Emma Goodstadt (18) and Christian Bennett (20) are a new Canadian junior ice dance team this season.

Tell us about your individual skating journeys, including any early special memories.
Emma Goodstadt (EG): I began skating at the age of 3 as a part of the CANSkate program at my home club in Oakville, Ontario. After participating in several seasons of singles competitions, a new opportunity arose in 2016 when the ice dance director of my club approached me to form a partnership with another young skater. That marked the beginning of my seven-year-long ice dance career and counting. An early memory of mine is skating on the ice rink that my dad used to build for my sisters and me every winter. I remember coming home from school and skating with my sisters until the sun went down, spending hours perfecting the new tricks we would learn at practice.

Christian Bennett (CB): I started my skating journey at 10 years old in Charlotte, North Carolina where, despite its lack of presence, I continued to grow and train hard with the resources I had. Despite the geographical setback, my partner and I at the time became the first ice dancers from Charlotte to qualify for Nationals!

What drew you to ice dance?
EG:  What I have always enjoyed about ice dance is getting to share all of the experiences and emotions that come along with training and competing with someone else. You can always count on your partner to support you through the occasional tough training session, and when the time comes to compete you have someone there to celebrate the victories with, big or small.

CB: I grew up riding horses with my mother. That was her sport and through her love for horses, I fell in love with them as well. As fate would have it, I ended up, by happenstance, mentioning to a mother at our farm I liked to ice skate. One of her daughters took from US coach Gary Shortland who would become my coach for roughly the next decade. Skating taught me the joy of competition, the mastery of technicality, and the value of self-improvement.

Tell us how your partnership started (Partner Search, training mate, etc.) Describe the tryout.
It all started in 2018 when I (Christian) was training in Canada for a few days with Emma’s coaches. Emma’s partner at the time was sick, which the coaches used as an opportunity to stick us together for a few tryouts, nothing groundbreaking. However, upon getting off the ice my mother privately commented to me, “Y’all look great! I wish she was looking for a partner!” Little did she know how poignant that offhand comment would become. Fast forward 4 years, and horses, once again, played a pivotal role in this skating moment. Our partnership started through a random conversation over Instagram when I saw Emma’s post from a big horse show. Upon messaging her, we talked about our mutual connections to riding, which bled into catching up and realizing we were both in between partners. After suggesting a tryout to her and her coaches, I found myself on a plane to Canada within a few weeks.

What is it that you already like most about dancing with your new partner?
EG: I like the passion that Christian brings to training every day. It motivates me to work harder and push myself as hard as I can. We have also already become great friends which has made training extremely enjoyable! Together, we have been able to discover a perfect balance of fun and seriousness that we bring to the rink every day, and it makes for a highly productive way of training.

CB: Despite us still getting to know each other, what makes our training so enjoyable is her personality. Multiple times a day, we find ourselves unable to function due to fits of contagious and uncontrollable laughter. It adds a lovely and lighthearted energy to the otherwise stressful and intense training that all skaters partake in. In contrast, this is her extremely hardworking and driven demeanor. When she puts her mind to something, it gets done. This spans from choreography to school. It is both inspiring as well as invaluable to our progression.

What experiences do each of you bring to the partnership? (International competitions, training, etc.)
Emma has previous international experience with NextGen and Skate Canada. She has partaken in multiple Junior Grand Prix events and has used these experiences, coupled with a great social web of friends and colleagues to assist in their progression as a new team for Skate Canada. Christian has spent a lot of time working with and studying the artistic and technical elements of a diverse range of skating styles, which has brought a more well-rounded and diverse approach to our training and choreographing.

What has been the most significant adjustment for each of you so far in the partnership?
EG: A big adjustment for me has been learning how to push myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to the interpretation of our programs. Christian is very expressive and is excellent at channeling characters we’ve chosen to portray, and for me to match his level of presentation I have had to put a lot of work into my acting abilities as well as developing more confidence in myself both as a skater and as a person.

CB: For me, the patience of progression has been difficult at times. In skating, especially with new teams, you will find certain struggles that will only be overcome with time. No matter how hard you work them, things like communication, tracking, and chemistry all take time to develop as much as they do hard work.

Tell us about your training site. (Location, facilities, dance mates, classes, etc.)
EG: We train at the Scarboro Figure Skating Club in Scarborough, Ontario. It is a historic club which recently celebrated 70 years of operation. We train alongside a wonderful collection of athletes including Canada’s sweethearts, Piper Gillies and Paul Poirier

Who are your coaches?  Did either or both have to relocate? If so, tell us about the move(s).
EG: Our coaching team is Carol and Jon Lane, as well as Juris Razgulajevs and Marć-Andre Servant. I moved to Ontario from the States and it was quite an intimidating hurdle. The transition happened as smoothly as it could thanks to the warm welcomes from my new teammates as well as Emma’s family.

Who is choreographing your programs? Is someone else arranging your music? If so, please share those experiences.
Our coaching staff has done our choreography this year, Marc- Andre and Juris have been especially central in our routines’ constructions. Our music is cut by Rob, The Skating Music Guy. He has been essential in creating the vision we had for the music.

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
EG: I would love the opportunity to be taught by Patrick Chan, Canadian Olympian. I have always been so touched by his elegance and impeccable skating skills, as well as the way he can tell a story through his movements. A few months ago I went to watch Stars on Ice, where Patrick performed a beautiful program dedicated to his newborn son. It was incredibly touching and inspired me to channel my own raw emotions into my skating, as opposed to “turning on” a completely separate character.

CB: I would love to work with Natalia Linichuk. Spending time on the East Coast in the States, I saw first-hand the impact of her coaching prowess. After witnessing the generations of talented ice dancers and coaches she has produced, I would love to tap into her wealth of knowledge.

