Become a Show Skating Performer

Show skating and acting on skates is for any inline or quad skater who loves to dress up or down, likes to have fun and wants to entertain people while getting compensated or paid for having skating skills. Most people love almost any kind of skating entertainment, and they are often willing to pay for it.

As long as you are willing to keep an open mind about entertainment opportunities, there is work out there for wheel actors like Jean-Yves Blondeau. Some production companies, like Beau Ideal Productions, are specialists in producing drama, comedy and other live performances using skaters and other unique entertainer/performers. In addition to live skating shows, theatrical opportunities and parades, inline and roller skaters can get assignments on TV shows or movies, in commercials and in music videos with skating roles and bit parts. Skaters are used as extras to provide interesting extra background activity outdoors. Sometimes inline skaters are used with special prop skates to simulate ice skating in fake winter scenes. And skaters can also be used to create smooth human, supernatural or alien movements - even when the skates are not shown.

Some current and past shows and performance skaters include:

• SteveKay, a member of the Salomon Inline Free Skate Team and the Central Park Dance Skaters Association, was the 1997 Central Park Skatefright Dance Champion. Steve is always available for performances, photo shoots, or group and private lessons.
  
  
• The American Roll is a rhythm skating television program designed for local broadcast stations and cable networks.
  
  
• Urban Assault team members have been hired by countless companies, including Y-100 and the Philadelphia Philles to wow huge crowds with flips, spins and crazy stunts.
  
  
• Starlight Express, a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music), Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) and Arlene Phillips (choreography), is a train story that was written for Andrew's kids.
  
  
• The Skatin' Place cable access television show was created and directed by San Francisco "Godfather of Skating" David Miles.
  
  
• Debbie Merrill's list of credits for skating performances, consulting and choreography includes everything from parades to TV and feature films.
  
  
• The National Geographic Channel television show, The Dog Whisperer featured dog behavior expert, Cesar Millan on LandRoller inline skates.
  
  
• Ellen Page is Bliss Cavendar, a small town teenager who joins a roller derby team in the movie Whip It.

• A show skater should have good skating basics and an arsenal of good tricks, stunts or technical maneuvers. Be honest about your skating attributes and weaknesses.
  
  
• The ability to skate more than one inline discipline (or even ice or quad) will increase the number of auditions you will qualify to skate.
  
  
• The more surface types and surface sizes you can skate on, the more likely your will get work.
  
  
• Learn to dance and study acting. Good skating performances will benefit from theatrical skills, and these skills will also make you more marketable. Consider building your acting skills with help from qualified instructors, classes or theater groups who can help you increase your value as a performer.

Like any other job seeker, you will need to sell yourself and your skills. Promotion will help you put your best skate forward to potential agents, producers and casting directors:

• Edit together a short demo video that shows highlights of your best inline skating performances to distribute to potential show producers.
  
  
• Develop a website or blog that has one or more videos and past, current and future event information and results.
  
  
• Always keep a business card, skating photo and head shot along with a current resume that highlights current and past performances and entertainment assignments on hand, since you never know when an opportunity will arise.
  
  
• Find an entertainment agency or a talent agency that represents a variety of acting and talent resources.

You may surprise yourself and even get acting assignments outside of the world of skating. Even if you have a talent representative, you should continue looking for work on your own. Remember that videos, head shots, resumes and websites will only get your foot in the door. You will need to prove your acting and performance abilities with exciting skating auditions and by showing the potential to adapt to your producer's performance needs.

Have you ever worked in an inline skating or roller sports related job? Share your skating employment story and tell us about the job you found, how you found it, what your job responsibilities were and whether you would recommend this type of employment to another skater.