2024–25 Canadian Ice Dance: News and Updates

[Sylvia]

Copying out the 2025 Canadian Nationals ice dance entries as of Dec. 10, 2024 (Skate Canada Challenge placements added):

Category: Senior Dance
Name Section
Jamie Fournier / Everest Zhu QC [Ch-3]
Alyssa Robinson / Jacob Portz AB/NT/NU [Ch-2]
Alisa Korneva / Kieran MacDonald ON [Ch-4]
Éliane Foroglou-Gadoury / Luke Anderson QC [Ch-5]
Lily Hensen / Nathan Lickers ON [Ch-1]
Alicia Fabbri / Paul Ayer QC
Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier ON
Nadiia Bashynska / Peter Beaumont ON
Marie-Jade Lauriault / Romain Le Gac QC
Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha QC
Number Entries: 10

Category: Junior Dance
Name Section
Caroline Kravets / Aiden Dotzert ON [Ch-8]
Layla Veillon / Alexander Brandys ON [Ch-3]
Victoria Carandiuc / Andrei Carandiuc QC [Ch-7]
Anjou Karino / Andrew Song AB/NT/NU [Ch-11]
Sophia Gover / Billy Wilson-French ON [Ch-14]
Chloe Nguyen / Brendan Giang BC/YK [Ch-1]
Charlie Anderson / Cayden Dawson ON [Ch-9]
Auréa Cinçon-Debout / Earl Jesse Celestino QC [Ch-4]
Olympia Kalaganis / Émile Deveau QC [Ch-13]
Audra Gans / Gabriel Liu QC [Ch-10]
Rachel Martins / Juel Kowalczyk ON [Ch-11]
Laurence Brière / Julien Lévesque QC [Ch-6]
Summer Homick / Nicholas Buelow ON [Ch-5]
Sandrine Gauthier / Quentin Thieren QC [Ch-2]
Nelly-Anne Chao / Thierry Caron QC [Ch-15]
Number Entries: 15

 

[Sylvia]

Maria Bagdasarova interviewed Marie-Jade Lauriault & Romain Le Gac for Ice-Dance.com (Dec. 23):

Lauriault & Le Gac: Creativity, Growth, and a Future Beyond the Ice – Ice-dance.com

www.ice-dance.com

 

[Sylvia]

I just noticed that Robert Brodie's Fabbri/Ayer Substack article hasn't been posted in this thread- 'The opportunities we need to take' (Nov. 9, 2024):

'The opportunities we need to take'

They might be the world's busiest ice dancers so far this season, but their heavy competition slate is something Canada's Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer know can help them reach their long-term goals.

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

 

[Sylvia]

Pj Kwong recently visited Ice Dance Elite ((Jan. 7):

Practice Makes Perfect at Ice Dance Elite - Skate Ontario

By: Pj Kwong There’s something mesmerizing about watching skaters flying around the rink in practice. With that in mind, I decided just for fun, to head a few miles up the road from my house and see what was going on at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, home to Canadian champions and three-time...

skateontario.org

There’s something mesmerizing about watching skaters flying around the rink in practice. With that in mind, I decided just for fun, to head a few miles up the road from my house and see what was going on at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, home to Canadian champions and three-time World medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
With the deadline looming to head to the 2025 National Skating Championships, the skaters are in hard core prep mode.

 

[zigzig]

I just noticed that Robert Brodie's Fabbri/Ayer Substack article hasn't been posted in this thread- 'The opportunities we need to take' (Nov. 9, 2024):

'The opportunities we need to take'

They might be the world's busiest ice dancers so far this season, but their heavy competition slate is something Canada's Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer know can help them reach their long-term goals.

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

Interesting article. I really like this team. Thanks for sharing.

 

[clairecloutier]

And here is another article about Fabbri/Ayer :

Fabbri/Ayer: "We plan to turn everyone's heads" - A divine sport

Competitive ice dance is all about female and male partners creating beautiful shapes and stories together on the ice. Behind the scenes, however, the sport has struggled with issues of gendered power imbalances, and Olympic champion Gabriella Papadakis recently wrote about how female partners...

adivinesport.com

Like Rob's piece, this is also based on interviews with them at Skate Canada.