What is each of you looking forward to most this skating season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?
EG: I am looking forward to competing at the Canadian National Championships in January 2023. The last time I competed at a national championship was in 2020 when my partner and I won the silver medal in Novice Ice Dance. I have such fond memories of that event and being surrounded by all of my teammates, coaches, friends, and family. This Nationals will be particularly special as it will be Christians’s first Canadian National Championships, as well as our first Championships as a team.

CB: I think I’m looking forward to meeting all my new competitors in Canada. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make so many new friends over the next season. The last few months have been full of new encounters and new memories that will not soon be forgotten. This whole season feels like a breath of fresh air, and I have a revitalization that I cannot wait to put into action for the proceeding months up until Nationals!

EG: One of our challenges this season will be learning how to best pace ourselves for the long season ahead of us. Both of our most recent seasons were cut short so we don’t know yet what it is going to feel like to compete for 7+ months in a row. We will need to pay extra attention to how our bodies are feeling both mentally and physically, and continuously check in with each other if we want to maintain momentum throughout the season.

Please share anything you would like our readers to know about you as a team.
Follow our skating journey on our social media!
Instagram: @ EmmaGoodstadt and @ Christianbennett.ice
X (Twitter): @ Emmagoodstadt and @ Cbreezyonice

by Anne Calder

The skating Carharts include siblings Adrienne (21), Helena (18), Veronica (13) and Marian (10).

Adrienne, Helena and Marian are competitive ice dancers. Adrienne and partner, Oleksandr Kolosovskyi represent Azerbaijan internationally. Helena and partner Volodymyr Horovyi are 2023 U.S .Junior silver medalists and Junior Grand Prix Series competitors. Marion and partner Denis Bledsoe are the reigning U.S. Juvenile gold medalists.

Veronica competes in women singles on the intermediate level and qualified last season for the U.S. Final.

The sisters began their skating journeys in New York City and now train at the International Skating Academy in Estero, Florida with World and Olympic coach Marina Zoueva.

They reflected with mixed emotions on their skating experiences while living and training in Manhattan.

“As much as I love and miss New York, it was tough to make skating and school work in the City environment,” Adrienne began.

“Helena and I would wake up at 4 a.m. My mom had everything ready for the day including our packed breakfast and school clothes. She drove us 30 minutes to the Chelsea Piers rink where we skated from 5 to 7:30 a.m. Afterwards, she drove 45 minutes uptown for us to attended Sacred Heart School. Our classes began at 9 a.m. and mom picked us up at 2 p.m. so we could skate again.

“She drove us out to Hackensack, NJ, where we skated from 3:30 to 7 p.m. On the drive home we’d do our homework in the car. Our mom worked non-stop to make it happen. It was just really difficult to make all the pieces fit. Life in Florida has been much more rewarding for us.”

As a toddler, Veronica often rode along with her sisters. On one such trip, she made an announcement.

Veronica skates at the 2022 Atlanta Open.

“I was two and a half years old. I don’t remember much, but my family had just adopted me from China. I spoke very little English. My mom would drive Adrienne and Helena to skate every day. I loved going everywhere with my mom, so she took me with them. She held me while we watched them skate. I loved seeing them glide across the ice – they looked so happy and beautiful. I turned to my mom and said, ‘Mommy, me skate too!”

Veronica has fond memories of those drives to New Jersey when she was older and skating.

“Mom would pick us up from school and drive us to Hackensack. We would talk about our day and sing along to music. After skating we would then all go home together. It’s one of my favorite memories with my sisters. It was a memory I missed when we moved to Florida.”

Marian remembers rising early in the morning and attending Sacred Heart School. She and Veronica followed the same schedule as Adrienne and Helena.

“Sometimes I’d go skate [at Chelsea Piers] and then school, but sometimes I’d just go to school. Then we’d skate until 7 p.m. in Hackensack. I was six and a half when we moved to Florida.”

Adrienne was the first to leave the family nest. When she was 15 she had reconstructive hip surgery. The next year she moved alone to Canton, Michigan to train with Marina Zoueva. She soon began collecting solo dance medals. In 2018, she was the U.S. National Solo Dance silver pattern and novice combined champion.

The following year when Zoueva moved her Academy to Florida, Adrienne tagged along and continued her solo dancing. A few months later, 13-year-old Helena, who also had an injury that had ended her singles skating, joined her sister at the Estero site. After only three months, Helena partnered with Volodymyr Horovyi and began training in novice ice dance.

In January 2020, the rest of the family moved to Florida.

The two youngest siblings were skating singles. Veronica recalls that because there was no jump coach with the Academy it was difficult at first.

“Our mom would drive Marian and me two hours to Panthers [Ice Den in Coral Springs, FL] Tuesday through Friday every week. It was hard to be separated from Adrienne and Helena. I also know how exhausting it was for my mom. In some ways it was a lot of fun, because Marian and I got to have wonderful time with our mom. Once Coach Igor [Krocavec] moved to Naples to work with Marina, I grew to love Florida and being back all together again with my sisters.”

Adrienne and partner Sasha Kolosovskyi compete at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International (July 2023).

Marian had mixed feelings about the relocation.

“It was a little stressful to leave all my friends and the school, coaches and other skaters, but my sisters had moved before Veronica and me. They were very supportive. I was upset, but they really helped me.”

The Carharts are a very close-knit family. They are great at communicating with each other. Adrienne explained that it’s an important skill they’ve also taken into their partnerships.

“While they are wonderful, partnerships can also be challenging. We’re under high stress situations that can be difficult. We are all lucky. We skate with partners who have been there for us. The key is communication.

“Sasha, Vova and Denis are part of the family. They’re like the brothers we never knew we needed, but we do need now. It’s probably the most challenging part of the sport, but also the most fulfilling and rewarding.”

“Having a skating partner, I grew alongside him and became better because of it,” Helena added.

“I think of my partner, Denis like an older brother,” Marian said. “It’s great having someone to talk to all the time and having a boy’s perspective.”

“Sometime there’s too much girl energy in the house; it’s good to have it balanced out,” Adrienne said with a laugh.

Veronica doesn’t have a partner, but shared her perspective on support and communication.

