by Jacquelyn Thayer This year’s Margaret Garrison Ice Show and Awards Ceremony — held annually since 2010 in memory of the long-time vice president of the Skate Canada Central Ontario Section — took on added import, marking 60 years for the section. And at the direction of Marijane Stong, this commemoration was one of musical…
Category: Ice Dance
Ice Dance, News, TFTI Blog
News for Wednesday, April 15
The ISU has now issued Communication No. 1937, addressing level requirements for the 2015-16 season in ice dance. While many changes of varying significance appear in the document, some are of particular interest. Lift requirements, for example, now include the option of an Exit Feature, including “significant transitional movement” by the lifted partner or a…
Feature, Ice Dance, Interview, Pairs
Dancing Between Worlds: From Pointe to Blade
by Jacquelyn Thayer Elegant and agile, few images in skating are more celebrated than that of the ballerina on ice, the dancer on blades. It’s away from the spotlight that the magic is born — through nine hour training days, frequent commutes or specialized injury. A childhood in the studio cedes to sessions in skates;…
Competition, Ice Dance, TFTI Blog
News for Tuesday, March 24
As Worlds is set to begin with the short dance this evening (North American time zones), icenetwork wraps its preview coverage with a focus on the three U.S. dance teams vying in Shanghai. ♦ Canadian novice ice dance champions Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha have split, each newly listed on Ice Partner Search. They were…
Competition, Ice Dance, Lists, Pairs
2015 World Championships Preview: By the Numbers
Total number of dance teams competing at 2015 World Figure Skating Championships: 30 Canada = three; USA = three Total number of pairs competing at 2015 World Figure Skating Championships: 19 Canada = three; USA = two Dance teams overall returning from 2014 Worlds: 17 Pairs overall returning from 2014 Worlds: 9 Percent change in…
Feature, Ice Dance, Interview
Behind the Program, Ep. 2: Poulin and Servant, 2014-15 Free Dance
by Jacquelyn Thayer For Andréanne Poulin and Marc-André Servant, guided by the chance to try new program and musical styles, the logical senior follow-up to a lighthearted, character-heavy junior free dance — utilizing Alexandre Desplat’s whimsical Fantastic Mr. Fox score — could only be a starkly serious effort, dramatic and contemporary movement set to pieces…
Analysis, Ice Dance
PCS: Connecting the Dots #5. Thinking Categorically at 4CC
With the Four Continents Championships (4CC) the first significant showdown among five of the six North American dance couples bound for Worlds (Madison Hubbell & Zach Donohue did not compete there, while Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker will not compete in Shanghai), we’ll take a look now at how the judges assessed those teams against…
Feature, Ice Dance, Interview
Behind the Program, Ep. 1: Paul and Islam, 2015 Free Dance
by Jacquelyn Thayer After disappointing results on the Grand Prix circuit, 2015 Canadian bronze medalists Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam made a bold move to regroup before those national championships: swapping out a jazzy Frank Sinatra free dance, choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, for a turn to the contemporary — an adaptation of…
Competition, Ice Dance, Lists, Pairs
2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships: By the Numbers
Senior dance teams competing: 15 Senior pairs competing: 7 New teams: 5 Catherine Daigle-Roy & Dominic Barthe (sixth, dance, Skate Canada Challenge) Lubov Iliushechkina & Dylan Moscovitch (first, pairs, Skate Canada Challenge) Alexa Linden & Jean-Luc Jackson (eighth, dance, Skate Canada Challenge) Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro (Grand Prix competitors; second, pairs, Skate Canada Challenge)…
Competition, Ice Dance, Lists, Pairs
2015 U.S. National Championships: By the Numbers
Senior dance teams competing: 17 *Alissandra Aronow & Collin Brubaker withdrew after qualification Senior pairs competing: 12 *Brianna de la Mora & Taylor Wilson withdrew after qualification New teams: 5 Marissa Castelli & Mervin Tran (first, pairs, Eastern Sectionals) Anya Davidovich & AJ Reiss (first, pairs, Pacific Coast Sectionals) Gretchen Donlan & Nate Bartholomay (bye,…