Le Patin Libre @ Luminato

Ice skating in the summer? It’s happening! Vertical Influences is a contemporary ice skating double-bill, comprised of Vertical and Influences. Le Patin Libre, a collective from Montreal featuring high-level figure skaters and a sound-designer-turned-performer, brings the attitude of street dance and the athleticism of competitive skating to this exhilarating performance.

Influences explores the relationship between individuals and the groups they belong to. Despite bullying, individualism, and rivalry, a group experiencing obvious tensions evolves toward a new harmony. In Vertical, the spectators sit right on the ice and the skaters fly by so close that they literally move the air around the audience. Together, the two pieces make for a fresh and joyous experience.

Vertical Influences takes Luminato to the heart of downtown Toronto at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens) and to Scarborough at Don Montgomery Arena. With workshops for all skill levels, an outdoor roller blade performance, and an on-ice dance party, Le Patin Libre provide a joyous fusion of dance, sport, and play.

Photos by Alice Clark.