In many regions around the world, the weather is getting colder as winter is soon to set in. For some people, this means getting to engage in winter sports such as snowboarding and ice skating. For those of us who enjoy various winter activities, we have to essentially wait all year in order to partake in these pastimes!
But for Taryn Jurgensen, she gets to skates all-year-round whether it be for amusement, for practice, or even while engaging in a show or competition. Her performance while skating to “Hallelujah” at the Los Angeles Showcase proves to us just how much work she puts into her ice skating career!
At the beginning of Taryn’s Burbank, California performance, the young skater glides out speedily yet gracefully in a short, white, sparkly dress with her dark hair in a partial updo. Not long later, Alexandra Burke’s version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” begins to blare through the speakers. It’s go time!
The second the music starts, Taryn goes from standing in place to doing half-twists, following the choreography she learned from Karen Kwan-Oppegard. She begins to add skating to her dance routine as Alexandra begins to sing. Not even halfway through her presentation, it’s apparent that she’s got some serious skill.
From skating backward to gliding on one foot before transitioning into a speedy twist in the air, the audience appears to love Taryn. Due to her ability to glide so effortlessly on the frozen water beneath her feet, it’s easy to forget that she’s on ice!
One of Taryn’s best moves throughout the performance happens when the song gets louder. Around the two-minute mark of the video, the talented skater keeps one leg parallel to the ground while spinning several times. Her knee eventually bends, and she holds it up in the air, all while she’s still spinning! It takes a lot of skill to master that move.
By the end of the song, the stunning skater fluidly slides to the floor as the crowd cheers. She then gets up and confidently skates out of the rink. What a breathtaking performance! This was genuinely one of the best figure skating shows I’ve witnessed.
In fact, the performance was so good that she took home the Funakoshi Trophy that night, the biggest award of the show. Fun fact: The competition occurred in 2010. Taryn would have only been 18-years-old at the time!
Watch Taryn’s interpretation of Leonard Cohen’s song in the video below. She definitely earned that trophy!