“Sometimes I am sad that my sisters are all ice dancers. I’m the only adopted one in my family; I’m the only single skater. Sometimes I feel like the odd one out, but when I’m on the ice with my sisters, I feel so connected to them and my family.

“When I practice my programs, my sisters cheer as I skate. I will look out of the corner of my eye and see Adrienne smiling and clapping for me. I can’t help but laugh and smile through the rest of the program.

“On the flip side, whenever my sisters skate, I always want them to skate great. I know where their twizzles are. Every time they skate I watch and pray they don’t mess them up! Having my sisters there makes the run-throughs so much fun.”

The sisters have great admiration for one another and shared the many reasons.

Helena with partner Volodymyr Horovyi compete at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International (July 2023).

Helena began. “I’ll start with Adrienne, who is the one who got me into ice dance. I admire her presentation, the way she skates to the music and her facial expressions. When I started ice dancing I was very stiff. I didn’t really feel comfortable dancing and getting into the music, so I watched Adrienne who has incredible musicality.

“I love how Marian is open to performing. She will get your attention no matter what she does. Veronica is so athletic. Her jumps are amazing. She’s so good at bringing me back to being less emotional about things. She’s very logical.”

Adrienne added, “Veronica is the girl I go to for words of wisdom when I’m unsure about what to do. She’s 13, but so wise. She has a heart of pure gold and kindness. She’s so tough on the ice – so fearless. Marian has this lightness, joy and positivity with everything she does. She’s always happy. She approaches everything with such confidence that she inspires me to be more self-assured and happier.

“Helena, you’re the hardest worker, most dedicated skater, athlete, person. You’re the first person at the rink, the last to leave. You push through obstacles I wouldn’t know what to do. I really admire you and wish to be more like you. You really inspire me deeply and make me a better person.”

“Veronica and I hang out a lot together,” Marian said. “She is so supportive to me. If I have a bad day, I’ll ask her to help me figure out what to do. If I’m wrong, she might say I should come at the situation differently, but always says it in a good way. She gives me good advice.

“I really look up to Helena,” she continued. “She works so hard for Veronica and me. She drives us to the rink, cooks for us, and is just amazing. I love Adrienne because she’s so loving to me. When I’m sad, she is always there.”

Veronica added several reasons why she respects her siblings beginning with her younger sister.

“I admire Marian’s pizzazz, creativity, and intensity when she skates. She is so artistic. To me, Marian is the embodiment of ice dancing. She also helps me have fun and let loose. She hugs me whenever I am down. We do everything together: we skate together, go to school together, play together, go to bed and wake up together. She gives me so much love, and she is my best friend.

“Helena has the best work ethic. She pushes so hard and reminds me I can work harder and do more. More than that, I can always talk to Helena about what is bothering me. She can get me out of any mood and make me laugh and smile.

Marian and partner Denis Bledsoe skate their free dance at the Dallas Classic (July 2023).

“Adrienne has the deepest love for skating. She has had so many ups and downs in the sport, but no matter what she keeps going with passion. She is also really good at opening up about her feelings. I struggle to open up about my emotions, and someday I want to be as open as she is about her feelings.

I also love that Adrienne makes my costumes and cuts my music. One of my favorite dresses is the one she made for my Intermediate Free Skate this year. I am skating to the Butterfly Lover’s Violin Concerto, so Adrienne made me a dress that looks like a butterfly. Last year, I skated to My Fair Lady, and she made me the most beautiful lace dress. It sparkled like champagne. She always makes me feel so beautiful on the ice.”

Skating has greatly influenced all their lives.

“Skating has taught me to be strong. When you go through things, you learn to deal with it,” Marian noted. “Also when you have a family to support you, it makes it easier. It’s also taught me love because I love skating.”

Helena added, “It’s taught me a lot about discipline and about love – but a different kind of love because I’ve learned to be so passionate about skating. It’s not only a job, it’s indescribable. I just get this amazing feeling when I do it. I feel fulfilled. I tried every sport, and I quit all of them. The fact that I didn’t quit skating years ago means I knew it was right for me. Even though there were times that I didn’t like it, I’ve grown as a person through it.”

“I think the big lesson skating has taught me is to persevere through struggles and to keep a perspective,” said Adrienne. “This is a very tough sport and every skater has a story of struggle and self doubt. It’s really easy to stop, to quit or to self sabotage because you feel like you’re not succeeding. I look back on my skating career, and there have been a lot of moments where I wondered should I continue.

“There were so many years when I was in Solo Dance, and I loved it, but I remember thinking I wanted a partner. Dallas 2021 was my last Solo Dance competition and while I love skating with Sasha, I do miss Solo Dance. Having a family that has encouraged me to do what I love, and also to persevere through difficult things, has made me a stronger person.”

“My sisters have always been such a big part of my love for skating,” Veronica added. “One of my other early skating memories was in Lake Placid! My sisters and I went there every summer for a few weeks of camp. Marian had just been born, so it was one of the first times all four of us were together.

“There would always be a show in the 1980 rink, so my coaches made a little program for me. I was skating to “Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson. I was only three and a half years old, and the spotlights scared me, so Adrienne took my hand and skated the whole program with me!”

As Veronica previously mentioned, Adrienne is an amazing seamstress and uses her talents to design and sew the Carhart skating costumes.

“I’ve been sewing since I was seven or eight. When I was 15 and had my reconstructive hip surgery, I had to take a year off the ice. During that time I realized I wanted to stay involved in the sport while not being able to skate, so I started making skating dresses. It’s developed into designing and making all of our costumes.

“For me, I love that part of the process. It’s a favorite part because I get to collaborate with the girls and understand the stories behind their programs and the vision they want to express. It’s great quality time that we spend together. It’s also a way we can connect through the sport, but not directly on the ice.

“It’s really special for me. They give me artistic license as does Marina and I’m very grateful. I’ll give you an example.”

Adrienne then shed more light on Veronica’s story about her butterfly costume.

