Jackson Haines left America during the height of the Civil War and toured extensively through Europe. He translated ballet to the ice. He performed for Czars and Emperors. He inspired the formation of many of the world's oldest skating clubs. He changed the world's most exciting winter sport forever and our fascination with him has never waned. In this magisterial and dramatic portrait, figure skating historian Ryan Stevens chronicles Haines' story from his humble beginnings in New York to his premature death in Finland in 1875 - both on and off the ice. Through meticulous research of 19th century archives and unpublished material housed at the K.H. Renlunds Museum and World Figure Skating Museum, Stevens proves that fact can be far more intriguing than fiction.
Dance master who invented the sit spin and "figure skating" as the term is popularly used.
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