U.S. Ice Dance 2022-23 news & updates

[sap5]

I think it’s great for young skaters to think about life past skating. Elite athletics should be setting you up for life after sport; not be an end in itself.

 

[Tinycities]

Oh yes I agree completely! I’ve just never heard it so plainly. They’ll do great things.

It’s old but I recommend the episode, I was very impressed by all the skaters on it.

 

[azcalder]

I think it’s great for young skaters to think about life past skating. Elite athletics should be setting you up for life after sport; not be an end in itself.

Logan Bye Earns Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering to Give Back to His Community - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Logan Bye is a master of self-motivation.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

This Fan Zone article tells Logan's story about combining school (University of Michigan - Masters in Biomedical Engineering) and skating.

 

[ice coverage]

Today Emma L'Esperance and Mika Amdour, one of my favorite junior partnerships, announced their retirement from competitive dance.
Even for those who aren't familiar with Emma and Mika, I think this part of Mika's message today is especially important for skating fans:

... The lessons I’ve learned from skating will stay with me forever, and I want to remind everyone to please be kind. There is not enough kindness in this sport, and Emma and I always sought to be kind to those around us. We are so grateful for all of the unbreakable bonds that we’ve created. Figure skaters deserve respect whether they get first or last place, because we all put our everything into our training and performances. ...​

I will miss Emma and Mika for both their enjoyable skating and their kind hearts.
Their entire messages are worth reading:

emma on Instagram: "Mika and I have come to the decision that we will no longer be competing in ice dance. This was a hard choice to make but one that needed to be made. Throughout this journey together, we have become resilient people. We have falle

530 likes, 109 comments - emma.lesp on February 18, 2023: "Mika and I have come to the decision that we will no longer be competing in ice dance. This was a hard choice to make but one that needed to be made. Throughout this journey together, we have become resilient people. We have fallen down...

www.instagram.com

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[Dobre]

Layla Karnes's current profile on Ice Partner Search has her listed as having dual citizenship for the UK or USA and training at IAM/London with Scott.

 

[clairecloutier]

Figure Skaters Online has a piece about Isabella Flores’s family and what it was like for them to have two daughters competing at Nationals:

A family affair - Figure Skaters Online

By Gina Capellazzi, Team FSO website administrator Contains reporting from Anne Calder Having a son or daughter qualify for the U.S. Championships is pretty exciting for any parent. The 2023 Nationals was extra special for parents, Holly and Tony Flores. That's because both of their daughters...

figureskatersonline.com

Isabella’s sister Olivia competed in junior pairs with Luke Wang.

 

[Frau Muller]

Figure Skaters Online has a piece about Isabella Flores’s family and what it was like for them to have two daughters competing at Nationals:

A family affair - Figure Skaters Online

By Gina Capellazzi, Team FSO website administrator Contains reporting from Anne Calder Having a son or daughter qualify for the U.S. Championships is pretty exciting for any parent. The 2023 Nationals was extra special for parents, Holly and Tony Flores. That's because both of their daughters...

figureskatersonline.com

Isabella’s sister Olivia competed in junior pairs with Luke Wang.

I understand why a p.r. article wouldn’t mention Isabella’s former partner Dmitri Tsarevsky. Still, I’d love to someday know what happened, resulting in the quick break-up. Odd situation.

 

[Karen-W]

And Pham/Rogers have split - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTwZAhr_a5/

 

[her grace]

And Pham/Rogers have split - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTwZAhr_a5/

Unsurprising news as they are aging out of juniors and into the deep American pool of senior talent. Best wishes to them both.

 

[mtnskater]

And Pham/Rogers have split - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTwZAhr_a5/

Rats! They were a beautiful couple and I really enjoyed them.

 

[Belsornia]

And Pham/Rogers have split - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTwZAhr_a5/

I'm a bit sad about this one. I'd followed their results from the lower levels as their coach was one of my previous favourites, so it was really nice to see them progress to competing and winning a medal on the JGP this season.

But it's not really surprising. They're both also students, I think, ageing out of juniors, and would know their prospects for international opportunities in the US senior field. It's understandable that this would be the point they reassess and go on different paths.

 

[her grace]

I hope Zaretski can continue to build his dance program. He and Pham/Rogers put Houston on the map as a dance training location. Flo Steed back in the day was from Houston, too, but IIRC she had to relocate for her training.

 

[ice coverage]

And Pham/Rogers have split - https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTwZAhr_a5/

In addition, Vanessa's and Jonathan's separate accounts have individual words from each of them and more photos.
It's heartwarming to see that they expressed a lot of love and appreciation for each other.
I will miss their partnership, but I wish them both the best.

