Advanced Entertainment Group, Inc. (AEG), is scouting figure skating talents to join the cast of its award-winning show “Turn It Up.”
Based at the Moroccan Palace Theater on the grounds of the famous Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, the show is now in its fifth year. “We have been producing shows for Busch Gardens for well over 25 years. ‘Turn it Up’ is very state of the art, very fast-paced with great choreography, great music and the costumes are beautiful,” said AEG president, Richard Porter.
“The show runs seven days a week and skaters work three to five days a week. Each show, which features a cast of 23, is 30 minutes long, and there are between three and five performances per day, with an overall average of three – one at 12 noon, one at 2 and one at 4. So skaters arrive at 11 to get ready for the first show and they are out of there shortly after 4:30. It is a great schedule.
“The show is pure entertainment and features music from many different genres. We have everything from Rihanna, Adele and Lady Gaga to Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. It opens with aerialists flying high above the ice and also includes a comedy number and a big section that is set to country music. People just love watching it and it gets many, many standing ovations. It really is a lot of fun.”
“Turn It Up” runs from January to November, when AEG switches to its ‘Christmas on Ice’ show for two months. “At the beginning of January, we flip it back to ‘Turn it Up.’ It is the only ice show in America that runs year-round and cast members perform in both shows,” Porter explained.
What makes this opportunity unique is that skaters who want to continue their education can earn a “very good living” at the same time. “We get many skaters who perform in the show who also attend the University of South Florida — which is right across the street. So it really provides a good balance for skaters,” said Porter.
“Some of our cast members have been performing in our shows for 15 or 20 years. We have seen a lot of people become doctors and others who go on to all kinds of fantastic careers.
“Every year we have cast members who retire or who graduate from university and start their new careers, a lot of whom had been with us for many years. So, we are constantly looking for new skaters.
Rehearsals for “Turn It Up” start in January 2023. To learn more about the show or to apply to join the cast, email .
Promo Video
Clip of the show from 2021