Staff
MOIRA NORTH - Founder/Artistic Director
Moira was designated one of the 25 Most Influential Names in Figure Skating by International Figure Skating Magazine in 1998 and 2003 for being a driving force in the development of figure skating as a performing art. She and partner Patrick Dean skated Ice Theatre's first work, a collaboration with dance choreographer Marc Bogaerts, which won them first place in the 1984 Professional Championships in Jaca, Spain. In her subsequent work as Artistic Director of Ice Theatre, Moira has continued to integrate the work of dance and performance artists into the repertory of ice choreography and classes. Moira's artistic credits include teaching actress Ileana Douglas to skate for her role in the film To Die For; teaching and choreographing a skating scene in the film The Preacher's Wife with Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington; choreographing five productions of Montreal Fashions on Ice for the Quebec Delegation at Rockefeller Plaza; and choreographing the opening ceremonies for both the National Hockey League All-Stars Game and World Cup Hockey. She also served as creative consultant for Arts & Entertainment's Winter Solstice on Ice, a television special aired during the 1999 holiday season.
JIRINA RIBBENS - Executive Director
Jirina Ribbens joined the Ice Theatre of New York staff in December 2004, after serving on the Board since the founding of the company. Over the past 20 years Ribbens has worked in a variety of positions in the entertainment and sports industries, including as Olympic sports consultant and producer for seven Olympic Winter Games and two Summer Games. In 2002 she was Honored with the 2002 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Sports Special as Associate Producer with NBC for the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. During her career at Candid Productions (later SFX Sports/Clear Channel Entertainment) she produced and managed televised events worldwide with two-time Olympic Figure Skating Champion Dick Button. Ribbens holds a Master of Arts Degree in Foreign Languages from the State University of Antwerp, Belgium and a coaching certification in figure skating and artistic roller skating from the Coaches Training Academy in Cologne, Germany. She is fluent in seven languages. Jirina is happily married to Christopher Archer and they reside in Harlem.
DOUGLAS WEBSTER - Acting Artistic Director
Douglas Webster had the pleasure of working on ABC’s Skating With the Stars, Disney on Ice, Holiday on Ice, Stars on Ice and Sterren Dansen Op Het IJs.He has created productions for many companies, including Volkswagen (The Autostadt), Swarovski, Escada, Cingular Wireless, and The Sun Valley Group and has also choreographed for many World and Olympic medalists. Douglas is currently directing and choreographing Ice Theatre of New York’s Christmas show in Dollywood and is excited to return to the city and continue an ongoing relationship with the Company. Douglas assumed his role as Acting Artistic Director of the Company in November 2011.