There are names you probably recognize -- and those you probably don't -- on the roster for the Stars on Ice Holiday Tour coming to Kelowna and Kamloops this week.
You'll know two-time Olympic silver medallist, three-time world champion and figure skating icon Elvis Stojko, the show's headliner, and you've likely heard of Olympic gold medallist and world champion Kaetlyn Osmond.
But, Elladj Balde?
The name might not ring a bell.
However, you might very well have seen one of his viral videos https://www.tiktok.com/@elladjbalde?lang=en.
"You know, the back flip guy or the guy that skates across frozen lakes," said Balde with a laugh.
He calls it 'wild ice' -- which only does partial justice to the original, spectacular performances on the see-through ice of frozen lakes in breathtaking mountain locations.
Calgary-based Balde has over 2.5 million followers across his social media platforms and he and his skating have been featured in campaigns for such well-known brands has Lulumemon, Canada Goose, Ray-Ban and Brunello Cucinelli
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NowMedia had the chance to speak with Balde as he arrived in Kelowna with the Stars on Ice Holiday cast about his own skating journey and what fans can expect at the Kelowna show Thursday night at Prospera Place and the Friday night show at Sandman Centre in Kamloops.
There are still last-minute tickets available at https://www.starsonice.ca/buy-tickets.
"The theme of the show is Christmas, so there are definitely holiday pieces and the spirit is uplifting and about community and connection," said Balde.
Balde's festive number is to O Holy Night, the modern version sung by Josh Groban.
His second, non-holiday performance is more complex, set to a mix of hip-hop and electro songs by Labrinth.
"It starts off dark, because as humans we all go through difficult times," said Balde, who has suffered with mental health.
"It's about me facing my demons and pain and using that to transform into a better understanding of myself."
Balde, who was born in Moscow to a Russian mom and Guinean father and immigrated to Canada when he was two, was the first black man to join Stars on Ice in 2022.
He's also the first skater on the cast who hasn't won a medal at the senior level in any national, world or Olympic championships.
"That's ground-breaking," said Balde.
"It shows you don't have to have that medal to be in Stars on Ice. You can carve your own way."
Balde has carved his own way by realizing in his mid-20s that his skating journey wasn't going to include a national, world or Olympic championship, yet he still had lots to offer the sport.
"I turned inward to connect with myself on a deeper level," he explained.
"And I found by doing that I could also connect with people, share with people and the world and make people feel things."
He does that with his unique style -- a combination of hip-hop sensibilities and contemporary dance on ice -- honed with the help of his wife, professional dancer and choreographer Michelle Dawley.
Balde also brings that ethos to The Art of the Performance, a training camp co-created by him and his wife, to make figure skating more inclusive and accessible and inspire skaters to be individual and artistic and inventive and foster a love and appreciation for skating that goes well beyond competition.
Registration for the 2025 edition of The Art of the Performance, May 15-18 in Calgary, is now open at https://www.artofperformance.ca/pricing-plans/list.
The Stars on Ice Holiday Tour started Dec. 3 in Corner Brook and also hit St. John's, Sarnia, Belleville and Victoria before coming to Kelowna for Thursday night and Kamloops for Friday night.
The tour runs until Dec. 22 with more stops in Medicine Hat, Kitchener, Moose Jaw and Red Deer.
The tour picks up again in the spring, without the Christmas theme, with dates in Halifax, Ottawa, Laval, Oshawa, Toronto, St. Catharines, London, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver.
Also in the show are dance champs Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, two-time Canadian champ Keegan Messing, four-time Japanese champion Satoko Miyahara, two-time Canadian champ Nam Nguyen, four-time US champ Jeremy Abbott and two-time US champ Gracie Gold.
