The journey begins in 1915 when a young German skater ignites America’s love with dancing on ice. “The Fabulous Ice Age” chronicles a century of theatrical skating, from Berlin’s Charlotte, to America’s Ice Follies, Ice Capades, Holiday on Ice, and the Sonja Henie shows, illustrating how they dominated live entertainment for decades while also depicting one skaters’ quest to share this history.
Never before seen footage, photos and rare archival material introduce us to a handful of skaters, producers and entrepreneurs who helped change their world. Starting in America with the Hippodrome and hotel shows and big arenas, we then see how Holiday on Ice brought skating to Europe, behind the Iron Curtain, to Asia, Africa and South America, places where ice had never been seen before.
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“Vintage clips give Keri Pickett’s documentary a dreamlike quality as she lovingly presents a host of characters, from ice-show icons Richard Dwyer and Gloria Nord to Olympians Dick Button and Scott Hamilton.” — STAR TRIBUNE
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“The film highlights the history of this frozen form of entertainment — which led to the World Champion and Disney-driven events we see today — which took off in the U.S. and internationally from origins in the Twin Cities.” — MPR
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“Minneapolis filmmaker Keri Pickett’s documentary sometimes seems like it’s about the ebbs and flows of figure skating popularity and sometimes seems like it’s about whatever happened to defunct shows such as the Ice Capades and Holiday on Ice. But when it sticks with Pickett’s uncle, former skater/fellow photographer Roy Blakey, and his astonishing archive of skating memorabilia, it feels just right.” — PIONEER PRESS
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“The film features never-before-seen footage, photographs and rare archival material that introduces its viewers to a handful of performers, producers and entrepreneurs who helped turn ice skating shows into prime family theatre.” –SKATING MAGAZINE
The Fabulous Ice Age by Keri Pickett
IFP MN Website for TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE FILM:
Questions? Please feel free to contact us at: fabulousiceage at gmail dot com
This project is made possible in part by support from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
