Championship figure skater and DVES grad to close winter festival

MILFORD, PA — The Marie Zimmerman Center for the Performing Arts will produce a week-long winter festival from Saturday, January 24 through Saturday, January 31, with Ice Theatre of New York kicking off the festivities. To round off the week, local championship figure skater Jordan Hartey, a graduate of Delaware Valley High School, will end the festival with a performance to the music of “Let There be Peace on Earth,” which will be sung by 150 Delaware Valley High School Chorus students.

“I was really excited when they asked me to be a part of this,” said Hartey. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a community-minded festival. It should be a lot of fun.”

Starting with ballet lessons at five, Hartey was no stranger to the graceful movements of figure skating, nor were her parents surprised when she wanted to begin taking lessons.

Her first lesson was a gift for her 12th birthday, and the coach was so impressed that he urged her to continue—which is exactly what she did. She has spent every year since learning how to master the craft of figure skating, and she went on to train with Russian Olympic Bronze Medalist pairs skaters Oleg and Larissa Makarov, while attending school at Orange County Community College in Middletown, NY.

More recently, she is studying to achieve a minor in figure skating coaching and a major in strength and conditioning at the University of Delaware, where she also skates with the free-style skating team. Amid all her studying and training, she still manages to have time to compete.

Her most recent awards include a Bronze Medal in the Junior Ladies Freestyle Collegiate Nationals in 2008, as well as the Junior Ladies Freestyle Boston Collegiate Comp in 2007 and the Junior Ladies Freestyle Univ. of Delaware Comp in 2008.

Throughout the week-long festival, there will be various events held at the Good Shepherd Church that will be free to the public, with a donation of food for the food pantry.

For more information visit winterlightsfest.com.