“Marina and I each had ideas for the costume, so I sat Veronica down and asked for her thoughts. She wanted a dress where she looked like a butterfly. We went shopping and found fabric that looked just like a butterfly’s wings. That was exactly what she wanted. She was the one who came up with the whole idea. It’s one of my favorite dresses I’ve made.“

Helena noted that they really don’t have to inject their thoughts on the costume because she knows them so well.

“She knows what colors and shapes look good on us. She’s not just someone we hired to do the dresses.”

“I really love it when Adrienne makes my costumes,” added Marian. “Sometimes when I have an idea, if we just hired someone to do it, I wouldn’t be able to add my input. When Adrianne makes them, I can tell her what I think, and it’s great. She’s my sister, so it kind of bonds the relationship.”

Support / Guidance
“I think we’re really lucky to have such a wonderful family and all this love and support.” – Marian Carhart

“The one thing I would attribute to all this love is our parents. They support us in so many ways. They are so selfless. They’ve moved everywhere for us. They let me move away from home at age 16 to achieve this crazy dream, and they’ve supported all of us in so many different ways. They’ve instilled in us the value of loving your sisters and being a family, of being kind, so we owe a lot of thanks to them.” – Adrienne Carhart

The 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series kicks off this week in Bangkok, Thailand.

About the series: The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating was created in the 1997-98 season and is an international series of junior-level figure skating competitions organized by the International Skating Union (ISU). The JGP series provides young figure skaters with the opportunity to compete on an international stage and gain experience in a competitive environment.

The series consists of seven events held in different countries around the world. Skaters from various nations participate in these events, showcasing their skills in singles, pairs, and ice dance categories. For ice dance, each event has a rhythm and free dance phase.

Athletes earn points based on their performances. The six skaters from each discipline who accumulate the most points throughout the series qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, which will take place in Beijing, China December 7-10, 2023.

Participating in the Junior Grand Prix series allows young skaters to gain exposure, improve their skills, and prepare for their transition to senior-level competition. Many skaters who excel in the Junior Grand Prix series go on to have successful careers in senior-level international competitions, including the Winter Olympics and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

Entry eligibility: To be eligible for the Junior Grand Prix series, both skaters must be at least 13 but not 19 (or 21 for male ice dancers) before the preceding July 1.

Teams to watch: The top four teams from last year’s World Junior Championships have moved up to the senior level.

If you review last year’s JGP Final results as well as the final placements from the 2023 World Championships, several returning teams stand out, including:

Celina Fradji & Jean-Hans Fourneax of France are entering their fourth season as a team. They finished sixth at both the JGP Final and the World Junior Championships last season and are coached by Karine Arribert & Mahil Chantelauze. Their rhythm dance is a rock medley including “Still Loving You” by Scorpions and “Back in Black” by ACDC. The free dance is “Partida” and “Porto Dio” by Rascasuelos.

Team USA’s Leah Neset & Artem Markelov competed in just one JGP event last Fall where they captured the bronze medal. Neset & Markelov were fifth at the World Junior Championships. They are coached by Elena Dostatni and train in Colorado Springs, CO. Their rhythm dance is “Still Loving You” by Scorpions and “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Their free dance is “Anytime Anywhere” by Sarah Brightman and “Cry” by Thomas Bergerson.

If the entry lists remain the same, Fradji & Fourneax and Neset & Markelov will face off at both of their events – JGP Bangkok and JGP Osaka. Coincidentally, both teams also share the same music for the first part of their rhythm dance.

Germany’s Darya Grimm & Mikhail Savitskiy, who finished fifth at the JGP Final last December and were forced to withdraw from the World Junior Championships after the rhythm dance due to illness (Grimm), will debut at Cup of Austria, the second JGP of the season.

The duo, who trains with Rostislav Sinicyn and Natalia Karamyseva in Oberstdorf, will skate their Rhythm dance to selections from Electric Light Orchestra and Free Dance to “Habanera” from Carmen by Soprano Turezkovo.

Other teams of note competing on the JGP series are Helena Carhart & Volodymyr Horovyi and Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal (USA), Angelina Kudryavtseva & Ilia Karankevich (CYP), and Elizabeth Tkachenko & Alexei Kiliakov (ISR), Ashlie Slatter & Atl Ongay-Perez (GBR) and Chloe Nguyễn & Brendan Giang (CAN). Another team who would have been in the mix after a top 10 placement at the 2023 World Junior Championships, Jenna Hauer & Benjamin Starr (USA), have withdrawn from both of their JGP events.

It’s worth noting that in almost every year since 1998, an ice dance team from the United States has stood on the podium, including winning the title 11 times.

JGP series schedule:

Anna Waugh (12) and Nikolai Balabardin (15) are a new U.S. intermediate ice dance team this season. 

Tell us about each of your skating journeys, including any special memories.
Anna Waugh (AW): My first steps on ice was at 17 months old. At age 3.5 years old I started Learn to skate. My first competition was in 2015 , I was 4 years old. I finished in 2nd place, my mom presented me huge lollipop after this competition!! To this day, I love to compete!

I did freestyle for 5 years, I decided to start ice dance with partner also … in our first competition we got a gold medal. We were so excited! It was good skating year with a lot of medals… and at end of skating season 2021 we qualified for ice dance final and became National Development team members in Juvenile! We qualified for National Development Team in 2022 as well, in intermediate.

Nikolai Balabardin (NB):I started skating when I was 3 years old because both of my parents are skating coaches and it was easier to have me on the ice, rather than just hang around the arena. I landed my first axel at 5rys old and at 6yrs old, I was the pre-juvenile champion of Alberta, Canada. Some of my most special memories are meeting and skating with some of America’s greatest skaters in Sun Valley, Idaho. I have shared the ice with Jason Brown, Nathan Chen and Polina Edmonds. I was also very lucky to have been invited to dinner with Nathan’s Mom to watch him skate in the Sun Valley Ice Show.

