U.S. Ice Dance 2026-27 Discussion - Changing of the (Skate) Guard

[Wyliefan]

If Michael is having physical problems, a coaching change isn't going to help that. There's nothing stagnant about their program or their packaging.

 

[PRlady]

If Michael is having physical problems, a coaching change isn't going to help that. There's nothing stagnant about their program or their packaging.

Agreed. He’s had a lot of injuries. Caroline grew taller and presumably harder to lift. He’s at least 30. None of this is unusual.

The program is innovative and fun and I hope they can skate it well in the future. But the Browns are on the upswing, Bratti/Somerville have their moments and I think Abo/Ves are senior next year. Clock is ticking.

 

[Karen-W]

Agreed. He’s had a lot of injuries. Caroline grew taller and presumably harder to lift. He’s at least 30. None of this is unusual.

The program is innovative and fun and I hope they can skate it well in the future. But the Browns are on the upswing, Bratti/Somerville have their moments and I think Abo/Ves are senior next year. Clock is ticking.

Can we please stop putting our eggs in top junior teams being able to waltz into seniors and immediately contend for the top 5 in the US? It's taken the Browns the entire last Olympic cycle to claw their way up to US Top 5 and we can see how NesMark are still in transition.

 

[PRlady]

My opinion, and it is only that, is that AboVes are more in the Virtue/Moir and Davis/White model. I don’t think they’ll win Nats in their first few years but compete for bronze? Quite possible.

 

[Sylvia]

AboVes are special. But I'm not one to project too far ahead - I want to enjoy the teams I like in the present time (like I did for Avonley & Vadym years ago).

I really enjoyed Green/Parsons' Hamilton RD as well as their interview afterwards (thanks for the link, @ice coverage!).

 

[Sylvia]

For fans of Oona & Gage (from their fan thread):

2026/2027 GoFundMe Campaign

I loved Billy Joel for the Browns as New Yorkers! RD songs are Only the Good Die Young/Piano Man/It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.
New ISU PB of 76.59 in Bratislava (previously 74.24 at 4CC 2026).

 

[kwanfan1818]

While I’m thinking about this with caution, Aboian/Veselukhin’s trajectory I think will be more like Davis/White’s than the Browns’. I don’t think they’ll be “writing on the wall” competitors that make the current national champions and OWG top four rethink their life choices from the get-go, and knock C/P from their roost, but I don’t think the Browns have any leeway if they falter, at least not yet. The Browns are knocked for their physical look and styling, but also for skating small. I don’t know what A/V’s speed looks like live. And she will never come close to him in height.

It all makes me sad, because Caroline Green is my favorite US woman dancer, and when Parsons is healthy, he’s my favorite US man dancer and they are my favorite American team. I feel like the opportunity missed is not that they didn’t change coaches, but that he skated a season clearly diminished instead of addressing the injuries that made him so, which he did the next season.

 

[Wyliefan]

Lord knows I've made enough bad predictions about ice dancers, and I don't want to do it again, so I'll commit myself only to saying that I think Abo/Ves will do very well in seniors.

 

[her grace]

I think Davis/White and Virtue/Moir were unique to their moment in history where the entire judging system was overhauled and they were able to knock off older teams who hadn't grown up in the system. Since them, there's only been two up-from-juniors-to-seniors-success teams: the Shibs who immediately fell and had to claw their way back up and Papadakis/Cizeron who are a generational talent. It's normal to have to pay your dues at the senior level and grow into success. It's also common in the U.S. for junior teams to repartner in seniors (Chock/Bates, Hubbell/Donohue, Zingas/Kolesnik).

