Introducing Team Novi

The dust is starting to settle a bit after the big shake-up in Canton, Michigan, where the world's most successful coaching duo, Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva, parted ways in a publicly messy split. Igor has found a new coaching home at the Novi Ice Arena in Novi, Michigan, and he's taken some teams from Canton with him.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates, fifth-place finishers at the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, were the first team to announce their departure from Canton. Last season was their first together as a team, and I thought they had great connection for a new team. With the top three Canton couples all staying with Marina at Arctic Edge, I think this is a great move for Maddie and Evan. They'll be able to receive more attention at the new rink, and I hope to see more beautiful programs from them like their free dance from this past season:

Isabella Tobias and Deividas Stagniunas are the other team following Igor to Novi. They skate for Lithuania (Isabella is American) and had a great showing at Skate America last year when they captured the bronze medal. They are approaching their third season together, and I think the move to Novi will also be beneficial for them. They've made great improvements in their two seasons together, and I'd love to see them continue to grow and entertain us with programs like their short dance from last season:

Michigan was already considered the ice dance capital of the world, and now yet another dance center has been added to the mix. It will be interesting to see what other teams flock to Novi to train under Igor. Will some of the Russian teams find their way to Michigan to make a strong surge before Sochi? I'd like to see some young novice and junior American teams make the move so there's a continuous pipeline of talent rising through the ranks like there was in Canton the past decade.

Skate America in October will be the first time Marina and Igor will be behind the boards while representing two different camps. That will add another layer of intrigue to what promises to be an exciting event. I'll be there in Kent, Washington covering it all!

You may have noticed my blog has undergone a bit of a makeover. I'd like to thank IM Designs for her awesome design work. I love my new banner!

Team Canton - Thanks for the Memories

On the heels of the shocking news that uber-successful ice dance coach Igor Shpilband was fired from the Arctic Edge rink in Canton, Michigan, I thought it appropriate to take a moment and reflect on the greatness that has been Team Canton for the past decade.

With the apparent split of Igor and his coaching partner Marina Zoueva, it appears Team Canton is in a state of flux. What remains to be seen is whether some of the teams will also leave the rink and follow Igor to his new home, wherever that will be. If there are defections, it will be a sad end to one of the most successful camps in figure skating and the current powerhouse in ice dancing.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto were the pioneers of Team Canton. After Igor and Marina moved to Canton from the Detroit Skating Club in 2003, they added even more teams to their stable of ice dancers, and Tanith and Ben were the leaders of the pack. They picked up their first national title in 2004 and then put American ice dancing back on the map with their silver medal at Worlds in 2005. It was their title-winning performance at 2005 Nationals that I'll always remember, though.

The 2006 Olympics brought Team Canton its first Olympic medal, a silver won by Tanith and Ben. I'll never forget the night of the Original Dance, when a record number of teams tripped and flopped all over the ice. Tanith and Ben were last to skate, and my heart was in my throat as I thought about all the disastrous skates that had preceded them. But they rose to the occasion and gave their best performance of their fiery Latin OD.

Tanith and Ben picked up two more World medals as members of Team Canton, but it was the young teams that started to make waves. In the fall of 2006, Meryl Davis and Charlie White were the first team to earn level fours on all of their elements in a free dance. And at 2007 Worlds, Davis/White and Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir both finished in the top seven, an unheard of result for two teams fresh out of juniors. Tessa and Scott blew me away with their Valse Triste free dance.

After Tanith and Ben left Team Canton in 2008, Davis/White and Virtue/Moir really stepped up and put themselves at the top of North American ice dancing. Meanwhile, the junior teams in the camp were having their own successes. In 2009, Madison Chock/Greg Zuerlein and Alex Shibutani/Maia Shibutani went 1-2 at Junior Worlds, showing just how deep the talent level in Canton was.

Then came 2010, the first of two banner years for Team Canton. Virtue/Moir earned the first Olympic gold medal in ice dance for North America, and Davis/White joined them on the podium with their silver. The teams and their coaches couldn't look any more joyous as they celebrated on the ice together.

Just when you thought they couldn't achieve any more firsts, Team Canton swept the podium at 2011 Worlds for the first North American sweep in ice dancing. Davis/White became the first American world champions in ice dance with their stunning and complex tango free dance. Every time I watch it, I marvel more at how intricate and difficult the program was.

Virtue/Moir picked up the silver medal, and the Shibutanis shocked everyone, including themselves, with the bronze. Their reaction when Igor told them they won a medal ("Don't have a heart attack.") is one of my favorite Kiss and Cry moments of all time.

Team Canton's success continued in 2012 with Virtue/Moir and Davis/White again finishing as the top two teams in the world. The camp seemed to be headed toward another year of victories in 2013, but with the firing of Igor, everything looks to be a muddled mess now. I just hope that all the teams can find the best situation for their personal and professional needs, and ice dancing in the U.S. can continue to thrive.

And now for a few of my favorite Team Canton photos . . .