What made you choose ice dance?
(AW): My coach Mathew Gates, and also my favorite skater- Madison Hubbell.

(NB): I chose to switch from freeskate to ice dance because I love the feeling of gliding on the ice. I have landed jumps up to triple salchow, but I always preferred when my skates were on the ice, instead of the air.

Tell us about you and your families. Do you have siblings? Do they also figure skate? Do you have hobbies?
(AW): I do not have siblings. Mom likes to skate too and she sews all my costumes! My father is a baseball fan, but he is became ice dance fan now too!

(NB): My parents are both figure skating coaches in Kerrisdale, Vancouver, British Columbia. My Mama is Canadian and my Papa is Russian. They met in Disney on Ice, where they skated and toured for 6 years. I have an 11yr old sister that also skates. She is currently skating in the Pre-novice level.

How and when did your partnership begin? (Partner Search, training mate, etc.) Describe the tryout? 
(AW): After we broke up with my old ice dance partner, my coach found me Nikolai, from Canada. At March this year, after 10 days of trying out, we decided to skate together as a team. Our journey with Nikolai started 5/17/2023 when he relocated to North Carolina.

(NB): Mathew Gates, our coach, contacted my parents by e-mail after seeing my profile on Partner Search. My parents met Anna’s parents on Zoom, and there was an instant connection. Anna’s family was so warm, friendly, and her Mom could communicate easily with my Papa as she is speaks Russian. We arranged a time for me to go to North Carolina where I tried-out with Anna. I was there for about 2 weeks and I really enjoyed not only skating with Anna, but the training environment and coaches Mathew Gates and Sasha Zaretsky.

What do you already like most about dancing with your new partner?
(AW): Nikolai is a hard working guy, he has very good skating skills. He loves to skate a lot, like me. We both love skating and we get along great!

(NB): I really enjoyed how we picked up the dance spins and transition movements
quickly. Anna is also full of energy and is super friendly. She is easy to get along with and I think that she will help bring out my fun side as I am quieter and more shy.

What are you each most excited about for the new partnership?
(AW): I am very excited for the new season with Nikolai, excited to progress in new skating skills and to hopefully impress everyone! We would like to qualify for finals and also to qualify for National Development Team!

(NB): I am most excited about competing to see how far and well we can to together.

Where do you train? (Location, facilities, dance mates, classes, etc.)
(AW): We are training at Extreme Ice Center, Elite Training Team, Indian Trail, North Carolina. We have a mix of freestyle & ice dancers at our rink. There are currently 7 teams training in our team from pre-juvenile level up to Senior – World/International level.

(NB): We will be training at the Elite Skating Academy in the Extreme Ice Center in
Indian Trail, NC. I don’t know many skaters yet, but I look forward to meeting them all soon.

Describe your training schedule. How often do you skate? Do you also go to school? 
(AW): Favorite subject? We are skating 6 day a week, 4 hours a day. Also, we are doing ballet, ballroom, strength and conditioning. We also help with Learn to skate classes at our rink . I am doing a homeschooling program. My favorite subject is Mathematics.

(NB): We will be skating about 5 to 6 days per week, and around 4 hours per day, including on and off-ice training. I will be doing home-school next year and my favourite subject is French and Physical and Health Education.

Do you each have a favorite pattern dance? Why?
(AW): My favorite pattern dance is Rocker Foxtrot, because I like the patterns and key points in it.

(NB): My favorite pattern dance is the Argentine Tango because the steps feel comfortable and flow together.

Who are your coaches? Did either of you or both have to relocate? If so, tell us about the move(s).
(AW): My main coach is Mathew Gates, along with Alexandra Zaretsky and Alina Efimova. Nikolai relocated to North Carolina all the way from Vancouver, Canada.

(NB): My coaches are Mathew Gates and Sasha Zaretsky. I have to relocate to North
Carolina from British Columbia, Canada. I feel nervous to be away from my family for so long, but I am excited to start my ice dance journey with Anna.

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
(AW): Madison Hubbell!

(NB): If I could have a lesson with any ice dancer, it would be Shae-Lynn Bourne. She has choreographed some of my favourite programs and she has the amazing capability to create all programs to every type of music. She also seems so full of energy, and has wonderful style.

What is your debut competition this season?
Our debut competition was in intermediate level (pattern dances) at Chesapeake open after we skated together for about one month. We competed at the Dallas NQS in Texas and finished third.

by Anne Calder

In our final installment of the Dancing in the Desert series, we meet Abigail Dalsin, Shakshi Wagh and Maria Gonzales. 

ABIGAIL DALSIN
Abigail Dalsin is seventeen and will be a senior next semester at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona.

IDC: Tell me how you became involved with skating.
Abby: My family is from Minnesota, and they’re all into hockey. I was three when I first skated. It was on an outdoor rink. After that I tried hockey, but I didn’t like the stick, so I ended up just skating. I took Learn to Skate lessons. I worked with two coaches, and then I added on ice dance. I became involved with it just before Covid happened. We were kind of getting into it when we had a break. I started competing the first year after that.

IDC: What do you like best about Solo Dance?
Abby: I like ice dance because it’s more about the choreography and not just the skills. Of course, there’s like twizzles and levels and points, but I like how its more about style, and it’s fun. It’s less stressful. It’s more about feeling the music.

IDC: Do you also do Synchro?
Abby: I did when it first was starting here, but It was too much of a time commitment with dance and free skating. It was fun. I like the team aspect of it.

IDC: What other hobbies do you have besides skating?
Abby: Skating does take up most of my time, but I like baking. I stress-bake before competitions. This morning I brought home baked muffins.

IDC: What is your favorite skating memory?
Abby: We do Christmas programs every year. My best friend used to skate here before she moved to Korea. We did a duet. It was when she was just learning her axel, so we put one in the program. She couldn’t do it all week, but in the program, we both landed it. It was like we were perfectly in sync. It was just like a boost of energy. The aspect of doing it with your best friend was such a good feeling altogether.

