by Anne Calder | Images by Daphne Backman
Novice ice dancers competed for the primary time at a U.S. Determine Skating Championship in 1991 on the Goal Middle in Minneapolis, MN. For many years, the novice participated on the annual Nationwide occasion utilizing varied schedule codecs.
The Nationwide Qualifying Collection (NQS) that was adopted for the 2019-2020 season created a wholly new construction for the juvenile, intermediate, novice (JINs). As a substitute of competing on the Nationwide Championships, they needed to qualify on the Ice Dance Remaining for the Nationwide Excessive-Efficiency Growth Group and attend an annual camp held two to a few days after the Championships.
For the 2024 U.S Determine Skating Championships, a rule change certified the 5 highest scoring novice groups on the 2024 Ice Dance Remaining in Bloomington MN to compete with the juniors and seniors in Columbus, OH.
The identical rule has been utilized for the 2025 U.S. Determine Skating Championships, January 20-26. The 5 highest scoring novice groups on the 2025 Ice Dance Remaining in Plano, TX will compete in Wichita, KS.
The occasion will start for the novice dancers with two follow classes on Monday, January 20. The groups will compete the Westminster Waltz and Tango Sample Dances on Tuesday night (January 21) at 7:55-8:56 p.m. CST.
The Free Dance can be competed Wednesday night (January 22) at 7:20-8:05 p.m. CST. Medals can be awarded after the Junior Free Dance on middle ice to the 4 highest scoring groups.
The novice occasions can be out there to observe on the U.S. Determine Skating YouTube channel.
Marian Carhart & Denis Bledsoe
The staff trains in Estero, Florida with Marina Zueva and Ilia Tkachenko. Marian started skating when she was two-years outdated. Denis started at age three. They’re the 2025 Ice Dance Remaining novice gold medalists.
Why did you select ice dance?
Marian Carhart (MC): I used to be a single skater, however I cherished to bop. I wished to skate with my older sisters, Helena and Adrienne Carhart.
Denis Bledsoe (DB): I switched [from freestyle] to ice dance as a result of after I was leaping, I began getting injured.
How did your partnership start?
MC: I had been doing solo dance earlier than the tryout. Our coaches communicated, and Denis flew to Florida. Waking up the day of the tryout, I used to be so excited.
Inform us about your free dance – Czárdás, a standard Hungarian folks dance. Why do you take pleasure in performing it?
MC: I like skating my free dance as a result of it’s one thing we haven’t accomplished earlier than. It’s very totally different from our different free dances. I actually loved studying a brand new fashion of dance.
DB: I actually like skating our free dance as a result of I’ve by no means accomplished a folks dance earlier than, and I assumed it’s actually attention-grabbing to find out about this fashion of dance.
What are you essentially the most enthusiastic about skating at your first U.S. Nationwide Championships.
MC: Competing on the Nationwide Championships has been one in all my objectives, and I’m excited to attain it. I’m additionally excited to observe all of the Junior and Senior groups skate, which I at all times take pleasure in.
DB: I’m excited as a result of the Nationwide Championships is without doubt one of the largest competitions I’ve ever been to. I can’t wait to compete.
Grace Fischer (13) & Luke Fischer (15)
The staff trains in Novi, MI with Igor Shpilband, Adrienne Lenda, Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Deller, Ben Agosto, Katherine Hill and Renee Petkovski. Choreographers: Ben Agosto / Katherine Hill
The siblings started their skating journeys in New Haven, CT. Grace stepped on the ice for the primary time when she was 18 months outdated. Luke was two when he joined his grandparents’ learn-to-skate program on the Yale Determine Skating Membership.
In 2018, the household moved to Colorado Springs, CO to coach with Tom Zakrajesek. Grace and Luke had been seven and 9. The sister and brother dancers are the 2025 Ice Dance Remaining silver medalists.
Why did you select ice dance?
Grace Fischer (GF): After we moved to Colorado I did pairs and freestyle for 2 years. Then my brother requested me to be his ice dance associate. I used to be hesitant at first, however after I tried it, it was love at first sight. We began working with Ben Agosto and Katherine Hill and competed as juveniles on the 2022 Championship Collection in Blaine, MN. On the finish of the season I finished singles as a result of I appreciated the expressiveness of dance.
Luke Fischer (LF): I used to be a skater solely as a result of my dad wished me to play hockey. I switched to singles after I was seven. A yr after transferring to Colorado, a neighborhood woman requested me to be her associate, and I began ice dance with Ben Agosto and Christopher Dean. After we broke up I continued ice dance by myself till I requested my sister to be my associate. On the finish of the season, I switched to ice dance totally as a result of I favored skating with a associate and performing attention-grabbing packages.
Inform us about skating along with your sibling. Are there benefits? disadvantages?
GF: I enormously take pleasure in skating with my brother, Luke, as a result of it makes scheduling a lot simpler, and I have already got a in-built associate. On the flip aspect, we used to argue quite a bit once we first began, however now we’ve discovered a steadiness. General, I like skating with him and luxuriate in each second I’m on the ice.