Jonathan Rogers on Instagram: "The past five years have had a lot of firsts and I’m so thankful to have had @thevanessapham by my side through it all. My first time ice dancing, My first Nationals, My first National medal, My first Junior Grand Pr

Jonathan Rogers (@the_jonathan_rogers) on Instagram: "The past five years have had a lot of firsts and I’m so thankful to have had @thevanessapham b..."

www.instagram.com

vanessa ☆ on Instagram: "though our competitive journey is over, i cannot be more grateful for the friend i have gained and the memories we have made skating together. when we were paired up 5 years ago i never thought it would be this hard to let us

354 Likes, 33 Comments - vanessa ☆ (@thevanessapham) on Instagram: "though our competitive journey is over, i cannot be more grateful for the friend i have gained an..."

www.instagram.com

Excerpt from Vanessa's post: "... as for myself, i hope to continue skating and find a partner to fulfill more dreams with."

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Article by @clairecloutier re Junior Worlds competitors Carhart/Horovyi:

Carhart and Horovyi: “We Have Fun on the Ice” - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Helena Carhart and Volodymyr "Vova" Horovyi will proudly represent the United States this week at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2023

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[dancing_on_ice]

Since Vanessa wants to continue skating, would the obvious option be for her to team up with Jeffrey Chen? She's the right height

 

[Dobre]

Rowan Le Coq is on Ice Partner Search. Oh dear.

 

[love skating]

Rowan Le Coq is on Ice Partner Search. Oh dear.

Oh no! I never learn - loving a novice team! But I couldn't help but love Li & Le Coq

 

[ice coverage]

I enjoyed watching Leah Krauskopf and YuanShi Jin speak about fulfilling their dreams of competing at Nationals in Senior Dance.
(U Delaware published the interview in Feb, but I just came across it.)

Delaware Duo Competes at U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Leah Krauskopf (’22) and Yuanshi Jin (’22) competed together in Championship Ice Dance at the 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Cali...

www.youtube.com

(8:44)​

ETA, photos and short article:​

https://twitter.com/UDLilBob/status/1628512059926224899

Delaware Duo Competes at U.S. Figure Skating Championships - University of Delaware Recreation

NEWARK, Del. – Over the final week of January, a pair of recent Delaware alums skated against some of the world's best in the sport of figure skating. Leah Krauskopf

rec.bluehens.com

ETA:

I have no insight into what goals Kowar/Schwappach have at this point, but the partnership seems to still be active, per social media as recently as a couple of weeks ago.
(Also: FWIW, they performed in Vail in December.)

2022-23 was their first season together. If they decide to try for 2024 Nats, I'll be rooting for them.

Re Klara Kowar/Thomas Schwappach:

Following up on discussion in January about their future, here are video and photos of them from early March in Aspen:​

Aspen Skating Club presents: United Skates of America - 5:30pm Show

GrassRoots TV programming is funded in part by a grant from the City of Aspen. @cityofaspen6134GrassRoots TV is the country’s first and oldest community cabl...

www.youtube.com

(In 5:30 pm show video, K/S program starts at approx. 1:08, before intermission.
For the end of the show, K/S stationary lift is at approx. 2:17:08.)

Aspen Skating Club presents: United Skates of America Part 2

This is the live stream of the 2pm showing of the Aspen Skating Club’s annual performance starring Mariah Bell and local Skater Klara Kowar with partner Thom...

www.youtube.com

(2:00 pm show video starts only after intermission. K/S end-of-show stationary lift is at approx. 56:30.)

•Klara• on Instagram: "Thank you Aspen Skating Club for a beautiful show last weekend!"

291 likes, 5 comments - klara.kowar on March 13, 2023: "Thank you Aspen Skating Club for a beautiful show last weekend!".

www.instagram.com

Thanks to Sylvia, who had flagged Kowar/Schwappach's appearance in the Spring-Summer Shows thread.​

... Saturday, March 4th at 2:00 pm and 5:30 pm, organized by the the Aspen (CO) Skating Club (senior ice dance team of Klara Kowar/Thomas Schwappach are listed ...

 

[Jayar]

I had the chance to speak with Maia and Alex after their Hall of Fame induction.

A Hall of Fame Perspective with the ShibSibs - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

When Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani made their debut at the World Championships in Moscow back in 2011, the siblings were simply seeking to establish themselves

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ Thanks, I posted your article link in the Shibutanis' fan thread the other day.

Cross-posting from their fan thread ... Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko are featured in the latest This Week in Skating podcast (45 mins.): https://redcircle.com/shows/this-we...episodes/b909f51e-5228-438a-bb02-2eaecc8e6025

In Episode #61, we are joined by 2023 U.S. bronze medalists Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko to discuss his injury, this season and the future, including preparations for the upcoming World Championships.

 

[Sylvia]

Fan Zone article on Caroline Green/Michael Parsons by @clairecloutier (March 16) before they compete at their first Worlds:

Green and Parsons Focus on Growth - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

For Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, the 2022-23 season is all about their desire to improve and grow their skating.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[ice coverage]

Julia Epps and Blake Gilman were featured by the ABC station in Philadelphia -- in both a video and an article.

Pair of Pa. teen figure skaters dazzle on ice internationally

Blake Gilman and Julia Epps grew up together on the ice. Their skills have so far taken them to California and Germany, but the best is yet to come!