Junior Results --> Senior peaks (only included jr. world medalists)
2012/2013 JW3: Aldridge/Eaton, moved up to senior in 2013-2014. Peak was 4CC bronze in 2014 and 17th at 2014 worlds.
2014 JW1: Hawayek/Baker, moved up to senior in 2014-2015. Made first world team in 2018. Peak was 11th at 2022 Olympics, 4CC champs in 2018, one GP Final appearance in 2022, 4 top-10 world performances
2015/2016 JW2 & JW1: McNamara/Carpenter, moved up to senior in 2017-2018. Peak was 4th at 4CC in 2018 and 1 GP medal in 2018.
2016/2017 JW2 & JW1: Parsons/Parsons, moved up to senior in 2017-2018. Peak was 6th at 4CC in 2018, 1 GP medal in 2018. He split and has had lots more success with Green.
2018 JW2: Carreria/Ponomarenko, moved up to senior in 2018-2019. Made first world team in 2023. Peak (ongoing) is 11th at Olympics, 4 top 10 world performances, 2 bronzes at 4CC in 2022 and 2024, 4 GP medals
2020 JW1: Nguyen/Kolesnik, never made transition to seniors. He has had lots more success with Zingas.
2022 JW1: Brown/Brown, moved up to seniors in 2022-2023. Peak (ongoing) is 3rd at 2026 4CC. No world teams or GP medals to date.
2024 JW1: Neset/Markelov, moved up to seniors in 2024-2025 Peak (ongoing) is 5th at a GP. No senior post-season championships to date.
2025 JW2: Wolfkostin/Tsarevski, moved up to seniors (again ) in 2025-2026. Peak (ongoing) is 5th at a GP. No senior post-season championships to date.
2026 JW1: Aboian/Veselukhin, still juniors, not age-eligible for seniors until 2027-2028.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I’m not arguing for A/V internationally as seniors: I’m arguing for them nationally. It’s the first time in a while that there isn’t a slam-dunk 1/2, and unless Chock/Bates decide for a comeback, 2 and 3 are up in the air among teams that have been up-and-down, without a firm footing.

Going from juniors to seniors, Green/Parsons were 5th at their first senior Nationals, the Browns 9th, Carreira/Ponomarenko 5th, Hawayek/Baker 4th, and and Neset/Markelov were 9th.

For those going straight to seniors Bratti/Sommerville were 5th and went to 4C’s, Hubbell/Donohue were 3rd and went to 4C’s and Worlds, and Chock/Bates were 5th (and never lower than 3rd after that).

Davis/White were 3rd at their first senior Nationals, behind Gregory/Petukhov in G/P’s last actual) season — writing on the wall for them, with D/W out placing them at 2007 Worlds and out scoring them by 9 points) — and competed at 4C’s and Worlds that year. I could see similar results for A/V at the national level, but not at the international level, in their first season as seniors. None of the skaters in the first group skated junior internationally and seniors nationally. I’m not sure what Gregory and Petukhov have planned for Nationals this season for them, but we’ll certainly see next season, after Aboian is 17.

 

[Sylvia]

Kaitlin Hawayek coached the new Junior team of Julia Epps (ISR last season with Gilman) & Nicholas Ying (competed in Junior for Italy twice in early 2026: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00125881.htm) at the Challenge Cup dance NQS in Ardmore, PA this weekend - photo of the 3 of them in Ardmore, PA: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdyzJI8EY4Z/?img_index=2

Challenge Cup NQS Junior Dance final results/link to protocols (5 teams; no U.S. Senior teams competed here): https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2026/37064/CAT013SEG021.html
Novice Dance final (7 teams): https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2026/37064/CAT002SEG006.html
Intermediate Dance final (2 teams): https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2026/37064/CAT003SEG009.html
Juvenile final (5 teams): https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2026/37064/CAT001SEG003.html

From the U.S. Club & NQS Competitions thread in Kiss & Cry:

Junior dance includes a new team, Emily Renzi & Jerry Stone. I’m glad she’s found a new partner (don’t think I’m familiar with his skating). Also Julia Epps & Nicholas Ying making their domestic debut, but no Olivia Ilia and Mystery New Partner. Plus Stapert/Korotcov, Taylorson/Moore and the Leitans.

He [Stone] previously skated with his sister representing the Univ. of Delaware at the Novice level - 8th at the U.S. Ice Dance Final in November 2025: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2025/34254/CAT008SEG018.html

I wonder if Olivia Ilin and "Mystery New Partner" will be ready to compete at the final NQS for dance at Broadmoor Fall Classic early next month?

 

[her grace]

I’m not arguing for A/V internationally as seniors: I’m arguing for them nationally.

