by Jacquelyn Thayer Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue have hit a sort of “Hallelujah” trifecta. Certainly they’re the first team to marry skating’s favorite versions of the Leonard Cohen composition—those of Jeff Buckley and k.d. lang—in a single program, and the first to present two separate programs to the song. And more than this, they…
by Jacquelyn Thayer Adapted and updated from previous posts on Step Sequences. For an erratic and irregular season, marked by intermittent competition and frequent COVID-related event cancellations, the ISU sagely allowed ice dancers to repeat the 2019-20 season’s rhythm dance pattern, the fan favorite Finnstep. The pattern, as its name suggests, takes off from the…
Part 2 of a series on young coaches. Read part 1 at the link. by Jacquelyn Thayer Growing up a coach’s son, I definitely gained some insight into the job from my dad. I think my first memory is just how much traveling is involved when you have your own program—competitions, seminars, etc. My dad…
by Jacquelyn Thayer How does the skater become the coach? It was the question that returned to mind with each summer competition circuit; one more retired competitor would take a new seat in the kiss & cry, trading in team jackets and self-critique for business casual and constructive support. From a wave of retirements in…
TFTI correspondent Reut Golinsky sat down with Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker after the rhythm dance at 2019 Nebelhorn Trophy. Reut: I wanted to start our talk from two photos you, Kaitlin, posted on your Instagram: the two of you five years ago and now on the same spot in Oberstdorf. A lot has happened…
by Claire Cloutier, special for Two for the Ice The rhythm dance at Skate Canada featured some great performances from a strong group of ice dancers in Laval, Quebec. There were a few surprises as well, both in the standings and protocols. Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue of the U.S., skating in their second event…
In addition to our Snapshot Stats on Tumblr, this Olympic season we’ll also be taking a numbers-oriented look right here at the topic of international assignments: who gets them, who doesn’t, and how often does reality reflect promise? Kicking things off, a first look at Canada’s NextGen program. Heading into the 2017-18 skating season, Skate…
by Jacquelyn Thayer 24 hours. That’s approximately how much time passed, after a troubled free dance performance at the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, before Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker seriously mulled the possibility of bringing back — or, rather, keeping with — their well-received Liebestraum free dance for the Olympic season. “We had a…
With today’s surprise reveal of 2017-18’s Grand Prix assignments, Two for the Ice has compiled the hows, whys — and possible huhs — of who and how many assignments the dance and pair teams in question received. We’ll look first at dance, the larger and, thus, more unwieldy field. Couples who placed in the top…
by Jacquelyn Thayer This week’s Grand Prix Final features a fair range of U.S. and Canadian teams. In pairs, Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford and Julianne Séguin and Charlie Bilodeau will make repeat appearances; in dance, last year’s three U.S. entries — Maia and Alex Shibutani, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, and Madison Hubbell…
