Sharpen your blades and pin down your wigs --- Milk is Hot On Ice! The figure skater and drag sensation is back at The Standard, High Line on February 12th for another night of twirling, swirling, and dancing around The Rink. At her premiere performance in January, Milk gave us a spectacular show before inviting the crowd to join her on ice, and we're positively giddy that she's returning for a New York Fashion Week edition of the show. So come on by! And P.S., every Wednesday-Friday from 8PM-11PM, there are all kind of boozy drink specials, a boppy, dancey DJ, and skate rentals are free for grown-ups. FREE. Get into it!
You’ve taken Milk everywhere, from television, to runways, to ads and spreads in magazines. Why was the skating rink your next move?
I grew up figure skating. I started skating at the age of nine, so in some way, skating comes more naturally than drag. To be able to join these two passions of mine is quite a wonderful feeling!
Drag performers are expanding their talents beyond the expected skillsets of lip syncing and dancing. How do you think showcasing this depth pushes the definition of drag?
It is no surprise that drag has infiltrated a mainstream marketplace. Now it’s just a fun game of figuring out where it can go, in what different environments it can be seen in. I love that Milk On Ice can be enjoyed by [both] the sassiest gay or an entire family. It is a campy, glamorous spectacle for people of all ages!
Long before your drag career, you had success as an ice skater. How do you feel on the ice here today as Milk, versus as Dan in 2009 when you competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships?
I was never a fan of competition, and I’ve never truly done well in competition (Drag Race lol). That said, I always loved skating shows and performing, so Milk On Ice is a feel-good moment for myself and the audience!
We had so much fun with you at Hot On Ice at the Rink in January. How do you think your younger self would react if you told him you’d be figure skating, in drag, in the middle of Manhattan someday?
We did have fun, didn’t we?! I’d say, "Congratulations, you big homo. You f*cking did it!"
"Thrills, chills, and hopefully no spills!"
Any tips or wise words for queer kids aspiring to become skaters, or drag performers? Or both!
Do what you love. Do what you don’t see.
What can we look forward to at the next Hot On Ice on February 12th?
Thrills, chills, and hopefully no spills!
Anything you want to plug?
I have started a fun project called Skate with Milk! If you have ever wanted to learn how to skate, or just hang out with me on the ice, I’ll give you a lesson! Email skatewithmilk@gmail.com. That’s skate with Milk, at gmail dot com. Let’s skate!