IDC: What is your skating goal for this season?
Abby: I want to go to Nationals this year for Combined and for Patterns. I want to get personal bests and do perfect programs with no deductions. I want to do better than last year.

IDC: You also do Shadow Dance with Maria Gonzales. Tell me about that.
Abby: It’s a great community sport. That’s what I like about ice dance also. Marie and I are friends, so It’s natural we skate together. We skate similarly. It’s just lots of fun.

IDC: There always seems to be so much camaraderie amongst the Solo Dancers.
Abby: That’s true. When we go to competitions there’s always a cheer group on the sidelines. Compared to freestyle skating it’s more of a supportive type of feeling with your teammates rather than stress. Maria and I compete against each other in combined, but I never felt it was toxic in any way.

SHAKSHI WAGH
Shakshi Wagh is an 18 year old recent Paradise Valley High School graduate who will be attending college in Florida this fall. In 2019 she added coaching at the Ice Den in Scottsdale to her skating resume. Her 13 year-old brother also took the Learn to Skate lessons, but now plays basketball.

IDC: How did you become involved with figure skating?
Shakshi: My parents were born and raised in India and didn’t grow up with any winter sports or snow around them. One day after having lunch at a restaurant near the Scottsdale Ice Den, we were just walking around and saw the rink. It was a new concept for my mother.  She had never seen anything like it or knew people worked out on the ice. I was six years old when she signed me up for “Learn to Skate” classes.

IDC: What led you to Solo Dance?
Shakshi: I originally was taking classes to round out all my basic skills. Then I went into private lessons with Veronica Wargo, a coach at the Scottsdale Ice Den, [which is closer to my home in Paradise Valley than the rink in Chandler.] She grew up as a show performer and ice dancer. She brought me into pattern dances originally. I remember walking out my canasta tango with her in off-ice classes. After working out my preliminary pattern dances with her I started doing Free Dance and competing in Solo Dance.

IDC: What is your favorite part of Solo Dance?
Shakshi: Besides just the actual dancing part, I love Solo Dance because of the team and community. When I grew up with Solo Dance, I was one of the few at my rink in Scottsdale. A lot of the skaters were Freestyle skaters. It was hard not having a lot of dancers to talk to. Then I began dancing with Naomi in Chandler. She introduced me to the Solo Dance Team. Being able to compete and travel with these girls has enveloped me into the dancing community. I love how it’s grown.

IDC: Tell me about your college choice.
Shakshi: I made the decision to attend the New College of South Florida mainly on what was best for my personal goals – both academic and skating. Because of skating, I was always drawn into service-oriented passions and jobs. I have a love for science and want to become a physician. During my college search, I looked where I could continue to skate plus have a good health program. I’ll be studying bio-medical sciences.

IDC: Will you continue to skate?
Shakshi: My goal now is to get involved in the Collegiate Team they offer. I know I won’t be able to train as much as I do here at the Ice Den, but I do want to continue my involvement in skating.

IDC: Share your thoughts on making the cross-country move.
Shakshi: My family is here; my coaches are here. It will be a big change. I think it’s exciting to take a step into a place unknown and see where it ultimately takes me.

IDC: It sounds very exciting, and it certainly will be challenging.
Shakshi: I’m definitely excited. I’m glad I made the decision, so ultimately I can continue to skate. That was a huge part of why I made that college decision.

IDC: What’s your favorite kind of music for your programs?
Shakshi: My body is more prone to the lyrical instrumental music, but I’ve recently gotten into the more modern contemporary style. Last season my Rhythm Dance was an Egyptian piece. In addition to working with Naomi, Jacqueline Benson here at the Ice Den helped me to move my body in a more abstract way than I normally do – to break myself out of my shell. I’m doing a similar piece this season for my Free Dance.

IDC: What is your favorite skating memory?
Shakshi: I wasn’t always the best competitive skater. I’m always my own biggest critic. Mentally, competitions were very challenging, but I do love to compete. When I step off the ice, I always want to do it again.

I was more of a performer and show skater. I loved doing all the Christmas and Annual Shows, so those stand out the most throughout my career. The part that was really special was just being backstage with all the girls getting ready for the performances, even if we weren’t out there under the spotlight. The rehearsals were definitely my biggest and best memory.

MARIA GONZALES
Maria Gonzales is 17 and recently completed her junior year at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona.

IDC: What made you choose ice skating as a sport?
Maria: When I was six, I went to Las Vegas on a family vacation. We went to an outdoor rink to try ice skating. After that I knew figure skating was the sport for me. I came back here and took Learn to Skate lessons. I also didn’t really like outdoor sports, so I thought ice skating would be a perfect opportunity after a long hot day outside in the hot [Arizona] sun.

IDC: Describe your eleven years of skating.
Maria: I started off on the Freestyle track. I like jumping and did it for ten years. Five years ago I thought Naomi’s ice dance team would be a great way to start something new that wasn’t as stressful as jumping. After I passed my Senior Freestyle test last year, I decided to just focus on ice dance. Freestyle was a great journey!

IDC: What do you like best about Solo Dance?
Maria: It’s more of an expressive aspect of figure skating than Freestyle, which focuses more on jump, jump, jump and getting all the elements in. With Solo Dance, you can really draw your lines and focus on connecting to the music which I really appreciate. Naomi does a great job choreographing all my programs. She pays attention to every single detail, every line, every arm, every step. It’s really great!

IDC: What is your favorite kind of music for ice dancing?
Maria: I like to skate to lyrical music more. I like drawing out my lines. I also like up-beat music, but I think lyrical music is what suits me best. It’s been my Free Dance ever since I started.

IDC: Tell me about the changes in the elements this year.
Maria: In seniors, they took away the Pattern and added a couple of new elements like the Character Steps in the Rhythm Dance. It’s one of my favorite elements. It’s a great way to express and connect to the music.

IDC What is your favorite pattern?
Maria: My favorite pattern is the Viennese Waltz. I love waltzes. I also like the Quick Step, which is my other pattern I’m competing this season.

