Local Girls Help Lead DICE To First Place

The Danbury Ice Cabaret Ensemble – D.I.C.E. – won first place in the choreographic exercise event, novice division, at the 2007 International Theatre on Ice competition in June. Hosted by the Bourne Skating Club in Bourne, Massachusetts, this competition fields teams from all over the United States and, sometimes, overseas. D.I.C.E. consists of 15 skaters from Danbury, Newtown, Monroe, Bethel, Woodbury, Redding, Southbury, Sherman, New Milford and Bethlehem and practices nine months a year at Danbury Ice Arena with coaches Gianine Craw and Karla Jones. Four girls from Newtown – Elise Benedict, Caitlyn Filiato, Anna Oggeri and Terra Smith – helped lead D.I.C.E. to the win. D.I.C.E. defeated seven other teams with their story based on two rebel nuns who taught their sisters how to sing a different rendition of Ode to Joy to win their first Gold medal. This is the team’s second season together and the their first participating in the choreographic exercise event. Theatre on Ice (TOI) is the newest discipline of competitive figure skating. It combines the grace of figure skating with the excitement of theater and dance. Teams consist of between eight and 30 skaters.