The Dance Hall 14: Waltz Tango Foxtrot

PRlady said:
Should I be worrying about Bekker/Hernandez?
Click to expand...
Maybe? Most of the ice dance rumours this off season have turned out to be true, and B/H don't appear to have been training together since the beginning of May. But I'll cross my fingers and keep them as status uncertain until we hear anything direct from one or other of them.

But my point was more general. Luke Digby retired and there's no other British passport holding pairs guy to skate with Ana VL; Slatter/Ongay-Perez split; Kristen Spours' breakthrough season was followed up by horrible injury and retirement - there's just a lot less going on in British skating behind Fear/Gibson than there has been recently.
 
I haven't seen this posted yet. I've been having fun watching all the clips Shoma and Marin have been posting - including the bloopers. :D Now, there's a mini-doc of Shoma and Marin and their ice dancing:

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Allskate said:
I haven't seen this posted yet. I've been having fun watching all the clips Shoma and Marin have been posting - including the bloopers. :D Now, there's a mini-doc of Shoma and Marin and their ice dancing:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
Click to expand...
that cantilever lift is incredible!
 
And now Gauthier and Ayer:

www.instagram.com

sandy on Instagram: "🌟PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer representing Canada🇨🇦⚜️ *** 🌟ANNONCE DE PARTENARIAT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer représentant le Canada 🇨🇦⚜️"

2,322 likes, 65 comments - sandrine_.gauthier on June 19, 2026: "🌟PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer representing Canada🇨🇦⚜️ *** 🌟ANNONCE DE PARTENARIAT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer représentant le Canada 🇨🇦⚜️".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Allskate said:
And now Gauthier and Ayer:

www.instagram.com

sandy on Instagram: "🌟PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer representing Canada🇨🇦⚜️ *** 🌟ANNONCE DE PARTENARIAT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer représentant le Canada 🇨🇦⚜️"

2,322 likes, 65 comments - sandrine_.gauthier on June 19, 2026: "🌟PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer representing Canada🇨🇦⚜️ *** 🌟ANNONCE DE PARTENARIAT🌟 Sandrine Gauthier & Paul Ayer représentant le Canada 🇨🇦⚜️".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
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Skate Canada comment: "Dynamic duo 😍 We can’t wait to see what you two accomplish!"
 
Kudryavtseva/Karankevich split:
www.instagram.com

Ilia Karankevich on Instagram: "Hello everyone, I have news to share. There is no more couple as Angelina Kudryavtseva/Ilia Karankevich. It was a long journey side to side, many ups and downs. I am great full to each year and day spent together ska

26 likes, 1 comments - _ikarankevich_ on June 20, 2026: "Hello everyone, I have news to share. There is no more couple as Angelina Kudryavtseva/Ilia Karankevich. It was a long journey side to side, many ups and downs. I am great full to each year and day spent together skating. Everything...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Sounds like Olivia will have JLB and Marjorie on her YouTube show next week

www.instagram.com

Olivia Sophie Smart on Instagram: "Canadian sports news is wild right now.. in SO MANY WAYS!!!💰⛸️ New Epsiode of ‘Whatever This Is’ out on YouTube at the end of next week with two very special guests.. 👀👯 #whateverthisis #podcast #figureskating #

oliviasmartx on June 20, 2026: "Canadian sports news is wild right now.. in SO MANY WAYS!!!💰⛸️ New Epsiode of ‘Whatever This Is’ out on YouTube at the end of next week with two very special guests.. 👀👯 #whateverthisis #podcast #figureskating #olympics #paralympics".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Reposting the whole K&K announcement because I know that I often can't read instagram posts and am not the only one:

ikarankevich
"Hello everyone, I have news to share. There is no more couple as Angelina Kudryavtseva/Ilia Karankevich.

It was a long journey side to side, many ups and downs. I am great full to each year and day spent together skating.

Everything happens for a reason, I’m tacking all experience with me to my future. I will continue skating, because my goals are not reached yet.

Thank you to everyone who supported us, but now time has come and we move separately."
 
Anyone know if Charlene and Marco have retired or just missing the GP? I think they surely must have finished as they have had time to do new programmes after missing worlds so would surely be ready for GPs? Also why have Tali La Fornara no GP? injuries last year?
 
nuge said:
Also why have Tali La Fornara no GP? injuries last year?
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T/L were injured for most of last season so they weren’t able to compete and thus they didn’t have an SB score that would allow them to be selected.

