Pictures by Melanie Heaney
Welcome to IDC’s New Staff Collection! For this collection, we interview athletes who will enter the upcoming 2024-25 season in a brand new partnership, or debuted final season. On this interview, we meet Gabriela Palomeque & Tanner White, senior ice dancers who characterize Ecuador.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular reminiscences.
Gabriela Palomeque (GP): I came upon about skating when my dad and mom took us to a sports activities complicated in Amaguaña (south east of Quito, Ecuador). We went to the pool, slides, soccer fields however on our means again to the automobile we discovered a really distinctive constructing so we have been curious to know what it was.
I remembered watching just a few skaters taking classes in an 21 x 15 mts of ice, mesmerized by the thought of how they’ll glide and dance on a skinny blade beneath them.
My older sister (Ana cris) determined to ask about how can we take classes. The rink solely opened on the weekends so we have been taking classes on Saturdays and skating on public classes on Sundays.
Tanner White (TW): I began skating once I was about 4 years previous at my native area within the be taught to skate program. My earliest reminiscence on the ice I’ve is from round age 5 once I instructed a coach I used to be going to do a double axel after which I jumped, and faceplanted. I used to be by no means essentially the most proficient with jumps, however I beloved skating from a younger age. I started my journey in aggressive ice dancing on the Minto Skating Membership in Ottawa, ON, coached by Darryl Vanluven, Marie-Josee Cloutier and Siobhan Karam. I competed at Japanese Ontario sectionals and Skate Canada Problem from about 2006-2010 then in 2011, I moved to Michigan to coach and compete with a brand new companion from the Netherlands. I then moved to Toronto to coach on the Ice Dance Elite program on the Scarboro Determine Skating Membership, coached by Carol and Jon Lane, and Juris Rasgulajevs.
What drew you to ice dance?
GP: Since I used to be little, my sister all the time encourage me to get out my shell, that’s how I began to improvised and create my very own routines.
I struggled to be constant on my jumps in order that was taking a toll on my psychological well being and I knew I didn’t need to give up skating so altering to ice dance gave me a chance to take pleasure in skating once more.
TW: Initially I had wished to develop into a pairs skater, as I used to be so impressed by the lifts and throws from that self-discipline. My household and II spoke to my coach concerning the thought of going into pairs skating and he urged I began out in dance so I might discover ways to skate with a companion whereas I continued to work on my singles skating. As soon as I began ice dancing, I fell in love with the self-discipline. I appeared as much as skaters comparable to Shae-Lyn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, Tessa Advantage and Scott Moir, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White all through my early years in dance.
GP: A Canadian coach and an excellent pal, Jan Calnan, knew that I used to be transitioning from single skater to ice dance so she contacted Tanner asking him if he’s prepared to characterize Ecuador in ice dance.
TW: Our partnership, for me, began utterly unexpectedly. I had initially retired from aggressive ice dance in 2014, transferring house to Ottawa from Toronto the place I had educated at Scarboro Skating Membership’s Ice Dance elite program coached by Carol and John Lane, and Juris Rasgulajevs. I then competed in college determine skating with Brock College in males’s singles and was injured in my third yr, I tore my labrum and had FAI syndrome in each hips. I had hip surgical procedures to restore each of my hip joints.
I returned to the ice, teaching in April of 2022, and later that summer season a fellow teaching colleague of mine, Jan Calnan got here as much as me asking me if I used to be excited about making a comeback to ice dancing, as she had a skater (who’s now my companion) from Ecuador and was in search of a companion to compete with. On the time, I had solely been on the ice doing very minimal exercise as a coach, I had thought I wouldn’t have the ability to skate once more after my harm. After initially turning it down, I believed it over, I had flashbacks to once I left the game in 2014, my final day on the rink in Toronto leaving for the final time once I felt like I wasn’t completed, however wanted to maneuver on with my life. I believed to myself, I higher give this an opportunity, I owe it to my youthful self who dreamed large and put a few years into this sport to provide it an opportunity. The worst that may occur is it doesn’t work out.