 

[Marta24]

Looks like Bashynska/Beaumont went back to their Romeo and Juliet FD

https://x.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1880987405102281195?t=8xwnnnNy5FiKVUErOJlcaQ&s=19

 

[Wyliefan]

Looks like Audra Gans and Gabriel Liu split up. They're both on Ice Partner Search.

 

[Wyliefan]

Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont split up.

Her post:

Nadiia Bashynska on Instagram: "I would like to share that my ice dance partnership with Peter Beaumont has come to an end. As our paths take us in different directions, I am grateful for the experiences we have shared and the lessons learned through

29 likes, 4 comments - nadiia_bashynska on March 12, 2025: "I would like to share that my ice dance partnership with Peter Beaumont has come to an end. As our paths take us in different directions, I am grateful for the experiences we have shared and the lessons learned throughout our time...

www.instagram.com

I would like to share that my ice dance partnership with Peter Beaumont has come to an end. As our paths take us in different directions, I am grateful for the experiences we have shared and the lessons learned throughout our time together.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Skate Canada and Skate Ontario for the incredible opportunities we were given and to Ice Dance Elite, my home for the past eight years. To my coaches—Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs, Marc-André Servant, and Jon Lane—thank you for shaping me into the athlete I am today. To my trainers—Alexandra Crenian, Nick Robinson, Yura Vrazhkin, Joel Wood, and Irina Razgulajevs—thank you for your dedication. To my family, my unwavering supporters through thick and thin, and to my friends and fans who have supported me throughout this partnership, I am truly grateful.

As I take this next step, I am filled with excitement for the opportunities ahead. I will continue training and competing, embracing the possibilities for growth in this next chapter of my career.

As well wishing Peter all the best in this next chapter!

His post:

Peter Beaumont on Instagram: "Hi everyone! I’m writing this post as a quick update as to Nadiia’s and my partnership. Both Nadiia and I have shared many of great memories and experiences together over the past 7 years. However, due to personal circ

23 likes, 4 comments - _peterbeaumont on March 12, 2025: "Hi everyone! I’m writing this post as a quick update as to Nadiia’s and my partnership. Both Nadiia and I have shared many of great memories and experiences together over the past 7 years. However, due to personal circumstances, our...

www.instagram.com

Hi everyone! I’m writing this post as a quick update as to Nadiia’s and my partnership.

Both Nadiia and I have shared many of great memories and experiences together over the past 7 years. However, due to personal circumstances, our partnership has come to an end.

I sincerely wish Nadiia the very best in her future career! And as for me, I am looking to continuing my competitive career. And a huge thanks to all of our friends and supporters

 

[Karen-W]

Nadiia posted an IG story of her boots on the ice at IAM-O last week, which seemed to hint at her future direction. I do hope she is able to find a good partner as she is such a talented skater and could flourish with the right team behind her.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Nadiia posted an IG story of her boots on the ice at IAM-O last week, which seemed to hint at her future direction. I do hope she is able to find a good partner as she is such a talented skater and could flourish with the right team behind her.

IAM-Ontario seems like a good place for her. Fingers crossed that she can find a suitable partner.

 

[BlueRidge]

Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont split up.

 

[Platypus]

I had seen rumours of this last week but was hoping it was just rumours.

Their Red Violin program is still one of my favourites.

 

[chantilly]

It’s too bad! I wonder if he’s planning to skate for England?

 

[Colonel Green]

It’s too bad! I wonder if he’s planning to skate for England?

I'd tend to doubt it, given that logistically it's much easier for him to become a Canadian than for somebody else to become British, especially given that he trains in Canada.

 

[Alilou]

My secret hope is that they both end up at IAM-O, where they are put back together again, and that all that was needed was different coaches.

 

[manhn]

Are there female Canadian ice dancers looking for a partner? Or someone willing to get Canadian citizenship?

