Photographs 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 symbolize Ecuador.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections.
Gabriela Palomeque (GP): I discovered 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 approach again to the automotive 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 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 have been taking classes on Saturdays and skating on public classes on Sundays.
Tanner White (TW): I began skating after I was about 4 years previous at my native area within the study to skate program. My earliest reminiscence on the ice I’ve is from round age 5 after 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 cherished 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 needed to change 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 concept of going into pairs skating and he instructed I began out in dance so I might learn 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 seemed as much as skaters resembling 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 buddy, 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 symbolize Ecuador in ice dance.
TW: Our partnership, for me, began fully unexpectedly. I had initially retired from aggressive ice dance in 2014, transferring residence to Ottawa from Toronto the place I had skilled 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 12 months, 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 fascinated with making a comeback to ice dancing, as she had a skater (who’s now my companion) from Ecuador and was searching for 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 after I left the game in 2014, my final day on the rink in Toronto leaving for the final time after 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 primary stroking workout routines on our personal. Fairly rapidly, issues got here collectively. I used to be capable of lastly understand that I used to be totally recovered and capable of skate once more, though I used to be out of form. We gave the impression to be match, regardless of our top 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 study 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 nearly 10 years away from ice dancing, I’m doing more difficult components 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 skill to select issues up rapidly, 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 deliver to the partnership?
GP: 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 each time we now have 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 Membership, then I moved to Michigan the place I skilled 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 considered one 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 most important adjustment for every of you thus far 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 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 Worldwide 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 enough restoration time between coaching classes.
Inform us about your coaching web site.
GP: We skate essentially the most on the Nepean Sportsplex, few early mornings on the Gloucester skating membership, and weekends in Aylmer, Gatineau.
Now we have had few alternatives to coach in Montreal with Mylene Lamoureoux, Shawn Winter and Elise Hamel.
TW: We prepare on the Gloucester Skating Membership, CPA Asticou, Rideau Skating Membership and the Nepean Skating Membership. We’re 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 the 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 need to relocate? In that 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 excellent 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. Now 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 right now to a bigger dance coaching centre, as we’re each working adults in Ottawa, so we do our greatest to work with native coaches, quick journeys to bigger centres and convey coaches from distant to us via digital teaching. It’s a problem aligning our work and coaching schedules with our coaches schedules, nonetheless we do one of the best we will.
Who’s choreographing your packages. Is another person arranging your music? In that case, please share these experiences.
GP: The choreography has been a crew effort between many coaches and our personal concepts. Few instances, we now have gone to coach in Pierrefonds with Mylene Lamoreoux for choreography, Elise Hamell and Shawn Winter for approach classes.
TW: Our packages 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 we now have labored with Mylene Lamoreux, Michael Coreno, Justin and Chantall Bell, all of whom have made their mark on our packages. 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.
When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
GP: It’s exhausting to decide on however I’ve all the time seemed 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 can be your greatest problem(s)?
GP: Although we’re working exhausting on getting the technical rating increased. I’m wanting ahead to see a better mark on our program elements, 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 crew and having much less expertise than different groups, I really feel the strain that I’m not adequate, however all the pieces fades away after I step on the ice. I keep in mind all what we now 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 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’d get the possibility. The Lake Placid Worldwide this previous summer time was a dream come true, and all the pieces since has been such a blessing.
Inform us about your debut competitors this season?
TW: Our debut was somewhat 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 packages.
Our worldwide debut was on the Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide occasion this previous summer time. We had an excellent expertise there, it was such an honour to have the possibility to symbolize Ecuador on the Worldwide stage for the primary time in ice dance. We realized so much from all the technical suggestions and since then we now have continued to enhance.
Please share something you want to our readers to find out about you as a crew?
GP: Being the primary Ecuadorian ice dance crew means so much to me. And we are going to work very exhausting to get us to 4 Continents Championships and ultimately 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 amenities and coaching alternatives that we now have entry to in our metropolis. I would like readers to know that typically alternatives come up in life while you least count on 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 symbolize Ecuador Internationally and we are going to do our best possible to realize our objectives.
