We spoke with award-winning documentary filmmaker Samantha Knowles, who directed Harlem Ice with Imagine Documentaries and showrunner Alisa Payne, and premiered on Disney+ on February 12. Harlem Ice, which is a tonal departure from Samantha’ previous works, offers a more lighthearted story of upbringing through the perspective of a young group of figure skaters known as Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH)
Harlem Ice is a 5-part documentary series following FSH as they prepare for competitions, performances and a life changing global experience. Through their eyes, we experience the highs and lows of the FSH Season, and the unique experiences they have as girls of color breaking the ice ceiling and gaining access to a global stage.
The documentary focuses on sisters Tori and Ashley, newbie Adrianna and senior Ariyana, and see how each girl makes her mark and helps to put HARLEM ICE on the map.
Talking about how she got the original idea for Harlem Ice, Samantha says, “I first heard about it when [Imagine Documentaries] the production company behind the series, approached me about it.”
“In a lot of ways, it was like a dream project of mine because I grew up dancing,” Samantha recalled. “I was excited to embrace music. I also was in a program that was like, you know, my dance program was similar, but it wasn’t for girls of color.”
Harlem Ice is very different from Samantha’s previous works, which includes the Academy Award shortlist documentary film How We Get Free on HBO. “I had gotten really, really good and used to the nuances of depicting really difficult things,” Samantha said.
However, her other documentary, Black and Missing, offered the basis for a more optimistic method of storytelling.
“There was the sense of sisterhood between the two women who ran the program,” Samantha added. There were these pockets of joy. And that’s what really makes, you know, those series really work.”
The process for breaking down what Harlem Ice was going to look like was also a challenge for Samantha. “It was a process of having to really excavate what it would take to make it feel authentic and to make it feel like you’re getting to know these girls and this is their voice,” Samantha said.
However, Samantha’s personal connection to Harlem and its community helped make Harlem Ice feel authentic as possible. “I think our approach in a lot of ways was to really immerse the audience in the world of these girls, and to be really rooted in the girls themselves, and be led by the girls,” Samantha began.
“I think everything you experience of the FSH community, of Harlem, of New York, is really through their eyes,” Samantha continued. “It also means that you go on a journey where you get a lot of surprises. You don’t always know what to expect when it’s teenagers in front of cameras and so I think that really gives the series a lot of its personality.”
In addition, Samantha also explained how she incorporated her own musical tastes that coincidentally coincided with the girls as well. “What I love about FSH is that one of the first things we learned about them is that they skate to Beyonce,” Samantha recalled.
“One of the songs they skate to is My Power,” Samantha recounted “So our very first shoot, we go on the shoot with them, they’re at a skating competition. It’s mostly white people. They’re the only team that looks like them and when the music comes on, it’s Beyonce. They don’t shrink away from the fact from who they are: they are unapologetic, they are bold.”
“There are a lot of overlaps between their songs and my playlist,” Samantha added. “I also have to say Beyonce was on the Renaissance Tour when we were making the show. My Power was featured very heavily because Blue was dancing in it!”
As such, it became one of the biggest influences for Samantha in terms of the series’ music. “We took a little bit of inspiration from having FOMO and watching that tour,” Samantha said. “A lot of the Beyonce influence came in that way, too… We have Sierra, we have No Scrubs, we have [Aretha Franklin]! It was just so fun to rip music from my playlist and put it in the show.”
Harlem Ice is now streaming on Disney+.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.