I think the nationals field is significantly deeper than the days when a team could debut at nationals in the top 3-4. Based on the stats above, it's much more common for it to take 4 years from senior debut to world team. But maybe Aboian/Veselukhin can break the trend?

 

[haribobo]

US Dance 2026-27 Intl Scores (including Bolero & Lake Placid)

Brown/Brown 190
Carreira/Ponomarenko 188
Green/Parsons 178
Bratti/Somerville 178
Cui/Rogers 176
Neset/Markelov 170
Pate/Bye 169
Wolfkostin/Tsarevski 167
Koncius/Shchepetov 166
Mullen/Mullen 154

 

[kwanfan1818]

I think A/V have a great chance to break the trend. i think they’re miles ahead of Neset/Markelov in terms of refinement, matching lines, movement style, and performance focus, they’re not siblings, and Gregory/Petukhov have them packaged in a more cohesive way than most other teams in their position.

ETA: I don’t think of it so much as a trend ending, but more of them being an outlier.

 

[BittyBug]

U.S. ice dance is blessed with an embarrassment of riches and there’s no doubt that the competition is fierce, but to me Aboian & Veselukhin are in the mold of Silverstein & Pekarek - there’s something very special about them as a team and her in particular, so I would not be surprised if they break through in seniors right out of the gate.

 

[jlai]

U.S. ice dance is blessed with an embarrassment of riches and there’s no doubt that the competition is fierce, but to me Aboian & Veselukhin are in the mold of Silverstein & Pekarek - there’s something very special about them as a team and her in particular, so I would not be surprised if they break through in seniors right out of the gate.

No not in the mold of S/P, we all know what happens to Silverstein

 

[ice coverage]

Nepela post-FD interview with Oona and Gage Brown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DndGjLmYLos
(3:28)​

(Same account unfortunately does not have a post-FD interview with Green/Parsons, at least as of now.)

... for skating small. ...

Absolutely disagree with this (mis)perception of the Browns!
One of the things I like about them is that they skate BIG.

Anecdote:
Several years ago, Wollman Rink in Central Park had some kind of special re-opening. It was a private event, and only those with VIP invitations were allowed to enter the rink premises to see the exhibition up close at ice level.
But nothing could stop the general public from watching at a distance from an elevated area of the park. Because Oona and Gage skate BIG, their performance was thoroughly enjoyable to me even from that non-ideal vantage point.

US Dance 2026-27 Intl Scores (including Bolero & Lake Placid)

Thank you

 

[Sylvia]

Nepela post-FD interview with Oona and Gage Brown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DndGjLmYLos
(3:28)​

(Same account unfortunately does not have a post-FD interview with Green/Parsons, at least as of now.)

Caroline/Michael's post-FD mixed zone interview with Hungarian Eurosport (4 mins.) is up now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VjC93k7b0s

Also Eva/Logan's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbAvnt8237I

 

[deegee]

Absolutely disagree with this (mis)perception of the Browns!
One of the things I like about them is that they skate BIG.

yes, i got to see them skate live for the first time during the ice dance international tour and their ice coverage was impressive. and they skate so close to each other all the time and project so far out into the stands no matter what they are doing. i also got to see c/p during soi this year. i was surprised by how much less of an overall impact they have when they perform compared to the browns.

i do love both of these team's free dances this year (this is the first time i've been compelled to watch a c/p program more than once; their manon is special)

 

[deegee]

i also want to give a VERY LOUD shout out for oona's move in the transition between the curve lift and the dance spin. the way she holds that rbo edge in that difficult layed back reverse spiral position (i don't know what else to call it) just made my jaw drop every time i rewatched the program today. so confident and steady! i still have no idea what gage is doing at that point of the program; i couldn't take my eyes off oona. and the fact that that edge is the dismount from the lift and goes directly into the first position of the dance spin-- her free leg doesn't touch the ice from the lift dismount until she transitions into the second position of the dance spin

 

[tony]

US Dance 2026-27 Intl Scores (including Bolero & Lake Placid)

Brown/Brown 190
Carreira/Ponomarenko 188
Green/Parsons 178
Bratti/Somerville 178
Neset/Markelov 170
Pate/Bye 169
Wolfkostin/Tsarevski 167
Koncius/Shchepetov 166
Cui/Rogers 159
Mullen/Mullen 154

If you’re using Lake Placid, Cui/Rogers have 176.15.

