Pairs/Dance splits & partner search 2013 thread (all countries)

[Sylvia]

For those interested in continuing the discussion of the topic - new thread started in the Trash Can: Challenge type event for US Nationals qualification?

3 new profiles on IPS:

Taylor Tran, age 20 (13th in Senior Dance at 2013 U.S. Nationals with Sam Kaplun who "has decided to take time off from competitive skating") - she's based in Ann Arbor, MI

Kimberly Berkovich, age 17 (10th in Novice Dance at 2013 U.S. Nationals with Micah Jaffe) - relocating from Cleveland area to Shpilband in Novi, MI

Simon Proulx Sénécal has joined his former dance partner Christina Penkov (they were 15th in Junior Dance at 2013 Canadians) on IPS.

[maatTheViking]

I understand that the fields are really small, so it mig not work, but an idea would be to have age groups placed together inside each technical level group. This way you could novice age 18+' novice age 14-17' novice under 14 or whatever.

Some sports do it like this - but it seems like there is not enough competitors at the right level. Might work for singles?

[kwanfan1818]

It's always interesting for me to see the Novice dance teams at BC Summerskate, because there is such a different quality between two 18-year-olds skating together and a 14- and 15-/16-year old pair. Like with singles, the very young ones are doing all kinds of tricks that the older couples can't, but there's often wonderful flow and dance expression from the older couples that's lacking among all but the very best younger novices and many Junior couples.

[figuresk8302]

Is relocation listed as an option for either? (Of course, relocation sometimes becomes a option unexpectedly for the right partner at the right time).

They're on completely different coasts and Elise Middleton is still a bit young to relocate w/o a parent - by some standards. Her sister has a partner in Intermediate Dance (7th at Nationals with an All Year FSC partner)... so relocating outside of the SoCal area may realistically not be an option for the family until she's older.

I follow him on instagram and he posted several pictures today of himself and of the ocean in southern California so I think they might be having a tryout. I must say if you have an instagram it is a great way to get the skating news right away!

[mag]

It's always interesting for me to see the Novice dance teams at BC Summerskate, because there is such a different quality between two 18-year-olds skating together and a 14- and 15-/16-year old pair. Like with singles, the very young ones are doing all kinds of tricks that the older couples can't, but there's often wonderful flow and dance expression from the older couples that's lacking among all but the very best younger novices and many Junior couples.

I suspect with the Summer Skate teams it has more to do with who is coaching than anything else.

[MacombSk8rMom]

Couple things: I don't think there should be an age limit for novice & junior domestically. If a 22 year old man switches from singles to pairs, why should he have to compete senior his first year? It'd make it much harder for him to find a partner, it'd make for more duds at nationals, and frankly it'd be dangerous for him to try such hard elements in his first season (on most occasions anyways).

I couldn't agree more. The younger the age cutoffs are, the fewer boys that will move on into dance or pairs.

There is an important safety issue to consider for some of the boys/men who switch into pairs or dance at older ages - some of them don't develop enough muscles at a younger age to be safely doing the higher level lifting required these days. As the parent of a very tall skater, I can tell you that it takes time for muscle growth to catch up to growth in the frame/height.

So, do we support the guys getting their experience at the level where they can do safely and build up skills, or should the boys just not bother to switch because they aren't ready to jump right into senior? There already isn't any reward in terms of junior grand prix assignments if boys make the switch later and don't have time to make the age cutoffs, do we also take away their ability to participate in sectionals and nationals at the novice and junior levels?

[Sylvia]

Whitney Miller, age 14 (6th in Junior Dance at 2013 U.S. Nationals & 2012 JGP Austria competitor with Kyle MacMillan) is newly listed on IPS today.

I've summarized the notable Canadian ice dancers on IPS here:
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3844354

[Sunshine2]

I follow him on instagram and he posted several pictures today of himself and of the ocean in southern California so I think they might be having a tryout. I must say if you have an instagram it is a great way to get the skating news right away!

I heard that he tried out with Hannah Klopstock she skated with Chad Phillips last year at Nationals in Novice they came in 8th place.

[Ic3Beast]

I hear Elise is now skating with a guy from Texas.

[Sunshine2]

Anybody know if Caitlin Fields has any tryouts with any guys I don't think that there are that many guys out there

[Ic3Beast]

What about Andrea poapst? she is no longer on IPS did she find a partner?