ETA: To clarify, they’re 55 on the SB (score from Golden Spin competition late in season) list so too low to be chosen in initial selection. They are on alternates list based on being on the top-75 SB list from last season, but there aren’t usually a lot of withdrawals in dance and there’s several teams ahead of them on alternate list.
 
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If they are healthy, they can go compete somewhere and bring in a higher score.

Win an event? I dunno; but it's a summer after an Olympics. This is a great time for young teams to get out there and get a jump on the Olympians who earned a real break.

Plus, new rules. It really helps to get out there & try stuff out early when everyone is learning the ropes.

(Also, I do think we'll see a few more GP spots open than during non post-Olympic seasons. Though I don't have expectations for T&L to nab them).
 
According to the Announcement, there are only four* ways to be added to the Alternate list or re-ranked on it, because Top 75 is defined as referring to section 5, which is Top 75 at the end of last season, not adjusted by scores earned at CS events unless they win:

1. They medal at a GP event from the Alternate list (and go to the top of the list, regardless of score)
2. They win a CS event, in which case they’re ranked based on the score earned at that CS.
3. There are fewer than 10 on the list for their discipline and the ISU adds them, based on CS results.
4. They were Top 75, but didn’t have the GP minimum, and earn it during this year’s CS, but using last season’s SB score.

Odds aren’t great for them.

*There may be a fifth based on the language “sorted by GP points,” which could, in theory mean that skaters/teams who compete already in a GP can be re-ranked based on placement at GP1, bypassing the SB score, but that would really advantage skaters in the early GP’s.
 
For T/L, it's more likely they'll be on the Challenger Circuit than GP. OTOH, a Euros spot could be realistic. Italy has two spots. Manni/Rothlisberger beat them at Italian nationals and have a higher SB score so that's a team to keep an eye on as their biggest domestic competition (assuming no G/F). I'd also keep my eye on Paolina/Tuba since they were the team selected to confirm an Italian second spot for the Olympics. Though they failed in that endeavor, the fact that they were chosen indicates they have some political pull as well, and they also have a higher SB than T/L. It's a good sign, though, for T/L that they beat P/T at Italian nationals.
 
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Dobre said:
If they are healthy, they can go compete somewhere and bring in a higher score.

Win an event? I dunno; but it's a summer after an Olympics. This is a great time for young teams to get out there and get a jump on the Olympians who earned a real break.

Plus, new rules. It really helps to get out there & try stuff out early when everyone is learning the ropes.

(Also, I do think we'll see a few more GP spots open than during non post-Olympic seasons. Though I don't have expectations for T&L to nab them).
Click to expand...
It wouldn't surprise me, but it doesn't always happen. In 2018 we had more dance WD, but not in 2022. And looking back at 2014, it was only 1-2 spots more than most recent seasons.

The number of WD in ice dance the past few GP seasons:
  • GP 2025 – 4 spots, 3 teams (one retirement, two injuries)
  • GP 2024 – 5 spots, 4 teams (one staying junior, two suspensions, one ?)
  • GP 2023 – 5 spots, 4 teams (one injury, one 'health reasons', two ?) *
  • GP 2022 – 4 spots, 3 teams (one retirement, one injury, one ?) *
  • GP 2018 – 9 spots, 7 teams (two injury, three splits, two ?) **
  • GP 2014 – 6 spots, 4 teams (one injury, one program changes, two ?) **
*One host spot replaced with another team from the country
**One spot not replaced

? mark for the ones where the reason isn't listed on Wikipedia. I didn't trying looking for the reasons, but I expect several were injury/health.
 
Samantha Udell and Jordan Juan are a new senior dance team training at Haus of Diamonds. This interview doesn't say which country they'll skate for, but presumably it's for the U.S. He's brand new to dance and used to skate singles for the U.S.; she's represented both the U.S. and Australia in dance.
open.substack.com

Q&A with Samantha Udell and Jordan Juan

Despite having skated together for just two months, this duo already looks like an experienced partnership on the ice.
open.substack.com open.substack.com
 
A little update on Russian Ice Dance since the ISU update on AIN / neutral status

In Juniors, Maria Fefelova / Artem Valov will most likely get 2 spots at the JGP series
They are reigning Junior Nats and Russian Cup Final champions. Coached by Gorshkov and Krylova
FD at the RCF (since not all the videos might be found on YouTube, will try to find more links)
www.1tv.ru

