Note from the Founder

I was that little girl that always wanted to be an ice princess. From the time I started skating at three years old, through the years of competitive upbringing, I found comfort in the performance aspect of the sport. I grew up skating, dancing, and doing gymnastics for

most of my developmental years; I always wanted to work hard and perform.  When I was a teenager, making my way through the competition scene, I met an icon in the skating world, Doug Mattis. From the moment I met him, he made an impact on me. He nurtured me when I was lost in the chaos of competition and showed me the worth I had in my individuality. He choreographed my Junior long program at a time where the trajectory of the next part of my life was unknown, but most importantly, he planted the idea in my head that I could take my favorite part of the sport and make that a profession. 

Fast forward five years, I received my degree in Journalism and Communications at Seattle Pacific University. During that time, I furthered my coaching career, specializing in choreography and technical skating as well as off ice technique and dance for students of all ages. I still had the will inside me to skate professionally. When I reached out again to Doug, he didn't hesitate a second to tell me all the shows he knew I could achieve, the elements I needed for those shows, the lifestyle surrounding them, the pay, the poise, and so much more. He broke down exactly what to put into my resume when I didn't have much, how to highlight my strengths, what elements and skating styles to add into my show reel, show tricks to work on, and even helped me draft my very first email to casting directors. 
 
Doug passed away a few years ago. His absence in this industry is ever present. I owe the start of my professional career to him with what he was willing to share with me, and all that he asked was to pay it forward. 

I've now been skating professionally for seven years. I've been lucky enough to spend most of my career working on Royal Caribbean Cruises with Willy Bietak productions, a total of six contracts so far, two of which as Ice Cast Company Manager, and another three as Cast Show or Parade Wardrobe. I worked in Mexico for Illusion on Ice for several contracts and skated in Spain at Portaventura World with ProEventi, as Line Captain. I've spent time learning aerial silks and adagio pairs to make myself more marketable in the professional world. I continue to learn more about the industry and more about myself through each contract.  As my time has gone on, I have been trying to figure out a way to share what I continue to learn to pay it forward to the next generation of skaters. In the United States, I believe there is a disconnect between the competitive and recreational part of figure skating and that of the professional show industry. My intention in creating Skate Studio Co. is to build a community and program to bridge the gap and provide real-time accessible information into the industry. My hope is for this to be more than a place to learn, but rather, a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for figure skating and are looking to make it a profession.