by Anne Calder
The 2025 Ice Dance Final was held in Plano, Texas from November 20-23. Six senior, eleven junior and five novice teams qualified for the U.S. Championships in Wichita, Kansas. They will be joined by those athletes who earned a bye.
Twenty-four Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice teams advanced to the National High Performance Development Camp. Day one of the event, the juvenile, intermediate and novices (JINs) skated their assigned patterns:
Juvenile: U.S. Hickory Hoedown and U.S. Ten-Fox
Intermediate: American Waltz and Foxtrot
Novice: Westminster Waltz and Tango.
Day two the teams performed their Free Dances. Medals were awarded to the top four teams in each level.
Juvenile:
Agnes Yang & Sean Kay (gold), Ava Reinkensmeyer & Aiden Shen (silver), Lucy Brooks & Jeffrey Li (bronze) and Hilda Qin & George Qin (pewter). The teams increased their scores from the Lake Placid Championships in July where they stood on the podium in the same order. Y&K (+6.24) R&A (+8.32) B&L (+11.76) Q&Q (+12.71)
Intermediate:
Karen Li & James Zhu (gold), Sophia Kartashov & Nicholas Kartashov (silver). Isabella Chang & Ken Chen (bronze) and Megan Ashcroft & Adam Ashcroft (pewter). The teams’ scores all improved from their first 2024-25 NQS competition: Dallas Classic K&K (+13.92), A&A (+20.73) Lake Placid Championships L&Z (+12.75) and Challenge Cup: C&C (+8.16).
Novice:
The five highest scoring teams qualified for the U.S. National Championships.
Marian Carhart & Denis Bledsoe (gold), Grace Fischer & Luke Fischer (silver), Sophia Feige & Wiles Middlekauff (bronze), Clara Fugate & Warren Fugate (pewter). A season best score was achieved by Carhart & Bledsoe (118.09), Fischer & Fischer (113.50) and Fugate & Fugate (106.15). Feige & Middlekauff’s season best was 111.78 at the Austin Autumn Classic. Challenge Cup winners Annie Huang & Simon Mintz were fifth (105.97).
Junior Dance:
In July 2024, the Board of Directors reduced the number of junior ice dance U.S. National Championship qualifiers to ten. The number has been returned to the original twelve.
The medalists finished in the same order for both the Rhythm and Free Dances.
(Gold) Hana Maria Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin (RD: 68.37) (FD:99.25) (T:167.62)
RD: “Heart of Glass” by Blondie and “Knock on Wood” by Amii Stewart
FD: “Clarinet Concerto in A major K 622/II”, “Piano Concerto No.21 in C major K.467/II” and Symphony no.40 in G minor – Molto Allegro composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Choreographers: Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov
(Silver) Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen (RD:63.73) (FD:88.77) (T:153.50)
RD: “Stayin Alive, “Saturday Night Fever”, “You Should be Dancing” by the Bee Gees and arranged by Hugo Chouinard
FD: “The Earth View of Heaven” by Armand Amar and Karl Hugo arranged by Hugo Chouinard:
Choreographers: Greg Zuerlein, Ruslan Goncharov, Charlie White
(Bronze) Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain (RD:60.09) (FD: 85.81) (T:145.90)
RD: “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth Wind & Fire, “Heart of Glass”by Blondie, “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer
FD: “Carry You” (feat. Fleurie) by Ruelle, “Echoes of Isolation” by Karl Hugo
Choreographer: Greg Zuerlein
(Pewter) Annalise Stapert & Maxim Korotcov (RD:56.73) (FD:81.65) (T:138.38)
RD: “Car Wash” and “Shake Your Groove Thing”
FD: “ We Will Rock You” and “Under the Same Sun”
Choreographer: Alexei Kiliakov
Senior Dance:
Fifteen senior teams will compete at the 2025 U.S. National Championships. Nine earned byes and six qualified in Plano.
