Two-time Olympic silver medalist Patrick Chan will be performing two programs on the Sunshine Coast on March 9.
The recently retired 28-year-old figure skater plans to perform two numbers he had previously performed for Stars on Ice and on the Thank You Canada tour. “It’s going to be a very intimate experience for everyone on the Sunshine Coast,” said Chan, who called it a “huge honour” to be asked to appear as a performer rather than in a competitive capacity.
“I’m very lucky to be able to be on the ice and to perform for everyone on the Sunshine Coast,” he told Coast Reporter.
Chan works with his choreographer, David Wilson, to produce pieces, calling it a collaboration. He also seeks advice from coaches and other choreographers to “find the perfect recipe.”
“Even as a world champion and a national champion, I still have my own personal challenges of creating and figuring out what is my style,” he said.
Chan won 10 Canadian championships and three world championships in addition to his Olympic performances, and in 2011 was honoured with the Lou Marsh Award, giving him the credentials as Canada’s top athlete.
The program length won’t be bound by the strict time restrictions of the short and long programs required at elite levels. “There’s no limitation… Some numbers are four minutes long, some are three minutes long,” said Chan, adding that the music and the rhythm of the piece itself dictate length. “It’s quite an exciting process choreographing for shows because you truly have complete freedom and complete control over every decision and you can bend the rules and do the unconventional. I hope I can show a bit of that in March,” he said.
The skater’s performance will be the headline of a fundraiser organized by the Sunshine Coast Skating Club (SCSC). Olympian Larkyn Austman, Gibsons skater Beres Clements and members of the SCSC will also perform at the Gibsons arena.