Мария Фефелова — Артем Валов. Танцы на льду. Произвольный танец. Первенство России по фигурному катанию среди юниоров 2026

Мария Фефелова и Артем Валов стали триумфаторами первенства России среди юниоров. Фигуристы безукоризненно откатали оба соревновательных танца и установили новый рекорд по сезону — 178,62 балла.
www.1tv.ru www.1tv.ru
FD from two seasons ago

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In Seniors, there are four top teams.
Stepanova/Bukin (moved to Zhulin after 2022 and a short break due to Aleksandra giving birth to her daughter) are still in the mix. After they were denied AIN status for the 2026 Olympics, they said they will continue till 2030. However, there were no updates on their current training process or new programs
FD from RusNats https://www.1tv.ru/sport/chempionat...-chempionat-rossii-po-figurnomu-kataniyu-2026

Vasilisa Kaganovskaya/ Maksim Nekrasov
Internet darlings and reigning silver medalists at both RusNats and the Russian Cup Final. New free dance choreographed by Beniot Richaud. Coached by Gorshkov and Krylova
FD from RusNats: https://www.1tv.ru/sport/chempionat...-chempionat-rossii-po-figurnomu-kataniyu-2026

Elizaveta Pasechnik / Dario Chirizano
Coached by Krylova and Gorshkov, bronze at RusNats, fourth place at the Russian Cup Final
FD: https://www.1tv.ru/sport/chempionat...-chempionat-rossii-po-figurnomu-kataniyu-2026

Ekaterina Mironova / Evgeny Ustenko
Coached by Elena Sokolova. Fourth place at RusNats, third place at the Russian Cup Final. They have been actively seeking international opportunities over the years and have been going to training camps in the US. They have just spent a few weeks at WISA with Tanith and Greg
FD from Russian Cup Final: https://www.1tv.ru/sport/final-gran...al-gran-pri-rossii-po-figurnomu-kataniyu-2026


My personal favourites are #3 and #4, obviously (as I am, as usual, doomed with my personal favs), but I totally expect the Russian Fed to start the Kaganovskaya push as soon as they get the AIN status.
In other news, Drozd is on his partner #123758634, Leonteva/Gorelkin are usually serving the looks, and Scherbakova/Goncharov sometimes have some interesting programs
 
Ka3sha said:
A little update on Russian Ice Dance since the ISU update on AIN / neutral status

In Juniors, Maria Fefelova / Artem Valov will most likely get 2 spots at the JGP series
They are reigning Junior Nats and Russian Cup Final champions. Coached by Gorshkov and Krylova
FD at the RCF (since not all the videos might be found on YouTube, will try to find more links)
www.1tv.ru

Мария Фефелова — Артем Валов. Танцы на льду. Произвольный танец. Первенство России по фигурному катанию среди юниоров 2026

Мария Фефелова и Артем Валов стали триумфаторами первенства России среди юниоров. Фигуристы безукоризненно откатали оба соревновательных танца и установили новый рекорд по сезону — 178,62 балла.
www.1tv.ru www.1tv.ru
FD from two seasons ago

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Are there any other junior teams that may be in the mix for one of the 2 JGP spots?

And are they good enough to medal against the current JGP field (Aboian/Veselukhin, Perrier Gianesini/Blanc Klaperman, Mouaden/Bigot, Soldati/Tagliabue, Bianchi/Basile, Robertson/Rohner?

There may be an opportunity for a talented Russian team to make the JGPF but they're going to need a bit of luck that the USFS, FFSG and FISG don't send their top teams to either China or Thailand, I think.
 
Karen-W said:
Are there any other junior teams that may be in the mix for one of the 2 JGP spots?

And are they good enough to medal against the current JGP field (Aboian/Veselukhin, Perrier Gianesini/Blanc Klaperman, Mouaden/Bigot, Soldati/Tagliabue, Bianchi/Basile, Robertson/Rohner?
Click to expand...
I have not been following juniors closely (nor internationally, nor in Russia), but I would say Fefelova/Falov have a chance to qualify for the JGPF.

The second team last season was Zoya Pestova / Sergey Lagutov, who are coached by Svinin/Zhuk.
Russian Fed will hold the test skates at the beginning of August as usual, where they will decide who gets to compete at the JGP series.
 
I'm curious to see how Darya Grimm/Grigorii Rodin will do in this field. The first feedback they received after last season's German junior test skates was very positive.
 
It feels so odd they're in juniors. When was the last time we had a married couple in junior dance? (I know someone here will know!)
 
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