In September 2022, we had a tryout, doing fundamental stroking workout routines on our personal. Fairly shortly, issues got here collectively. I used to be in a position to lastly understand that I used to be totally recovered and in a position to skate once more, though I used to be out of practice. We appeared to be a superb match, regardless of our peak distinction and we started coaching collectively.
What’s it that you just already like most about dancing together with your new companion?
GP: As that is my very first ice dance companion, it has been enjoyable to be taught from Tanner and attempting out various things like lifts, spins, dance holds and steps.
TW: I like our willingness to strive new issues most of all. For me, at 32 years previous and after virtually 10 years away from ice dancing, I’m doing tougher parts than I ever did earlier than. The game has modified immensely over the previous 10 years, and I’m very a lot having fun with studying new issues with Gaby. I admire Gaby’s capacity to select issues up shortly, as that is her first dance partnership, she places in 100% effort every single day. I like how she pushes me to be a greater and extra devoted athlete.
What experiences do every of you carry to the partnership?
GP: Regardless that I don’t have earlier expertise in ice dance I feel for me is the drive, the motivation and the ‘no giving up’ mentality that helps us targeted on our personal journey. I even have a very good visible reminiscence, so every time now we have classes with a choreographer I used to be in a position to remind Tanner his steps.
TW: I competed within the Canadian aggressive dance scene from round 2006-2011 coaching in Ottawa on the Minto Skating Membership, then I moved to Michigan the place I educated and competed with Auvikki DeBoon in Junior Dance on the 2011 Nationwide championships of the Netherlands in Tilburg, NL. After our partnership ended I moved to Toronto to coach on the Scarboro Determine Skating Membership within the Ice Dance Elite program coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, and Juris Rasgulajevs and ended half one in every of my aggressive profession competing at Skate Canada Problem in 2012. I then went to Brock College and competed within the Males’s Free Skate self-discipline at Ontario College Athletic Championship occasions.
What has been the largest adjustment for every of you up to now within the partnership?
GP: Discovering ice time hasn’t been constant all through the season. Our greatest changes is aligning our schedules with the ice time we’re supplied.
I’ve a component time job as an early childhood educator and an ice determine skater coach.
TW: For me, it’s been the comeback after a very long time away from ice dancing and skating typically. I went from having about 3 years off of the ice ready for and recovering from my surgical procedures, to coaching full time at a excessive impression stage, and competing at Worldwide occasions. The bodily conditioning facet of issues has been the largest adjustment. It’s additionally been an ongoing problem to maintain up with the calls for of our coaching and my work schedule and permitting for ample restoration time between coaching classes.
Inform us about your coaching website.
GP: We skate essentially the most on the Nepean Sportsplex, few early mornings on the Gloucester skating membership, and weekends in Aylmer, Gatineau.
We have now had few alternatives to coach in Montreal with Mylene Lamoureoux, Shawn Winter and Elise Hamel.
TW: We practice on the Gloucester Skating Membership, CPA Asticou, Rideau Skating Membership and the Nepean Skating Membership. We’re the one ice dancers at many of the golf equipment we skate at and have restricted entry to ice time, as most of our native golf equipment are targeted in direction of singles skating. We skate on ice wherever we’re welcomed and admire the golf equipment who permit us to coach on their ice very a lot.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each must relocate? If that’s the case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
GP: Michael Coreno has been serving to us since spring of 2024. It has been a bit difficult adjusting our schedules with him as nicely. Our different coach is Dylan Harries, he specializes extra off the ice like conditioning and psychological coaching however he additionally has an important background on turns, presentation and little particulars that makes a distinction on our coaching classes.
TW: We’re coached by Michael Coreno, we are also coached nearly over zoom by Nick Buckland, and Mylene Girard and her crew. We have now additionally been coached by Justin and Chantall Bell and have spent a while coaching with Shawn Winter, Elise Hamel and Mylene Lamoreux. We additionally work with Dylan Harries for our off ice coaching.
