by Amy Rosewater, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online
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| JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley |
(10/23/06) - From the first moment JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley stepped out on the ice, they thought skating was about costumes and ice shows.
When they took up the sport, they didn't even practice on a full-size ice rink – they skated on smaller surfaces called “studio rinks.” Every six months or so, they'd put on a show. They got excited to skate as snowflakes. Thoughts of double twists were not in their minds back then. The Olympics Winter Games needless to say, weren't in their early vocabulary.
So when they moved to “the big rink” – Paramount Iceland, located south of Los Angeles – and began working with renowned pairs coach John Nicks in the late 1960s, they were in for a shock.
There was this other whole other world of skating, and it included things like practicing, training and competing. “We thought skating was just showbiz,” Shelley recalled. “We didn't know anything about figures.”
That's why it's so fitting that Starbuck and Shelley are going to be honored by the Ice Theatre of New York at its annual gala Oct. 24 at the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers. Yes, they were two-time Olympians (1968 and 1972) and three-time U.S. champions. (Shelley also was a talented singles skater, winning the 1972 U.S. men's title and placing fourth that year at the Olympics as a singles skater). But Starbuck and Shelley like to remember themselves as entertainers as well. And that is exactly what Ice Theatre of New York is all about – displaying the artistic side of skating.
“I love Ice Theatre of New York and other similar groups,” Starbuck said. “What breaks my heart is when I look at skating and see so many beautiful skaters who have a lot to offer, but if they don't land those triple jumps they aren't given a platform to perform.
“Ice Theatre is a place to go and be creative. I think that's important. I'm grateful to people like (Ice Theatre of New York founder) Moira (North), who slug it out every day to give other people a chance, a place where there are no rules, really.”
Ice Theatre of New York, which was founded in 1984, has been dedicated to developing figure skating as a performance art. Some of its ensemble skaters were accomplished skaters in the competitive arena, like David Liu, who competed in three Olympics for Chinese Taipei. Others are talented choreographers, like Douglas Webster. Katherine Healy, a former John Curry protégé, is also a prima ballerina. Among its guest artists have been Curry, Oksana Baiul, Sarah Hughes, Paul Wylie and Toller Cranston.
Many, however, aren't household names but are simply beautiful to watch.
Starbuck and Shelley join an impressive list of Ice Theatre honorees. Previously honored are: former skater and fashion designer Vera Wang, two-time World champion Aja Zanova Steindler, two-time Olympic gold medalist Dick Button, Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, legendary coaches Sonya and Peter Dunfield, and Olympic gold medalists Liudmila and Oleg Protopopov.
“It's a very nice honor,” Shelley said. “JoJo and I always thought of ourselves as performers.”
“Performing was our motivating force,” Starbuck added. “We wanted to do well in a competition so we'd get invited to all of the shows.”
And what better way to honor performers than to do a performance in their honor?
“I'm on the phone with people every day for this event and so often people tell me what a deserving honor this is,” said North, founder and director of Ice Theatre of New York. “They really are the sweethearts of the American skating world for a certain era and people just love them. They both just really encourage the performance arts aspect of skating.”
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| As youngsters ... |
“We did a show routine called ‘After Midnight,' where he was a clown and I was a doll,” Starbuck said. “It was about being in a toy shop after midnight and the toys came to life. It was kind of a sweet number, and we did it in some pro competitions and in Dick Button's TV specials.”
They won't skate at the Ice Theatre of New York gala, but two members of the company's ensemble will reenact “After Midnight.” Starbuck and Shelley have been working with those ensemble members to re-set the piece.
In their competitive and professional careers, Starbuck and Shelley had a rare blend of showmanship and competitive strength. They also had the now very rare trait of being each other's only partner. These days, they both regret, so many American pairs teams split up after short stints. One poor showing at a competition, and skaters are looking for new partners.
Throughout their careers, it was always JoJo and Kenny. “It's so sad to me to see that,” Starbuck said. “But when we skated it was a different time, and I think we were very naïve and ignorant about what we were in for. I think now parents see it as a business from the time you're 10. There was no money involved then.”
Fortunately for Starbuck and Shelley, they had a lot of things going for them. They lived nearby. They had a great coach nearby in Nicks. And they shared the same drive and passion for skating.
“There are just millions of things, and we just fell into the right place with everything,” Starbuck said. “I just thank God all those things worked out.”
Starbuck and Shelley have remained close even after their skating days came to an end. After touring with Ice Capades and skating in professional competitions, they later worked together, owning a production company. Starbuck now runs the company by herself, but her primary focus is being a mom.
Even though Starbuck and Shelley maintain busy schedules, they will forever be connected. They live in New York and see each other several times a year. Starbuck is the mother of twin 10-year-old boys, both of whom refer to Shelley as “Uncle Kenny.”
“I have no siblings so he's the only uncle on ‘my side' of the family,” Starbuck said.
Neither Abraham Starbuck Gertler nor Noah Starbuck Gertler, who will turn 11 on Oct. 18, has any plans of following in his mother's skates.
“They can race around the rink in hockey skates with their friends,” Starbuck said, “but they have no desire to learn how to skate.”
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“I love teaching the adults,” Starbuck said. “Mostly I teach moms and help with choreography and edge work. I want to be with my kids when they are out of school. I was talking to (1960 Olympic gold medalist) Carol Heiss recently, and she said she didn't even teach for 18 years because she wanted to be with her children.
“Now, instead of skating, I do plays for little Boy Scouts,” Starbuck added with a laugh. “Every year I make them do a play. I probably get too intense during rehearsals.”
Shelley, who worked in theatrical management (including Broadway productions) and worked with the American Ballet Theatre, now spends much of his time riding horses on his farm two hours north of Manhattan. He remains involved in skating, too. Shelley is the former chair of the Athlete Development Committee for U.S. Figure Skating and is now a technical specialist in singles and pairs. Even before he became involved with U.S. Figure Skating, he would try to attend the U.S. Championships, often purchasing all-event tickets like any other fan.
“I love to watch skating, but I don't like to watch on TV,” Shelley said.
The sport has changed so much since they were competing, and both marvel at its advances. Back when they were competing, Starbuck and Shelley were doing throw Axels – yes, single Axels – and double twists. Nowadays, teams like two-time U.S. champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin are performing throw triple Axels.
“What they're doing these days is so fantastic,” Shelley said. “It's kind of embarrassing, but even a double twist was hard for us. We were almost the same size, so that made things difficult. But we were the consistent team with good unison.”
And, of course, they could bring the crowd to its feet.
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