6abc.com

(Mar 18)​

With comments from their coach Slava Uchitel too.

ETA:​

WPVI also posted the entire video (2:02) on Instagram:​

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

I would suggest that fans of Julia and Blake both watch the video and read the article.​

In certain cases, a detail is included in only one or the other (although much of the content is overlapping).​

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ETA:

Bringing over from the Dance Hall thread in the TC... Another new (presumably U.S.) team at the Michigan Ice Dance Academy (MIDA) in Canton, MI is Deanna Arnold (looks like she is 24 according to her her IG profile?) and Seiji Urano: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGgHonrwGf/ ...

Update after Sylvia's post from ten months ago in last season's thread:​

Deanna Arnold/Seiji Urano plan to compete at Armenian Nationals (coming up at end of May), per Deanna's recent Instagram post. (Also the announcer intro at their Dec 2022 show performance on Deanna's YouTube account.)​

 

[Jammers]

Congrats to C/B for becoming only the second US team to win a World championship in Ice Dance.

 

[Frau Muller]

Congrats to C/B for becoming only the second US team to a World championship in Ice Dance.

Right - wow - only the 2nd ice dance gold medalists since 1952. Davis-White the first. I keep forgetting- no gold for Blumberg/Sieberg.

 

[clairecloutier]

Congratulations to the U.S. ice dance teams for all placing in the top 10!!

A fabulous debut for Green/Parsons, placing 6th in their first Worlds. That doesn’t really happen in ice dance and speaks to their quality and talent. Their free dance reached its full potential here.

And a fine debut as well for Carreira/Ponomarenko. Two well-skated programs and 10th place. That’s great for a first Worlds.

And, Chock/Bates made the right call in competing at Four Continents. The strong win there gave them the momentum needed coming into the RD in Saitama. Obviously the FD was disappointing. But they achieved the goal of a lifetime in skating! So I’m happy for them.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I’m still thinking about when people said C/B should skip the GPF. They are never to be underestimated in their determination and work ethic! There are few teams who could have endured the disappointments they’ve experienced the past ten years and completely reinvent their career. The most worthy of champions!!

 

[mtnskater]

So happy for Chock and Bates! Seeing them live at Nationals and Four Continents, I was really struck by the smoothness and seamlessness of their skating. Really stands out from the other teams. Their lifts and those amazing slide splits are the best. So many memorable moves and programs from them Over the years. Plus they are both stellar people and wonderful role models in the sport. They love what they do and it shows.

Green and Parson’s free dance really captivated me at Worlds. They hit the musical nuances and performed it the best of the season. Their performance of that dance is memorable for me….and one I would watch again. Caroline looked especially tiffed!

C&P also had a great debut. Christina is really becoming a stellar performer and fierce in her expression. Wonderful to see, because a few years ago she seemed so shy and reserved. Amazing transformation.

 

[barbarafan]

So happy for Chock and Bates! Seeing them live at Nationals and Four Continents, I was really struck by the smoothness and seamlessness of their skating. Really stands out from the other teams. Their lifts and those amazing slide splits are the best. So many memorable moves and programs from them Over the years. Plus they are both stellar people and wonderful role models in the sport. They love what they do and it shows.

Green and Parson’s free dance really captivated me at Worlds. They hit the musical nuances and performed it the best of the season. Their performance of that dance is memorable for me….and one I would watch again. Caroline looked especially tiffed!

C&P also had a great debut. Christina is really becoming a stellar performer and fierce in her expression. Wonderful to see, because a few years ago she seemed so shy and reserved. Amazing transformation.

Totally enjoyed C/B and C&P. They were wonderful. Caroline really surprised me. While during the last 2 years I have found her movements slow and ponderous & really felt they were overmarked but worlds was totally different. She was sharp and crisp & totally in the moment. I will look forward to their programs next yr.

 

[kwanfan1818]

C&P also had a great debut. Christina is really becoming a stellar performer and fierce in her expression. Wonderful to see, because a few years ago she seemed so shy and reserved. Amazing transformation.

Practicing with Scott Moir can do that for a girl.

 

[skatfan]

I’m still thinking about when people said C/B should skip the GPF. They are never to be underestimated in their determination and work ethic! There are few teams who could have endured the disappointments they’ve experienced the past ten years and completely reinvent their career. The most worthy of champions!!

In the fall it did appear that Gilles/Poirier were on a trajectory to winning worlds with the Evita program, it could have happened. Chock/Bates lost to the other Canadians at NHK and then to Gilles/Poirier at the GPF. I thought that was overstating things at the time, but I did understand that point of view.

Then when Piper needed surgery it all changed, because they had to skip a couple of competitions, while Chock/Bates showed up to US Nationals in great form and then winning 4CCs.

 

[Rukia]

Practicing with Scott Moir can do that for a girl.

Christina actually attributes a lot of it to Madison Hubbell being on their team now.