IDC: Tell me about balancing school and skating.
Maria: I’m taking a very rigorous course load. This past year I had all AP classes. It’s difficult getting to the rink, back to school, plus homework and everything else, but I always try to make time for skating because it’s my favorite extra curricular activity. I love hanging out with my friends and having a stress relief from school.

IDC: What is your skating goal for this season?
Maria: I’d like to make it to the Solo Dance Nationals in all three events: Senior Combined, Gold Patterns and Shadow Dance. I also do Gold International.

IDC: Tell me about skating Shadow Dance.
Maria: Abby Dalsin has been my best friend since I started skating. We’ve been partners for four years and love doing the patterns. This year it’s the Midnight Blues. We’re a great team together, and it’s lots of fun.

IDC: What is your favorite skating memory?
Maria: I actually have two. First was passing my Senior Free Skate lat year. It was a great culmination of all my skating and was one of my goals.  Second was making Nationals last year in ice dance. It was my first Senior Combined, and I was able to make it in my Senior debut. I also competed in Pre-Gold Patterns. Abby and I were second in Pre-gold Shadow Dance.

IDC: Tell me about the great camaraderie in your Dance group at the Chandler Ice Den.
Maria: Naomi has a team of 15/16 skaters. We’re all really close. We try to foster team work and support each other at every competition. It’s a really great environment. Naomi is definitely a key factor in that. Solo Dance is still a small community, so everyone really knows everyone else. We all try to support each other.

Emma Kivioja (22) & Erik Pellnor (19) are a new senior ice dance team who will represent Sweden this season. 

Tell us about your individual skating journeys, including any early special memories.
Emma Kivioja (EK): I started skating in Mörrums Figure skating Club when I was 4 years old. My parents put me in skating school and then I continued. 

Erik Pellnor (EP): My journey started when I was 8 years old when my parents wanted me to learn how to skate. I later found out I love to perform and, on the ice, there is close to no limits! Thanks to my singles career, I have had the opportunities of seeing the world and competing on several championships. In addition, I have made many good friends as well!

What drew you to ice dance?
EK: Erik and I were at a summer camp as single skaters and our coach suggested that we should skate together just for fun and that’s where my thoughts about ice dance began. I’ve always admired the ice dancers when I’ve seen them on competitions, it’s such a beautiful sport. 

EP: As I was improving in singles, I noticed my biggest strength is performing and I really enjoy doing choreography on the ice. I have always had a passion for music and expressing my emotions through dance. One summer, me and Emma tried a little ice dance for the fun of it. After that week both of us saw how beautiful this sport really is.

Tell us how your partnership started.
EK: Our partnership came natural since we’ve been skating together as single skaters and trying ice dance exercises together for fun besides singles. Late this spring we decided to switch to ice dance. 

EP: Me and Emma met each other the first time in Linköping during a training camp 10 years ago. From that point on, we saw each other a few times every year during training. We have been friends for a long time now and a while back our coach wanted us to try and skate together. This spring we decided to commit to our passions and start our ice dance journey for real.

What is it that you already like most about dancing with your new partner?
EK: So far, I like the feeling of skating together, being able to communicate and express myself on the ice. I think we communicate really well on and off the ice which makes it very fun. 

EP: I like that we get to motivate each other during practice and it really makes you work 100% all the time. We also get to improve our interpretation of music and work on getting full control of our entire body. There are a lot of challenges, but we are always there to support each other. 

What experiences do each of you bring to the partnership? 
EK: None of us have any experience in ice dance but both of us have been on international competitions and nationals as single skaters. We are both hard workers when it comes to training and we cheer on each other when things are tough.

EP: Both of us have skated at a high level in singles, however none of us are experienced in ice dance yet. We will for sure be able to use our fighting spirit since we are used to taking on challenges and overcoming failure!

What has been the biggest adjustment for each of you so far in the partnership?
EK: Learning how to skate together, lifts and all the other elements in the programs. 

EP: The biggest adjustment for me is that we have to think alike. I have never preferred to work in a team since I like to have the control myself. However, because me and Emma are really close friends we are comfortable with sharing our feelings and our honest opinions.

Tell us about your training site.
We train in Mörrum, Sweden with our coach from single skating, Susanne Olsson. To receive guidance and help, we go to Neil Brown and Maurizio Margaglio in Helsinki, Finland. 

Who are your coaches?  Who is choreographing your programs?
For ice practice our coaches are Susanne Olsson, Neil Brown and Maurizio Margaglio. For off-ice we get help from STAC and Anna Dettner. Neil Brown has choreographed both of our programs. 

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
EK: There are too many good teams that I like, I couldn’t pick one! 

EP: It would be really cool to have one session with Tessa Virtue and or Scott Moir. They were such an accomplished team and complimented each other very well. It would be great to learn how to perform just like them. 

What is each of you looking forward to most this skating season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?
EK: I look forward to our first competition and training together in general. I think the biggest challenge for us is that everything is new to both of us, but it’s so fun and inspiring to do this journey with Erik. 

EP: I think I mostly look forward to skating in full costume in competition. It will be such a fun experience to compete with another person and to be so engrossed in our programs. I think the biggest challenge will be to go from regular singles skates to ice dance skates.

What is your debut competition this season?
We don’t know yet what competition is going to be our first, but it will be this autumn. 

Please share anything you would like our readers to know about you as a team?
EK: We’ve been working really hard this summer and we have gotten good support from all our coaches and families. I’m very excited to start competing and show our programs! 

EP: We are currently experimenting with what themes and emotions we want to express in our programs and we really hope it will be entertaining for the audience (and the judges). 

In this Q&A, we introduce you to Amanda Urban, an ice dancer who competes in the junior solo combined dance events. She trains with ,at Ashburn Ice House and is coached by IKatrina Shalin, Vitaliy Shalin, and Ruslan Goncharov. 