 

[Sylvia]

WISA sends their senior skaters over to Tanith and Greg.

The current WISA is Alexei Kiliakov & Elena Novak (based in Leesburg, VA) - just saw they have a new website: https://www.skatewisa.com/about (Elizabeth Tkachenko & Alexei Kiliakov Jr. also coach there)
Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/wisa_us

AFAIK, Dmytri Ilin (Olivia's father/coach) has long collaborated with Greg Zuerlein and his skaters have gone to Canton, Michigan to work with MIDA in recent years.

Ice dancers Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo start their international season (Sept. 24) - confirm Gdansk will be their 2nd JGP: https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2026...ann-homawoo-start-their-international-season/

After a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kouevi, 15, and Homawoo, 17, have continued to progress. In June, they decided to change coaches and train in Alexandria, Virginia, with Pierre Souquet-Basiège and Lorraine McNamara.
“They bring a different set of eyes and a different point of view,” said Kouevi. “They were skaters not that long ago. They know what would help us to be more confident. I feel my confidence actively growing with every competition. … [In Thailand], I felt I’m here to show my performance, show a story, skate my best.”

They have made changes to their programs since changing coaches, feeling they wanted a different storytelling vibe. The choreography also continues to evolve. The duo was back to training the day after returning from Thailand. Next up for them is a Junior Grand Prix event in Gdańsk, Poland, Oct. 8–10. In November, they have the U.S. Ice Dance Final to qualify for the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
“We’re definitely going to be working on developing our skating and our programs,” said Homawoo. Of course, they hope to improve on their finish from the 2026 U.S. Championships. “One of our biggest goals is to continue to tell stories through our skating. Obviously, there’s the technical side of skating…but at the end of the day it’s about the story you put out on the ice and how people are impacted.”

 

[Sylvia]

Kaitlin Hawayek coached the new Junior team of Julia Epps (ISR last season with Gilman) & Nicholas Ying (competed in Junior for Italy twice in early 2026: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00125881.htm) at the Challenge Cup dance NQS in Ardmore, PA this weekend - photo of the 3 of them in Ardmore, PA: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdyzJI8EY4Z/?img_index=2

Challenge Cup NQS Junior Dance final results/link to protocols (5 teams; no U.S. Senior teams competed here): https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2026/37064/CAT013SEG021.html

Colin McManus and Anastasia Cannuscio coached the new Junior team of Emily Renzi/Jerry Stone (bronze) at the Challenge Cup NQS and they also coach the Intermediate team of Sophia Zhou/Skyler Kay (gold):

University of Delaware Figure Skating Club on Instagram: "Congratulations to our skaters who competed at the 2026 Challenge Cup hosted by @phillyskating! We’re so proUD!!!💙💛 💛 Jerry Stone & Emily Renzi (Skating Club of New York) — Junior Dance🥉 💙 El

81 likes, 2 comments - udfsc on September 28, 2026: "Congratulations to our skaters who competed at the 2026 Challenge Cup hosted by @phillyskating! We’re so proUD!!!💙💛 💛 Jerry Stone & Emily Renzi (Skating Club of New York) — Junior Dance🥉 💙 Ella Truit — Adult Pre-Bronze Women 🥇 💛 Zoe...

www.instagram.com

Diamond Ice Dance Academy (“DE Academy specializing in Solo and Partnered Ice Dance”) is tagged in UDel’s photo for Renzi/Stone: https://www.instagram.com/diamondicedanceacademy

 

[Karen-W]

Pham/Spiridonov have called it quits.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Sylvia]

Today Anton Spiridonov also posted about the end of his partnership with Vanessa: https://www.instagram.com/p/DeEv4M0EcGU/

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Sylvia]

JGP #6 in Ljubljana results:

BRONZE Aneta VACLAVIKOVA / William LISSAUER USA 159.05 3 3 (2 new ISU SB scores in RD 64.73 & total; FD 94.32 was lower than Riga's 96.31) - winning silver & bronze in their JGP debut season!