 

[PRlady]

This is the most heartbreaking breakup since Nguyen/Kolesnik. Tied with the baby Brits.

 

[Marta24]

The 2023 Junior Worlds Ice Dance competition is one of my favorite ice dance competitions to go back watching. The top 5 showed so much talent and different styles that it brought back my love for ice dance which I had lost during the pandemic.

It pains me that I have to now let go of one of them. I hope we will see both of them back very soon.

 

[dramagrrl]

My secret hope is that they both end up at IAM-O, where they are put back together again, and that all that was needed was different coaches.

Given that one of the factors of the breakup was apparently that Nadiia wanted to leave Scarborough, while Peter did not, this seems highly unlikely.

 

[manhn]

Has there ever been a team where the female preferred that rink more than the male?

 

[Alilou]

Given that one of the factors of the breakup was apparently that Nadiia wanted to leave Scarborough, while Peter did not, this seems highly unlikely.

Same story as Crone and Poirier.
Well then. Let Peter rot at whatever is the name of Carol Lane's school, and may Nadiia find the perfect partner at IAM-O, and like cream rise to the top.

 

[Wyliefan]

Has there ever been a team where the female preferred that rink more than the male?

Nadiia seemed to love the people there, going by Instagram. She was close to her fellow skaters and even made Piper a wedding cake. So I don't think she disliked the rink, I think she was just dissatisfied with their bad season, which is totally understandable, and feels the need for a change. I wish it had worked out for them there, if only because I think it's healthier to have lots of coaching teams than to have one giant conglomerate gobbling up everyone. But if it didn't work, it didn't work. I hope she finds what she needs and climbs the ranks.

Let Peter rot at whatever is the name of Carol Lane's school

Well, Paul didn't exactly rot. I don't think Peter is necessarily the bad guy if he wanted to stay put. They just wanted different things. I hope things work out for him too.

 

[Alilou]

Nadiia seemed to love the people there, going by Instagram. She was close to her fellow skaters and even made Piper a wedding cake. So I don't think she disliked the rink, I think she was just dissatisfied with their bad season, which is totally understandable, and feels the need for a change. I wish it had worked out for them there, if only because I think it's healthier to have lots of coaching teams than to have one giant conglomerate gobbling up everyone. But if it didn't work, it didn't work. I hope she finds what she needs and climbs the ranks.



Well, Paul didn't exactly rot. I don't think Peter is necessarily the bad guy if he wanted to stay put. They just wanted different things. I hope things work out for him too.

Yeah, I know re Paul. But it certainly makes me question what's going on that not one but two talented male ice dancers have this great loyalty to her, but the women want (need?) to leave. I also can't help but think that knowing how many women, and how few men there are in ID, she must know the difficulties of finding a partner, even moreso at her level, and yet she wanted to leave anyway.

 

[kwanfan1818]

She doesn't have a huge number of teams, at least at the top level, so it's a relatively small sample size. There also might be a connection because he came to Canada to train with her, which could explain some of the loyalty, like Sorensen to IAM, and she and Beaumont are British, which could explain if they are simpatico. Plus, by now, he may have personal ties to the city and/or prefer real Toronto to fake London. There are non-toxic possibilities. Although I would never count on it, since I don't know any of the people involved.

 

[Andora]

I love dunking on Carol Lane (because I don't think she's as responsible for their skaters' success as her fellow coaches) but there are more than just her coaching at the Toronto club. If skaters aren't getting what they need there, it's as much (or more) on Juris and other coaches, too.

I agree with @Wyliefan it's better to have more ice dance schools. I think the real test for Scarboro will be when Paul & Piper retire. Can they build another successful, world-competitive team? I'm certain they're good for developing teams, but they seem to struggle with having the "next ones" waiting in the wings behind their top team. Unfortunate comparison to IAM, which does that very well.

But Nadia didn't go to IAM, she went to IAM-O, which is not too far away, and has its own burgeoning identity. I think if this happens a few more times, Scarboro may have to do some restructuring.