Tell us about how your skating journey began. What drew you to the ice? Do you have any special memories?
My skating journey began in 2015 when my parents signed me and my sister up for a learn to skate summer camp. I had no idea how to skate and had never really tried it before the camp. I remember the first time I stepped on the ice, it felt so much different than how I expected it would be, but I loved it. After the week-long camp, I really wanted to continue learning how to skate so my parents signed me up for learn to skate classes and it pretty much took off from there.

When and why did you choose to do solo dance?
I began my skating journey competing on a synchronized skating team. On my third season of synchro, my coach suggested that I try ice dance lessons to help with things like my timing, posture, skating skills, etc. I ended up taking lessons and I loved it! After just a few weeks of lessons my coach, Vitaliy Shalin, asked if I wanted to try competing in the solo dance series. He explained that I could compete in the preliminary patterns, and that if I scored high enough I could qualify for nationals. Of course I said yes, and in 2019 I competed in preliminary patterns, and I ended up qualifying and competing at nationals in Provo, Utah. I’ve competed every year since, and I am now competing Junior Combined. Ever since my first season, I have absolutely loved competing in the solo dance series. 

What do you like most about Solo Dance? What kind of music to you like to skate to the best? Why?
I love that solo dance gives dancers the opportunity to still compete without a partner. I love to compete and while I am searching for a partner, I am so grateful I am still able to perform and stay competitive. In solo dance, the junior and senior levels have a rhythm dance and a free dance, just like the ice dance teams. This season the junior rhythm dance theme was tango with your choice of style from the options they gave. I chose to skate to a flamenco along with the tango, and I really have enjoyed it! I like to skate to all styles of music but I think the flamenco and tango styles this year have been one of my favorites. When I hear my music I feel I need to skate with lots of power, I need to be fast and fierce, and I really enjoy that. I also really like skating to contemporary or lyrical pieces of music, I like to just skate and feel the music, it’s one of the best things about skating. 

Tell us about your training site. 
I have skated at the Ashburn Ice House in Ashburn, Virginia since the first time I’ve ever stepped foot on the ice. This summer, I’ve started training more at SkateQuest in Reston, as we have dance only ice time Monday through Thursday which has been super helpful since it gets quite busy on summer freestyle sessions. My coaching team consists of Katrina Shalin, Vitaliy Shalin, and Ruslan Goncharov. I can’t imagine a better team of coaches, they all contribute different things to my skating/programs and are just so helpful to me. They are each extremely dedicated at what they do and spend so much of their time perfecting my skating, and all of their other skaters as well.  It is very important to me to not only have coaches who can teach well, but to have coaches who truly care about their students and want the best for them. We have a pretty big group of solo dancers, skaters from the lower levels to the higher levels, but we all support one another. This season we also have five junior dancers, including myself. We all are competitive, of course, but we are all friends and we cheer each other on. We’re all a team and very supportive of each other, it’s a great group!

Who choreographed your programs. What do you like best about dancing to them?
Katrina Shalin and Ruslan Goncharov did my choreography this season. They are very creative and know exactly what each program needs. This year I chose to skate to the “Avatar” movie soundtrack for my free dance. Originally I chose a contemporary style of music, we choreographed a little less than half the program but then I decided it just didn’t feel right. In order to skate to music, you need to have a connection with it, which I didn’t feel to that piece of music. I told my coaches and we immediately began searching for new music. I was searching for something with more of a storyline.  I wanted something unique and cool, something that would really be interesting to watch. I heard the “Avatar” soundtrack and I really liked the idea. I then told my coach, Katrina, about this idea and she helped find some more songs and brainstorm new ideas. We got this program completed very quickly, just in time for the 2023 Solo Dance Camp in Dallas, Texas. At solo dance camp I had the opportunity to work with Randi Strong who was also very helpful in adding things to both of my programs.

Solo Dance will be an international discipline this season? Share your thoughts about this change.
I am so excited to hear about Solo Dance becoming an international discipline! I think this really helps open the door for many dancers who are struggling to find a partner, or just want to compete in ice dance without a partner. Since my first year of solo dance, back in 2019, I’ve seen it grow.  I believe since it will be on the international stage, more attention will be brought to it, and more people will want to try it. I think it’s also great to not only compete against skaters from your region or within your country, but to have the opportunity to compete against skaters from other countries as well. I’m just so happy to see that solo dance will be international, and can’t wait for the opportunities that this will bring.

In skating, what are you most looking forward to this season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?
I am most looking forward to competing at my last couple of qualifying competitions, and hopefully the National Solo Dance final in Chicago, IL. I’m really excited to compete in Lake Placid, New York. It’s a fun competition, and skating on the rink the Olympics took place is really a great experience. I think my biggest challenge will be nationals.  I’ve been working harder than I ever have in past seasons and I really do feel it’s paying off. My goal this season is to skate two skates that I am proud of and earn a medal at nationals; I would love to win. So far I have earned a gold medal from all six of my competitions, and I am really proud of that. If you were to tell me last season or even just before this season started, where I am at right now, I would not believe you. I have really surprised myself so far and I am excited for what’s next!

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
This is a hard decision as there are so many amazing ice dancers I look up to. But, If I were to pick, I would say either Maddison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue or Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. Both teams have such unique styles of skating that really inspire me. I love their power and effortless styles of skating. 

What are your favorite off-ice activities?
This is a question I get asked often and I never know what to answer because I like to be on the ice pretty much all day everyday. It’s something I don’t get tired of, but if I had to pick I would say shopping and traveling. I travel a lot for competitions and I have gone to really cool places, some of my favorites have been Provo, UT, Lake Placid, NY and Nashville, TN. They all are really pretty areas and I’ve really enjoyed visiting there. 

Please share anything else you would like our readers to know about you as a skater?
Something I want people to see when they watch me skate is my passion for skating. I don’t just skate because I’ve been doing it for a while or for any other reason. I skate because I truly love it and enjoy coming to practice every day. I think that is what really can make a skater stand out.