Back on the ice

It's not that he minds gravity so much, it's just that Josh Uster really prefers defying its laws.

There's no sense staying earthbound when you can spin, flip and twirl in the air, after all.

The 24-year-old Lisle man expected to spend these early days of his career getting a toe-hold in the aviation industry. Instead, he'll go airborne on ice this week as part of the cast of "Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour."

And he's not the only local star making a return home for a series of performances. Zion's Hamidah Ahmad captured one of the show's starring roles.

Both will perform Wednesday through Sunday when the show stops at the Allstate Arena, then again Feb. 1-10 at Chicago's United Center.

Uster said he's thrilled to have the chance to perform in front of his friends and family -- it's a reminder of his years in competitive skating. He's a three-time regional gold medalist and one-time Intermediate Men's National Champion.

For three years, from 2000 to 2002, Uster competed at a national level before a muscle injury in his hip landed him out of the game. At the time, he was a Lisle High School senior months away from graduation and facing a choice: would he continue his skating career or move on to college.

He chose school.

Though he kept one toe-pick in the sport by teaching at Bolingbrook's Rocket Ice Arena and the Seven Bridges Ice Arena, he primarily focused on his degree in aviation administration.

And he started on his pilot's license. There's that urge to leave the ground again.

"It's something about defying gravity," he said, chuckling, in a recent interview during a break from the tour.

After graduating from college, he started working at O'Hare International Airport, where he ran into an old skating buddy. That friend just happened to skate for one of Disney's shows.

"I realized how much I missed skating," he said.

A few calls, and auditions, later and Uster was back on ice.

He joined the "High School Musical" group as a semi-principal cast member last summer. The tour is scheduled to continue through May, but Uster's not sure if there will be an extension.

So far, he's discovered the performances are very different than competitions.

"It's fun to be able to skate differently. I don't have to be nervous," he said.

For another thing, he may do three shows in one day, and sometimes six performances over a two-day period.

And he's not just a minor character. Uster's on the ice for all but four minutes of the show. The performance is one hour and 45 minutes long with a 15-minute intermission.

"For the most part, I have so much fun," he said. "I just get wrapped up in my character."

If you go

What: Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Show. Features Lisle skater Josh Uster and Zion resident Hamidah Ahmad.

Where: Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 10:30 a.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Cost: $15 to $27, with a limited number of $60 VIP and $75 front row seats

Info: www.highschoolmusicaltheicetour.com. Tickets available through Ticketmaster by calling (312) 559-1212.