LF: Whereas skating with my sister has many professionals and cons, I’m very grateful to skate along with her. It’s simple to make selections and journey as we solely have one set of oldsters. It additionally made it simpler to proceed skating collectively throughout the pandemic as a result of we lived collectively.
Inform us about your free dance to “Sizzling Stuff” by Donna Summer time, “Love’s Theme” by Barry White, and “You Ought to Be Dancing” by the Bee Gees. Why do you take pleasure in performing it?
GF: This yr we determined to skate to a medley of songs from the 70s. It’s a very enjoyable, quick, and energetic program that I take pleasure in doing as a result of I like performing to the music with my brother. I particularly take pleasure in our Character Type Step Sequence as a result of I feel it’s a nice time to actually present the expression and vitality of the music that I’m skating to.
LF: Our free dance is a medley of some well-known disco songs. It’s a fairly excessive vitality program, which makes it enjoyable to carry out particularly at competitions. We selected the theme earlier than the junior and senior themes had been introduced, which is why our music is much like the their [Rhythm Dance] music.
Share your ideas about competing for the primary time on the Nationwide Championships. What are you most enthusiastic about it?
GF: I’m so excited to have this chance this yr. I’m most trying ahead to having the ability to carry out in entrance of a giant viewers in a giant enviornment. I’m additionally trying ahead to watching and cheering on our rivals. We all know lots of the junior and seniors competing, and I can’t wait to observe them.
LF: I’m grateful for the chance to compete on the Nationwide Championships. I’m excited to skate in a giant enviornment with vital judges, help different skaters I do know and see my skating associates.
How is your staff coaching and getting ready for the Championships? Have any modifications been made because the Remaining?
Our coaching for the Championships contains skating 4 to 5 classes a day in addition to dance class and health club three days every week. We have now been working exhausting to enhance the standard consistency of our components, the efficiency of our program, and our skating abilities. We have now not made any main choreography modifications because the Ice Dance Remaining.
Moreover competing, what else are you trying ahead to seeing and doing at Nationals?
GF: I’m trying ahead to watching the opposite occasions. I’m particularly excited to observe the Senior ice dance occasion and to cheer on the groups from Novi. Additionally, as an ongoing custom, I’m trying ahead to getting ice cream after we compete to rejoice with my brother and my mother.
LF: I’m trying ahead to seeing a brand new place as I’ve by no means been to Wichita.
Sophia Feige (17) & Wiles Middlekauff (17)
The staff trains in Novi, MI with Coaches Igor Shpilband, Natalia Deller, Pasquale Camerlengo, Adrienne Lenda on-ice, Renee Perkovski (dance) and Oleg Ouchakof (lifts) off ice. Choreographer: Igor Shpilband. The dancers are the 2025 Ice Dance Remaining bronze medalists.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys.
Sophia Feige (SF): I began skating after I was 5 or 6 years outdated in Plymouth, England. After transferring again to the U.S. a yr or so later, I didn’t proceed skating. In December 2021, I went to a public session and located myself wanting to return and skate extra. My mother, a former singles skater, signed me up for learn-to-skate classes. In November 2022, I attempted ice dance and competed in solo dance the next season whereas coaching in Palm Seaside, FL.
Wiles Middlekauff (WM): My older siblings skated, so I spent hours on the rink earlier than I may stroll. Once I was six, we moved to Canton, MI. I began ice dance classes with Marina Zoueva. When she moved to Florida, I skilled on the Detroit Skating Membership earlier than transferring to Novi to work with Igor Shpilband.
What drew you to ice dance?
SF:I cherished having the ability to dance to the music on the ice whereas skating with a associate. I’ve at all times loved engaged on my skating abilities. Studying and enhancing varied turns, edges and components provides me a way of accomplishment which motivates me to maintain working more durable for extra.
WM: For a very long time I used to be doing freestyle and dance. Though I loved freestyle, I needed to focus most of my time on jumps and never as a lot time on performing. With ice dance, each second on the ice is a efficiency. I like that. I adore it after I’m having enjoyable, and the individuals watching me are having enjoyable too.
How did you change into companions?
SF: After the 2023 Solo Dance season ended, I wished to discover a associate. I additionally was in search of a brand new place to coach with increased stage ice dancers to push me to enhance and with a extra organized coaching atmosphere. In March 2024, Novi, MI I had a tryout with Wiles throughout a go to. It went effectively, and we formally started our partnership in April.
WF: After the tryout, we met with the coaches, and I mentioned I wished to associate with Sophia. Everybody agreed.
Inform us about your free dance. Why do you take pleasure in performing it.
SF: We’re skating to music from the Cirque Du Soleil Quidam present. I take pleasure in performing it due to the variations in music from the start to finish, which supplies us the chance to precise totally different kinds of music and inform a narrative.
WF: To start with, my associate is enjoying a personality that has been transported to a dream world the place my character lives. I discover her and take her from room to room in my costly fantastic fortress. I take pleasure in performing this free dance as a result of I like to have the ability to dance with out holding again. This free dance, particularly the Choreographic Step Sequence, actually lets me do it.
How is your staff coaching for the Championships? Have any modifications been made because the Remaining?
