In South Dakota, we know better than anyone that spring is less of a season and more of a meteorological roll of the dice. But this weekend, the Larson Ice Center is proving that while we can’t control the weather, we can certainly find the beauty in it.
The Brookings Figure Skating Club will debut “Twisters on Ice,” its 31st annual show, and it’s a must-see. What makes this production so special isn’t just the music inspired by our Midwest seasons — it’s the sheer scale of the talent on display. This year features the club’s largest cast to date, with 64 local skaters ranging from little “snowflake” preschoolers to high school seniors.
As show director Morgan Kohl rightly pointed out, figure skating is a demanding sport that doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. These athletes spend countless hours training in the cold to make “grace and steel” look effortless. This show is the culmination of that grit. With two acts of choreography, vibrant costumes, and props, it’s a high-energy spectacle that transforms the ice into a celebration of local hard work.
Whether you’re a lifelong skating fan or just looking for a family friendly afternoon, “Twisters on Ice” offers something for everyone. Let’s head to the rink on March 28 or March 29 to support these athletes who have spent all season preparing to take us by storm.
Sen. Daschle: Thanks for the Dialogues
Dialogue is defined in the Concise Edition of Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language: “open and frank discussion, as in seeking mutual understanding.”
Add to that what is, reportedly, the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s favorite Bible verse: “Come now and let us reason together,” Isaiah, 1:18, KJV
Put that pair of themes together –– in a fashion they’re the same thing–– and you get a feel for what is the underlying theme of the Daschle Dialogues that come to Brookings on a fairly regular basis.
The inaugural dialogue, in 2014, brought together senators Tom Daschle, South Dakota Democrat, and Trent Lott, Mississippi. Both men served at one time as Senate Majority Leader and as Senator Minority Leader. As longball-hitting party leaders on opposite sides of the aisle, they championed opposing courses of action. However, in their dialogue, they did so via courteous and civil discourse. And they brought that message to their audience here in Brookings.
Since then, Daschle Dialogue guests have included: 2015, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; 2017, South Dakota native Tom Brokaw, author and television anchor; 2019, Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author; 2022, Jonathan Karl, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent; 2025, Sharon McMahon, author, educator and “America’s Government Teacher.”
This year, the Dialogues continue. Senator Daschle’s guest is Jon Meacham, American historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author. The senator and his guest will be presenting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, in the First Bank & Trust Arena. For ticket information, log on to: “Tickets for Daschle Dialogues 2026.”
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