WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. March 28, 2004: The 41st Annual Ice Show at Ebersole Rink, Ticket to Broadway, wowed some 200 parents, children, friends and relations at good ol' Ebersole Saturday evening in the tightest, most creative, smoothest-skated ice show in many years. Figure Skating aficianados were impressed again and again as soloists showed tenacity, heart, style, grace and courage in the world's most precise, demanding and dangerous sport, interpreting music with elegant, thoughtful, uplifting choreography and daring.  Beginning skaters just getting their ice legs to senior skaters leaving for college put on a colorful display of what a good community recreation program does: bring children of all ages together in a common quest to aspire, achieve, and inspire. Thirty-six solists performed and six group extravanganzas by 86 skating school students entertained with concentration, whimsy  and panache.

IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE: Skating to the Annie Song, Beta Skaters got into one of the 43 great Broadway Songs that themed Ticket to Broadway Saturday night at Ebersole Rink. Photo by WPCNR Ice Cam

READY FOR MY SPOTLIGHT: In the Ebersole Rink Skating School program, as in programs at rinks across the County,  the children of White Plains grow up togethe, gain respect for each other. Juliana Bailey, 14, poised to skate, started skating at Ebersole at age 4. Children move up through Tots, Alpha, and Beta and always aspire to skate like the older girls and where the covetted black "Advanced Figure Skating Jacket" with the leaping figure skater on the back. As skaters advance to that level, they take lessons, work hard, and develop friendships with girls older than they are in a most unique "mentoring" program that just happens. It is a beautiful thing. Photo by WPCNR Ice Cam

THE LAST SKATE: Amy Reinthaler owned the ice in her final Solist Skate at Ebersole with riveting, fastpaced program of deft footwork, sonic spins and an authoritative double Sow jump to "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk.  Observers of many shows over the decade peg Saturday Night's show as the best performed, most entertaining programs in memory. Photo by WPCNR Ice Cam.

ANOTHER FINAL BOW: Alyson Salonger, who represented White Plains at the Empire State Games Skating Competitions this year, performed a choreographically brilliant program of spins and footwork that you just had to watch. Photo by WPCNR IceCam.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN: The exhilaration of a program skated just the way you wanted to shows on Daria Marinelli's face as she cruises to the finish of her unique on-ice rendition of the famous Gene Kelly routine, and she did it on skates. Photo by WPCNR Ice Cam.

BROADWAY BABIES SAY "GOOD NIGHT": The Final big number to 42nd Street's "Lullably of Broadway" brought down the rink. Senior skaters skating for the last time at Ebersole were introduced and there was not a dry eye on ice as Evan Boschi, Amy Reinthaler, Kat Murphy, Aly Salonger, and Samantha Basso, skated around the rink for the last time. Photo by WPCNR Ice Cam

Some of the most outstanding solos of the night were  Julia Edwards' sensational Eva Peron on Ice interpretation of Don't Cry for Me Argentina, her emotes were smouldering, spins, footwork and synchronization to the complex music memsmerizing. Great costume, too, Julia.

Jenna Bisignano's stylish tour de force of Broadway Baby gripped the audience.  Eli Snyder, "Mr. Showmanship" pleased the crowd as he always does with his turn to Barry Manilow's "Gonna Fly Now." Mr. Snyder's dedication to skating (he comes every Tuesday), superb conditioning and attention to detail and style show the girls that it is how you show your love for the skate that sells a program.

Katy Dockery, showed mastery of concentration and choreography with an enchanting interpretation of Send in the Clowns, in which she stepped into and out of a hoop while relating to the music without missing a step.

Kim Wood created a tour de force of Don Quixote (From Man of La Mancha) with a forceful edge tempered with grace weaving footwork, spins and jumps, intepreting the aggressveness of a fencer. As with so many skaters this evening, Ms. Wood skated her personal best.

Christina Tompkins caught the eye of many with a sizzling interpretatioon of The Wild Party -- The Juggernaut. Her strapless evening gown costume was the most striking outre couture of the evening, coupled with her jaunty, sassy charisma sold her story on ice.

Kristen Smayda took on a completely different look delivering Whatever Lola Wants and was totally believable setting a stylish tone of spins, spread eagle, and footwork combinations. You paid attention to her skate.

Another very heartwarming aspect of the Ebersole Show is that everybody stays. At some rinks and competitions, people leave the rink after their child or favorites have skated. Not at Ebersole.

Not only do most parents stay for the whole show to see every skater, but so do the skaters. They root for each other. They respect the achievement of others. Is it because it inspires them, or is it because they are friends? I think it's a little bit of both.

A lot of the credit for the atmosphere at Ebersole Rink goes to the caring people that run this rink, Matt Hanson, Rink Supervisor; Rose and Lou DeMarco, and of course, Skating School Director Kristen Fuerst and her instructors. Ebersole Rink is a home away from home where everyone knows everyone, gets along, and respects each other.

There Goes That Mayor Again.

Mayor Joseph Delfino, on hand,  was so delighted at the crowd enjoying itself and the quality of skating that in an enthusiastic moment he committed to the city paying for half the cost of a new sound system for the rink, if Ebersole parents would raise the other half. He said he would be speaking to Arne Abramowitz about the possibilities of a new sound system this week.

WPCNR will pledge $500. Do I hear $1,000?

And, while you're thinking of that Mr. Mayor, some new bleachers wrapped around the rink would be nice too.

After a show like Saturday night, where every soloist tried and delivered their best, every program showed creativity and moves sequences that were unique, and where every skater was one with the ice and above the ice, they deserve it.