Queen City Troupe | Figure Skating Club of Charlotte

What is Queen City Troupe (QCT)?

Queen City Troupe is a team of showcase skaters that compete at an individual level with aspirations to make it to the biggest stage for showcase skaters, National Showcase.

Showcase skating is a powerhouse of a skill for skaters to have in their toolbox. It teaches them how to show a variety of emotions in their skating, which is a part of their score in Freeskate if they choose to also compete in that event. It is not a skill that comes easy, but once learned, sets them apart from skaters without this skill. Skating in showcase also opens the door for skaters to pursue professional show skating beyond High School, allowing them to follow their dreams beyond 18.

Queen City Troupe Coaching Staff:

Dawn Feest
Laura Mullen

Dawn and Laura’s History:

Laura selected Pineville Ice House for her home rink when moving to Charlotte after stalking the coaching staff online and seeing Dawn’s name with Theatre on Ice background listed on the website. With her sites set on building a Theatre program in Charlotte, she waited patiently for an introduction to Dawn. Little did they know, the two would be the Yin to each other’s Yang. They immediately connected and agreed to try to get a competitive team together at Pineville. It was approved by rink staff, and they were preparing their programs for Nationals until Covid hit and took their competitive TOI dreams away.

Refusing to give up the theatrical skating for which they both shared a deep love, Dawn and Laura decided to start Queen City Troupe. Born out of a love for showcase and desire for their students to have a team camaraderie added to individual competing, the Troupe was formed in 2020. Together they have choreographed over 70 programs for QCT skaters in various levels and categories of Showcase. They have had multiple skaters medal at National Showcase and State Games of America, two Us Figure Skating National ranked competitions. Dawn and Laura are truly the powerhouse coaching team with a passion for sharing their love of skating with skaters with the hope it will have a lasting impact on skaters’ lives just like it did theirs.

What is Showcase?

Showcase focuses more on the artistic side of skating with performances judged for theatricality and artistry from an entertainment standpoint. Simply put, With the use of props, elaborate costumes and theatrical performance, showcase fuses artistic creativity with figure skating for single skaters, duets, mini ensembles of four to eight and production numbers of nine or more skaters.

Skaters participating in showcase events and competitions display creative skills in the depiction of a character or musical theme exhibited through their routine. Technical skating skill and difficulty will not be rewarded as such; however, skating must be the major element of the performance and should be of sufficient quality to support the character or theme chosen.

Queen City Troupe member singles skaters of all ages & levels can participate in showcase in the following categories:

Emotional Performance
Choreographic Artistry (Juvenile - Senior, Adult Masters only)
Lyrical Pop
Character Performance
Comedic Impressions
Theme Event

Group Offerings:

A highlight of showcase events is the opportunity for skaters to compete in a group. Queen City Troupe members can participate in the following events:

Duets/Trios – Two or three competitors perform a theatrical program with the option to use props and scenery.
Mini Production Ensembles – Groups of four to eight skaters perform together with the option to use props and scenery.
Production Ensembles – Nine or more competitors perform a program together with the option to use props and scenery.

Showcase events may be offered at any U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned non-qualifying competition. Skaters who place at a non-qualifying competition in a showcase event or at an all-showcase competition and meet the minimum CJS scores qualify to register and compete at the National Showcase Competition.

What is National Showcase?

National Showcase is truly a festival of inspiration and skaters who qualify are strongly encouraged to participate. National Showcase attracts skaters from across the country to compete against the best of the best in showcase skating. Skaters must be at least the preliminary level, qualify by placing in the top 4 of their event and meet the minimum score requirement for their level. It’s an incredible honor to compete at this competition, let alone place in the top 4! Queen City Troupe has won multiple medals at different levels of skating over the years, with our very own co-founder, Dawn, bringing in 6 of them!

The 2026 National Showcase event will be held August 3-8 in Denver, CO!

Interested in learning more about the Queen City Troupe? Simply click the Queen City Troupe logo below and complete the email!