Aneta Vaclavikova & William Lissauer on Instagram: "JGP Ljubljana! 🇸🇮🥉 We are incredibly grateful for everyone who made this experience possible. A huge thank you to our coaches, @hausofdiamondsofficial and to our entire team for their endless love

247 likes, 14 comments - aneta.william.icedance on October 4, 2026: "JGP Ljubljana! 🇸🇮🥉 We are incredibly grateful for everyone who made this experience possible. A huge thank you to our coaches, @hausofdiamondsofficial and to our entire team for their endless love and support! We are so happy...

www.instagram.com

8th Grace FISCHER / Luke FISCHER USA 133.49 8 8 (it was mentioned during the broadcast that Grace had a knee injury before Lake Placid which explains the long gap of them not competing after Dallas Classic NQS in early July until this JGP)

Grace Fischer & Luke Fischer on Instagram: "JGP Slovenia 2026 🇸🇮 We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete in Ljubljana. Thank you @usfigureskating for your trust and continued support, and @slo.skating and @isufigureskating for hosting the

123 likes, 10 comments - team_thefischers on October 5, 2026: "JGP Slovenia 2026 🇸🇮 We are very grateful for the opportunity to compete in Ljubljana. Thank you @usfigureskating for your trust and continued support, and @slo.skating and @isufigureskating for hosting the event. We are grateful to...

www.instagram.com

More "hidden talents" of skaters as revealed by Mark Hanretty during the Ljubljana JGP - Luke Fischer is an "aspiring ceramicist": https://www.instagram.com/lukefischerceramics/

 

[ice coverage]

Congratulations to Effie Chen, who posted happy news today:

" So excited to finally be a citizen of the United States!! "

Effie Chen on Instagram: "So excited to finally be a citizen of the United States!! 🇺🇸🦅"

261 likes, 21 comments - effie0724 on October 6, 2026: "So excited to finally be a citizen of the United States!! 🇺🇸🦅".

www.instagram.com

... More "hidden talents" of skaters as revealed by Mark Hanretty during the Ljubljana JGP - Luke Fischer is an "aspiring ceramicist": https://www.instagram.com/lukefischerceramics/

Luke's ceramics have looked amazing from day one.
He shared on Instastory that he visited two ceramics museums in Slovenia. I love that the enterprising Luke seized this off-ice opportunity while on his JGP trip.

 

[Sylvia]

Sept. 9:

Caroline Green & Michael Parsons have created quite a bit of anticipation for their Hamilton-themed Rhythm Dance -... hilarious TikTok video (@jmtfti also posted their On Ice Perspectives teaser video in the Programs/Choreographers thread yesterday - songs are "The Room Where It Happens" + "Your Obedient Servant" (Hamilton), choreographed by Massimo Scali)

Their Sept. 8th TikTok video (thanks for posting the link @spin2win) : https://www.tiktok.com/@caroline_green_/video/7683249874313170206

Caroline Green on Instagram: "RD 2026–27 | Hamilton v. Burr Music: “The Room Where It Happens” / “Your Obedient Servant” Choreography by @massyscali Videography by @oniceperspectives #figureskating #icedance #hamilton #broadway #newprogram"

22K likes, 284 comments - caroline.g_103 on September 8, 2026: "RD 2026–27 | Hamilton v. Burr Music: “The Room Where It Happens” / “Your Obedient Servant” Choreography by @massyscali Videography by @oniceperspectives #figureskating #icedance #hamilton #broadway #newprogram".

www.instagram.com

The program is innovative and fun and I hope they can skate it well in the future.

CS Denis Ten Memorial 1st place yesterday! (ETA - just realized @OrioleBeagle posted this same link in their fan thread yesterday ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxmVt6Bwl-g

 

[spin2win]

a most unfortunate day for US ice dance, only 1 clean free dance out of 5 between Denis Ten Memorial and JGP Gdansk...

 

[Sylvia]

Aboian/Veselukhin falling in their curve lift today was but a good reminder to us all yet again that no skater or team is invincible and that ice is slippery. Thankfully they hung on for the silver despite finishing 6th in the FD (84.10) thanks to their 68.93 in RD - highest of all the JGP teams this season - and qualified for the JGP Final (though in 5th place so they will skate 2nd in the 1st group for the RD in Chongqing).