Neither Gaby nor I are in a position to relocate completely presently to a bigger dance coaching centre, as we’re each working adults in Ottawa, so we do our greatest to work with native coaches, brief journeys to bigger centres and produce coaches from distant to us via digital teaching. It’s a problem aligning our work and coaching schedules with our coaches schedules, nevertheless we do the perfect we will.
Who’s choreographing your applications. Is another person arranging your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
GP: The choreography has been a crew effort between many coaches and our personal concepts. Few occasions, now we have gone to coach in Pierrefonds with Mylene Lamoreoux for choreography, Elise Hamell and Shawn Winter for approach classes.
TW: Our applications have been choreographed by a crew of a number of coaches, and our personal choreography. We began our free dance with Vanessa Chartrand, and since then now we have labored with Mylene Lamoreux, Michael Coreno, Justin and Chantall Bell, all of whom have made their mark on our applications. Our rhythm dance was predominantly choreographed by Justin and Chantall Bell, with some alterations made by Michael Coreno and Mylene Girard. Our free dance music was edited by Rob Collins “The Skating Music Man” who additionally did our 80’s rhythm dance from final season.
Should you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
GP: It’s onerous to decide on however I’ve all the time appeared as much as Tessa Advantage, Gabriella Papadakis, Guillaume Cizeron, Kaitlyn Weaver for his or her artistry, humility, and fervour for skating.
TW: I very a lot would love a lesson with Charlie and Tanith White, and Scott Moir. I went to observe the free dance occasion on the 2009 Skate America occasion in Lake Placid to see Tanith and Ben in individual. I additionally was in awe of the highest two groups on the planet on the time, Tessa and Scott and Meryl and Charlie. It could be an honour to have a lesson with them.
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What will likely be your greatest problem(s)?
GP: Regardless that we’re working onerous on getting the technical rating greater. I’m wanting ahead to see the next mark on our program parts, get our names on the market and impress the judges.
The largest problem for me is throughout competitors to remain targeted on our journey. Being a brand new crew and having much less expertise than different groups, I really feel the strain that I’m not ok, however all the things fades away once I step on the ice. I keep in mind all what now we have labored and all of the hours of coaching and the boldness begins to develop.
TW: I’m wanting ahead to the expertise of all of it, touring the world, doing what I really like essentially the most. Competing internationally was one thing I dreamed about as a child and after retiring in 2014. I by no means thought I might get the prospect. The Lake Placid Worldwide this previous summer season was a dream come true, and all the things since has been such a blessing.
Inform us about your debut competitors this season?
TW: Our debut was a little bit tough, we competed at a neighborhood occasion in Ottawa, ON. It was our first ever competitors collectively. It was Gaby’s first competitors in ice dancing, and for me it was my first competitors in nicely over 10 years in Ice Dancing. We have been nervous, and our aim was easy: get from the begin to the end of each applications.
Our worldwide debut was on the Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide occasion this previous summer season. We had an important expertise there, it was such an honour to have the prospect to characterize Ecuador on the Worldwide stage for the primary time in ice dance. We discovered quite a bit from all the technical suggestions and since then now we have continued to enhance.
Please share something you prefer to our readers to learn about you as a crew?
GP: Being the primary Ecuadorian ice dance crew means quite a bit to me. And we’ll work very onerous to get us to 4 Continents Championships and finally Worlds.
TW: I would love the readers to know that we’re each working adults, Gaby is an Early Childhood Educator, I’m a full time coach. We work to help our personal skating and we take advantage of what services and coaching alternatives that now we have entry to in our metropolis. I would like readers to know that typically alternatives come up in life whenever you least anticipate them, and if you’re prepared to place the work in, nothing is not possible. It’s the alternative of a lifetime and an enormous honour to have the ability to characterize Ecuador Internationally and we’ll do our very best to attain our objectives.
