Photos by Melanie Heaney
Welcome to IDC’s New Team Series! For this sequence, we interview athletes who will enter the upcoming 2024-25 season in a brand new partnership, or debuted final season. In this interview, we meet Gabriela Palomeque & Tanner White, senior ice dancers who characterize Ecuador.
Tell us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections.
Gabriela Palomeque (GP): I came upon about skating when my mother and father 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 had been curious to know what it was.
I remembered watching a couple of skaters taking classes in an 21 x 15 mts of ice, mesmerized by the thought of how they will 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 had been taking classes on Saturdays and skating on public classes on Sundays.
Tanner White (TW): I began skating once I was about 4 years outdated at my native enviornment within the be taught to skate program.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 probably the most gifted with jumps, however I liked skating from a younger age. I started my journey in aggressive ice dancing on the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa, ON, coached by Darryl Vanluven, Marie-Josee Cloutier and Siobhan Karam. I competed at Eastern Ontario sectionals and Skate Canada Challenge 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 Figure Skating Club, coached by Carol and Jon Lane, and Juris Rasgulajevs.
What drew you to ice dance?
GP: Since I used to be little, my sister at all times 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 stop 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 instructed I began out in dance so I may discover ways to skate with a companion whereas I continued to work on my singles skating. Once I began ice dancing, I fell in love with the self-discipline. I seemed as much as skaters akin to Shae-Lyn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White all through my early years in dance.
GP: A Canadian coach and an excellent good friend, Jan Calnan, knew that I used to be transitioning from single skater to ice dance so she contacted Tanner asking him if he’s keen to characterize Ecuador in ice dance.
TW: Our partnership, for me, began utterly unexpectedly. I had initially retired from aggressive ice dance in 2014, shifting house to Ottawa from Toronto the place I had skilled at Scarboro Skating Club’s Ice Dance elite program coached by Carol and John Lane, and Juris Rasgulajevs. I then competed in college determine skating with Brock University 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 time a fellow teaching colleague of mine, Jan Calnan got here as much as me asking me if I used to be eager about making a comeback to ice dancing, as she had a skater (who’s now my companion) from Ecuador and was on the lookout for a companion to compete with. At 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 assumed 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 assumed to myself, I higher give this an opportunity, I owe it to my youthful self who dreamed huge 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 primary stroking workout routines on our personal. Pretty shortly, issues got here collectively. I used to be capable of lastly notice that I used to be absolutely recovered and capable of skate once more, though I used to be out of form. We appeared to be match, regardless of our peak distinction and we started coaching collectively.
What is it that you just already like most about dancing along 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 attempt new issues most of all. For me, at 32 years outdated and after virtually 10 years away from ice dancing, I’m doing tougher components than I ever did earlier than. The sport 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 skill to choose issues up shortly, as that is her first dance partnership, she places in 100% effort each 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: Even although 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 centered on our personal journey. I even have a extremely good visible reminiscence, so every time we have now classes with a choreographer I used to be capable of remind Tanner his steps.
TW: I competed within the Canadian aggressive dance scene from round 2006-2011 coaching in Ottawa on the Minto Skating Club, then I moved to Michigan the place I skilled and competed with Auvikki DeBoon in Junior Dance on the 2011 National championships of the Netherlands in Tilburg, NL. After our partnership ended I moved to Toronto to coach on the Scarboro Figure Skating Club 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 Challenge in 2012. I then went to Brock University and competed within the Men’s Free Skate self-discipline at Ontario University Athletic Championship occasions.
What has been the most important adjustment for every of you up to now within the partnership?
GP: Finding ice time hasn’t been constant all through the season. Our largest changes is aligning our schedules with the ice time we’re provided.
I’ve an element 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 normally. 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 influence degree, and competing at International occasions. The bodily conditioning aspect of issues has been the most important 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.
Tell us about your coaching website.
GP: We skate probably the most on the Nepean Sportsplex, few early mornings on the Gloucester skating membership, and weekends in Aylmer, Gatineau.
We have had few alternatives to coach in Montreal with Mylene Lamoureoux, Shawn Winter and Elise Hamel.
TW: We practice on the Gloucester Skating Club, CPA Asticou, Rideau Skating Club and the Nepean Skating Club. We are the one ice dancers at a lot of the golf equipment we skate at and have restricted entry to ice time, as most of our native golf equipment are centered in direction of singles skating. We skate on ice wherever we’re welcomed and admire the golf equipment who enable us to coach on their ice very a lot.
Who are your coaches? Did both or each need to relocate? If so, 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 effectively. Our different coach is Dylan Harries, he specializes extra off the ice like conditioning and psychological coaching however he additionally has an amazing background on turns, presentation and little particulars that makes a distinction on our coaching classes.
TW: We are coached by Michael Coreno, we are also coached nearly over zoom by Nick Buckland, and Mylene Girard and her staff. We have 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 capable of 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 far-off to us by digital teaching. It is a problem aligning our work and coaching schedules with our coaches schedules, nonetheless we do the perfect we are able to.
Who is choreographing your applications. Is another person arranging your music? If so, please share these experiences.
GP: The choreography has been a staff effort between many coaches and our personal concepts. Few occasions, we have now gone to coach in Pierrefonds with Mylene Lamoreoux for choreography, Elise Hamell and Shawn Winter for method classes.
TW: Our applications have been choreographed by a staff of a number of coaches, and our personal choreography. We began our free dance with Vanessa Chartrand, and since then we have now 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 Guy” who additionally did our 80’s rhythm dance from final season.
If you would have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
GP: It’s laborious to decide on however I’ve at all times seemed as much as Tessa Virtue, 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 look at 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 earth on the time, Tessa and Scott and Meryl and Charlie. It could be an honour to have a lesson with them.
What is every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What will likely be your largest problem(s)?
GP: Even although we’re working laborious on getting the technical rating larger. I’m wanting ahead to see a better 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 centered on our journey. Being a brand new staff and having much less expertise than different groups, I really feel the strain that I’m not ok, however the whole lot fades away once I step on the ice. I bear in mind all what we have now 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 probably 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 possibility. The Lake Placid International this previous summer time was a dream come true, and the whole lot since has been such a blessing.
Tell us about your debut competitors this season?
TW: Our debut was a bit of tough, we competed at an area 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 effectively over 10 years in Ice Dancing. We had 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 International occasion this previous summer time. We had an amazing expertise there, it was such an honour to have the possibility to characterize Ecuador on the International stage for the primary time in ice dance. We realized loads from the entire technical suggestions and since then we have now continued to enhance.
Please share something you prefer to our readers to learn about you as a staff?
GP: Being the primary Ecuadorian ice dance staff means loads to me. And we’ll work very laborious to get us to Four 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 assist our personal skating and we profit from what services and coaching alternatives that we have now entry to in our metropolis. I need readers to know that typically alternatives come up in life while you least count on them, and if you’re keen to place the work in, nothing is unimaginable. It is the chance 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 targets.