The Rhythm Dance second and third place teams switched positions after the Free Dance and total scores were posted.
(Gold) Annabelle Morozov & Jeffrey Chen (RD: 73.51) (FD:109.66) (T:183.17)
RD: “Get Up Off That Thing” and “I Feel Good ”by James Brown, “Shout” by the Isley Brothers
FD: Star Wars (soundtrack) by John Williams
Choreographers: Charlie White, Nikolai Morozov (FD)
(Silver) Raffaella Konicius & Alexey Shchepetov (RD: 67.04) (FD: 106.62) (T: 173.66)
RD: “A Little Less Conversation” and “Bossa Nova Baby” by Elvis Presley
FD: Romeo and Juliet (1996 movie dramatic score soundtrack) and “Kissing You”
Choreographer: Jean-Luc Baker
(Bronze) Amy Cui & Jonathan Rogers (RD: 67.79) (FD: 102.93) (T:173.00)
RD: “Blame It On the Boogie”, “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”, “Shake Your Body” (Down to the Ground)
FD: Black Swan
Choreographers: Pasquale Camerlengo, Igor Shpilband, Renee Petkovski.
Music: Sk8mix Hugo did the musical composition for the programs.
(Pewter) Vanessa Pham & Anton Spiridonov (RD:65.59) (FD: 102.93) (T:168.52)
RD: “Do You Love Me?” By the Contours, “Cry To Me” by Solomon Burke, “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris
FD: Carmen (2022 movie soundtrack)
Choreographers: I.AM team
Stuffie Story
U.S. ice skating legend suggests that flowers were first thrown on the ice at the end of a performance in Squaw Valley at the 1960 Winter Olympics. In 2001 U.S. Figure Skating banned the tradition for safety of debris concerns. Flowers break apart on the ice and can also delay clean up. Fans instead mostly throw stuffed animals onto the ice.
At the Ice Dance Final, stuffed toys of all sizes and shapes were sold in the arena lobby. After a skaters performance, supporters of the predominately younger teams flooded the ice. The dancers swept up their new cherished toys and skated to the Kiss and Cry to await the scores. The gifts were squeezed and cuddled with smiles of appreciation.
Many of the stuffed animals are donated to hospitals and charities.
Fun Facts
Six teams plus nine dancers with other partners competed in Plano and at the 2020 inaugural Ice Dance Final.
Juvenile: Clara Fugate & Warren Fugate (5), Reese Hamilton & Ethan Darnell (13)
Michelle Deych, Rowan Le Coq, Nathan Leitan, William Lissauer, Wiles Middlekauff, Simon Mintz
Intermediate: Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain (2), Julia Epps & Blake Gilman (3) Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen (5)
Annelise Stapert & Maxim Korotcov (8)
Novice: Kenny Eckert, Vanessa Pham, Jonathan Rogers
Teams taught by the parent(s) of one of the dancers:
Juniors: (Dima Ilin) Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain
Novice: (Kristen Frazier- Lukanin & Igor Lukanin) Rylen Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien,
Mia Aisin & Steven Moore
Thirteen sets of siblings and one set of cousins competed:
Juvenile: Hilda Qin & George Qin,
Intermediate: Megan Ashcroft & Adam Ashcroft, Sophia Kartashov & Nicholas Kartashov, Bryndolin Rudedenman & Ryedin Rudedenman, Zoe Stone & Jerry Stone, Auburn Sago & Colson Sago
Novice: Celine Chen & Nathan Chen, Grace Fischer & Luke Fischer, Clara Fugate & Warren Fugate, Vanessa Hollis & Evan Hollis, Natalia Leitan & Nathan Leitan, Cianin Rudedenman & Brysin Rudedenman
Junior: Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen and cousins Anaelle Kouevi & Yann Homawoo
Teams with the longest partnerships:
Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain (July 2015) Julia Epps & Blake Gilman (August 2015), Caroline & Brandon Mullen (2017)
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