pj: Can you tell me a bit about the show?
Roselle: “It’s a family show. It’s for all ages. It’s a fun story. There love, there’s laughter, there’s folklore and there’s conflict and at the end there is celebration. There’s a story line that ties one number to the next . I want to bring the story lines and the characters and the storytelling back to skating shows.”
Pj: You are the founder , owner and Creative Director of Beau Ideal Productions (www.beauidealproductions.com) tell me about the company?
Roselle: The company is only a year old. I wanted to bring back the creative and theatrical and artistic side of skating. We don;t have a lot of opportunity for skaters like Jenn Beauchamp (former Synchro World Champion with Nexxice) and there are a lot of skaters out there that are like her whch is why I created Beau Ideal. They have all of the artistry components and beautiful lines and are still athletic and I fall into that crack myself.”
Pj: What’s next for you and Beau Ideal?
Roselle: “I really love theater. I hope to maybe put on another Land of Eternals in maybe another city. My work won ‘t always be theater it will be ice shows as well”
Pj: You have some great people in the show – tell me about them?
Roselle: “We have an amazing cast including a belly dancer and dancers from the Irish dance and modern dance world. Here are the skaters:
Elvis Stojko and his wife Gladys Orozco-Stojko (Mexican National Champion)
Dan Hollander (comedic skater from the U.S. – skated with Champions on ice)
Jennifer Beauchamp (Nexxice World Champion)
Paulette Holtham (Canadian Senior National competitor)
Carolyn Mac Cuish (Canadian Junior Pairs champion)
Sasha Desroches (quadruple gold medalist, provincial and national competitor)
Fiona Zaldua and Dmitry Sukhanov (wonderful adagio team from U.K. – perform with all the champions on various tours)”
I remember seeing Fiona and Dmitry at the Rock The Ice show in Peterborough last February. Luckily I had the smarts to do a little video interview with them. I am amazed at some of the things they can do – check them out on YouTube!
Pj: Elvis eh? What is he doing in the show?
Roselle: “Elvis is the villain in the show. He plays the Warrior King. It’s cool because he not only skates but acts and gets to do some martial arts.”
Pj: How did you get ice on the stage?
Roselle: “We aren’t using ice. The skates the skaters are on are called Pic Skates and are made the same way as skates except that they have a blade with a rocker and a rubber toe pick. The blade is a little shorter than other blades and for some people takes a little getting used to. For me, I can do anything on them, they feel like regular skates. they can be used on any smooth surface.”
Interesting stuff. Mind you Roselle is an interesting person with a long history in figure skating having been competitor in Britain and a performer and choreographer since then. She is a beautiful performer. You might know her work recently from the La Vie show at the CNE in Toronto in August where she choreographed the group numbers and the transitions throughout a really entertaining show! She has also been doing choreography for Elvis Stojko for some time.
If you want any additional information about the show – “Land of The Eternals” takes place this weekend – September 14th and 15th at The Burlington Performing Arts Center – go to this link for more info and use this discount code: LOTE2012
http://www.burlingtonpac.ca/what-s-on/event_/land-of-the-eternals-featuring-elvis-stojko_7215.html