[Sylvia]

Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin are retiring from competition and Tim Koleto (6th in Junior Men at 2012 U.S. Nationals) has formed a new ice dancing partnership with Yura Min and they hope to compete at Korean Nationals: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

Quote from Tiffany Vise:

"After 23 years of skating, 15 years competing singles and 18 years competing in pairs, I have decided to retire from the competitive side of the sport," she said. "It's going feel odd not competing anymore because I love competing and I have been doing it for such a long time, but there comes a time where you want to start a new chapter in your life."

Vise said that both she and Baldwin want to stay involved with the sport. They plan to keep skating together and performing in shows, and they will coach as a team at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, Ariz.

ETA that I've cross-posted this news in the U.S. Pairs thread: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3893000

Yura Min split from Igor Ogay after placing 11th in Junior Dance at U.S. Nationals.
Excerpts from the article:

Min and Koleto started training with Igor Shpilband in Novi, Mich., this week. They hope to compete at the Korean championships in November if all goes well. Korea hasn't had a senior dance team since 2006.
...
Along with Shpilband, the two will also work with Adrienne Lenda, Alexei Gorshkov, Marina Klimova and Greg Zuerlein. For now, they are working on basic skating and learning lifts.

"We're both very strong artistic skaters," Min said. "We're thinking about music to skate to."

"I'm really excited to portray two different sides of a story rather than having to do it all myself," Koleto added.

[jkl]

I will miss seeing Tiffany and Don at Nationals. I wish them the best of luck in anything they do.

Tim Koleto has wonderful musicality and ice dance should be a great place for him!

[A.H.Black]

Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin are retiring from competition and Tim Koleto (6th in Junior Men at 2012 U.S. Nationals) has formed a new ice dancing partnership with Yura Min and they hope to compete at Korean Nationals: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

The momentous thing about this announcement is that I don't remember a Nationals (that I have attended - since 1990) that hasn't had a Baldwin there. Mr and Mrs. Baldwin Sr. will feel pretty lost, I imagine.

[DORISPULASKI]

When will Rena & John's daughter be old enough for the youngest bracket, since junior nationals is now run together with nationals...it won't be that long, unless Rena & John's daughter is the first Baldwin in forever not to skate.

[Sylvia]

In case anyone missed this update on Tiffany Zahorski that was posted on March 30 in the French news thread: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3889191

ETA the link to Zahorski's IPS profile: http://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=4185

[Skittl1321]

When will Rena & John's daughter be old enough for the youngest bracket, since junior nationals is now run together with nationals...

Juvenile is the first level of jr. nats. The skaters have to be under 14 years old. There isn't a minimum age. You have a bit to wait though. I know of a pair girl who went at 11 from a nearby rink.

[gkelly]

When will Rena & John's daughter be old enough for the youngest bracket, since junior nationals is now run together with nationals...it won't be that long, unless Rena & John's daughter is the first Baldwin in forever not to skate.

I think there has been an occasional 8-year-old at Junior Nationals in juvenile pairs and dance. So a girl who starts training young with good coaches and/or a good partner could conceivably make it by age 8. Don't bet on it though.

[Stephanie]

Anna Nagornyuk (who compated for Uzbekistan with Viktor Kovalenko at worlds, 4CCs, and junior worlds) is on IPS http://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=4411

[Sylvia]

5 dance teams from 2013 Junior Worlds that are aging out next season have split: Nagornyuk/Kovalenko (UZB), Busi/A. Fabbri (ITA), Prochazkova/Ceska (CZE), Aghai/Partanen (FIN)-based in Vancouver, Allik/Bellantuono (EST)-based at Detroit SC.

Currently listed on IPS:
Anna Nagornyuk, 17 (Russia)
Johanna Allik, 19
Alessia Busi, 19 in May
Karolina Prochazkova, 19 & Michal Ceska, 21
Jussiville Partanen, 21

Pair split: Elizaveta Usmantseva / Sergei Kulbach (UKR), age 20 - they competed at 2012 NRW Trophy & 2013 Nesquik Cup but did not attain minimum scores for 2013 Euros. He's listed on IPS - his old ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00012937.htm

ETA an update:

Whitney Miller, age 14 (6th in Junior Dance at 2013 U.S. Nationals & 2012 JGP Austria competitor with Kyle MacMillan) is newly listed on IPS...

She's no longer listed on IPS; Kyle MacMillan, age 15, currently is listed on IPS.

A new thread was started in the Trash Can today that contains updates: New Canadian Partnerships for the 2013-2014 season

I recently posted about Hayleigh Bell (she's 16) being listed on IPS in the Canadian Pairs news thread in GSD: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3904198