world traveler

‘Dancing on Ice’ star Colin Grafton is heading to Japan for his next big move

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Colin Grafton is heading to the other side of the world!

The out figure skater, who starred on Britain’s Dancing on Ice for two seasons, is picking up a new star-studded gig in Japan.

Grafton will be a member of next season’s Fantasy on Ice, a hit skating show that will take him across the country. Out Olympic ice dancer Lewis Gibson and his partner, Lilah Fear, will be part of the tour as well.

“Skating in Japan is next level, it’s a very popular sport so when I got asked to do the show, I just thought it was such a great opportunity and something different,” Grafton told Express.

“I’m just excited to get back and be in front of an audience and in a huge stadium. There’s thousands and thousands of people at these shows so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

He expressed similar sentiments on Instagram.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to visit the wonderful country and culture which is Japan,” he wrote. “So excited to be surrounded by friends and some of the best skaters, musicians, and talents in world.”

Grafton is right about some of the best skaters in the world joining him. In addition to his fellow Brits (Gibson and Fear), out French Olympians Kevin Aymoz and Guillaume Cizeron, and Spain silver medalist Javier Fernandez will be on cast as well.

There is a storied figure skating tradition in Japan. It’s one of the most popular sports in the country, with shows selling out arenas all season long. U.S. Olympic skater Jason Brown is a frequent visitor, performing in another show, Friends on Ice.

Many of the world’s most successful skaters join shows for extra exposure and cash–and some give up their competitive careers altogether. That’s what happened with Wesley Campbell, who represented the U.S. at the world junior championships and won three titles.

But his career didn’t really start until he hit the road. He says performing in Disney on Ice has been his favorite experience over the years.

“I think being in Disney on Ice, under the stars, performing with Andrea Boccelli and Ellie Goulding live in a coliseum,” Campbell told Queerty. “That kind of live music, in front of 15,000 people, that’s the pinnacle. Everyone is artistically at their peak, and you’re at this amazing historical venue. It doesn’t get any better than that. You’re thinking, ‘Enjoy every second of it, because it’s only going to last once.'”

Related:

‘Dancing On Ice’ star Colin Grafton comes out: “It’s been a long journey but now I am proud of myself”

“I’m proud of my sexual orientation and I want to let other people know that they should be proud of every part of themselves too.”

Grafton made a similar decision. He shined on the national stage, competing with Team USA as a pair skater with Kyle Duarte (they won bronze at the 2012 Junior U.S. Championships). But he retired from pro skating the following year, despite only being in his early 20s.

It turned out to be the right call. Over the last decade, Grafton has moved to London and starred in numerous European tours, culminating in two straight appearances on Dancing on Ice. The Massachusetts native landed on our radar during his first season, when he partnered with Drag Race UK royalty, The Vivienne.

This past season, he was paired with soap legend Claire Sweeney.

Though Grafton wasn’t necessarily hiding his orientation (he posed last year in his white Calvins for Gay London Life magazine, he publicly came out as gay in February.

The reaction was even more positive than he could’ve imagined.

“It’s been wonderful. Obviously, it came out in the press about a month ago, and I’ve had sooo many messages from people in the sporting world and also Dancing on Ice saying it’s helped them,” he told Queerty in March.

“Sometimes, people will send you a long story about their journey. It’s really nice to hear about other people and their stories. If I can help anybody come to terms with themselves and be proud of who they are, that’s amazing!”

Now fully out, Grafton can continue to reach new heights as his true self. The next stop on his journey is an ocean away.

Related:

“Dancing on Ice” star Colin Grafton on skating with The Vivienne, his workout routine & his foray into modeling

Grafton spoke publicly about being gay for the first time last month.

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