Because the Remaining we now have been engaged on our skating abilities and refining the small particulars inside our packages. We’re working exhausting to excellent all the weather and to boost our grades of execution and element scores.
Share your ideas about competing for the primary time on the U.S. Nationwide Championships. What are you essentially the most enthusiastic about?
SF: I feel it is going to be an ideal alternative to expertise competing in entrance of a bigger viewers and to current every part that we now have been working exhausting on for our final competitors of the season.
WF: I like performing and it is a nice alternative to carry out in entrance of associates, household and spectators on a grand scale.
Clara Fugate (16) & Warren Fugate (16)
The staff trains in Canton, MI on the Michigan Ice Dance Academy (MIDA) with Tanith White, Charlie White and Greg Zuerlein. They started skating on the age of three and a half. The twins are the 2025 Ice Dance Remaining pewter medalists.
Why did you select to do ice dance?
Clara Fugate (CF): I’ve at all times favored the creative side.
Warren Fugate (WF): We at all times had a ardour for skating with one another.
Inform us about skating along with your sibling. Are there benefits? Disadvantages?
CF: I don’t suppose there are any disadvantages. Benefit: It makes our bond as siblings stronger.
WF: I don’t see any disadvantages. As benefits go, we now have much more alternative to follow collectively.
Inform us about your free dance. Why do you take pleasure in skating it?
CF: It’s enjoyable, and the music is upbeat and makes you cheerful.
WF: This yr we selected Rio. It’s enjoyable to skate and picture all of the birds and really feel you might be there as effectively.
How is your staff coaching and getting ready for the Championships? Have any modifications been made because the Ice Dance Remaining?
We’re coaching exhausting identical to we’d for any competitors. We have now made a few modifications and are trying ahead to performing them.
You competed on the 2024 Nationals – the primary season novice ice dance was invited. Share your ideas and pleasure on returning to the occasion. How will your expertise assist?
CF: It was an ideal honor to go final yr, and we’re excited to go this yr. It helps me really feel extra ready for this yr’s Nationals.
WF: After competing on the 2024 Nationals, I’ve felt extra assured as a performer. I’m feeling extra assured for Nationals realizing what to anticipate.
Annie Huang (16) & Simon Mintz (16)
The staff trains on the Colonial FSC in Boxboro, MA (major web site) and New England Sports activities Middle in Marlboro, MA (secondary web site) with Coaches Dmitri Boundoukin and Svetlana Kulikova. The dancers are the 2024 Problem Cup gold medalists.
When did you start skating? Why did you select ice dance?
Annie Huange (AH): After seeing skaters on Frog Pond within the Boston Frequent I used to be mesmerized and wished to attempt it. I began skating after I was 4 in a learn-to-skate lesson on the Skating Membership of Boston. I did singles and synchro. I began ice dance after I was twelve.
Simon Mintz (SM): I first skated at three and a half by pushing crates on the ice. At age 4 I took group classes. After seeing a buddy do a solo efficiency in a vacation present, I started personal classes. I attempted synchro and my coach instructed ice dance to enhance my posture. Then I danced with a associate and realized I most popular ice dance to different varieties of determine skating. I actually just like the efficiency side.
When and the way did your partnership start?
The partnership started in September 2023. Annie and Simon had been working individually with Coach Boundoukin. Simon was in search of a brand new associate and taking personal classes. They quickly discovered one another by their coach and began working collectively.
Inform us about your free dance, and why you take pleasure in skating it?
AH: Our free dance is “Besame Mucho” by Lara Louise, a slower, Rhumba-like track and “Baila Me” by the Gipsy Kings, a faster-paced Paso Doble fashion. They’re each new kinds for me. I take pleasure in skating this system as a result of it challenges me daily. My favourite half Is the Choreographic Step Sequence due to its quick tempo, and it’s actually enjoyable to do.
SM: It’s actually enjoyable music to skate to. The sluggish half lets us reveal our edges and categorical extra. I actually take pleasure in having the ability to categorical out to the viewers within the Choreographic Step Sequence, however my favourite half is the
footwork at first as a result of I’m able to work on skating out to sluggish music with expression which is a enjoyable problem.
How is your staff coaching and getting ready for the Championships? Have any modifications been madesince the Dance Remaining?
AH & SM: We’re working with a ballroom dance trainer to enhance our efficiency and interplay with one another. Usually, we’re specializing in fine-tuning the important thing factors and fundamentals of our program.
Share your ideas about competing for the primary time on the U.S. Nationwide Championships. What are you most enthusiastic about?
AH: I’m very excited to compete on the Nationwide Championships. I’m glad we get to compete all our packages one final time this season. I’m most enthusiastic about having the ability to share the ice with so many wonderful skaters.
SM: I’m actually glad that I’m getting one other alternative to compete with the group we’ve competed with so this season. They’re all nice individuals. I’m additionally trying ahead to being in the identical competitors as all these high-level skaters on the junior and senior stage. I’m most likely essentially the most excited to do our packages once more, particularly the Waltz and free dance. I really feel we left some key factors and program elements on the desk [at the Final] and actually wish to hit some level objectives.
