Category: Ice Dance

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…

PCS: Connecting the Dots #4. The Weight of the Worlds

While our previous entries have focused exclusively on the question of PCS, an overall evaluation of fall results has prompted a secondary question: what relationship, if any, exists between the role of PCS and that of the ostensibly more objective…

2014: The Year in Elements

As 2015 approaches, a last look back at 14 of our favorite dance and pairs elements offered up in 2014, presented in (rough) order of debut. (Note: In interest of inclusiveness, no team or specific element was repeated.) Ice Dance…

PCS: Connecting the Dots #3. Where We Stand

As the Grand Prix series concludes prior to the Final, the establishment of a field in the absence of the world-leading dance teams of the previous quad has begun to emerge. To that end, a review of the development, from…

Preview: 2014 Grand Prix by the Numbers

Skate America Dance Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA) — Ondrej Nepela Trophy (first; 162.98). Grand Prix average = 150.01 | Grand Prix high = 160.55 (2011 Grand Prix Final) | Grand Prix low = 136.93 (2010 NHK Trophy) Madison…

Poulin and Servant Embrace the Bright Side

by Jacquelyn Thayer In the first four years together, ice dancers AndrĂ©anne Poulin and Marc-AndrĂ© Servant took a sober-minded view towards their work–an “intense, super-serious” mentality, in their words, that accompanied a 2012 Canadian junior national title and two Junior…

A Guide to the Off-Season: New Beginnings

Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran (USA) Paired: Announced June 2014 Training Base: CPA St. Leonard, Montreal, QC, and Skating Club of Boston, Boston, MA So Far: Debuted at Quebec Summer Championships, August 9; 48.12 (SP only) Assignments: Ineligible to compete…

PCS: Connecting the Dots #2. Showing Range

by Jacquelyn Thayer Range among PCS categories — and among marks assigned by individual judges within a category — may be the nitpickiest of topics to assess. Certainly numbers here are minuscule, with variations typically hovering around the 1-point range…

A Guide to the Off-Season: The Rules

In our second guide for the perplexed this off-season, a review of the major rule changes and revisions impacting your favorite sport and ours. 1. New Junior Age Limits Revoked A measure passed at the 2012 ISU Congress called for…

For Edwards and Pang, Experience is the Teacher

by Jacquelyn Thayer Entry to the senior ranks proved a trial by fire for Canadian ice dancers and 2014 World Junior bronze medalists Madeline Edwards and ZhaoKai Pang. While still competing as juniors internationally, their 2013 national title meant a…