Figure skating duos from Novi to compete in 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

NOVI, Mich. – Around this time last year, the best of the American figure skaters were in Detroit for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

This year the competition is this week in Greensboro, North Carolina. There will be plenty of skaters who train in Novi, and the anticipation inside the Novi Ice Arena is palpable.

Igor Shpilband is the world renown ice dancing guru. He’s been coaching in Novi since 2012. In that time he and his team have coached 17 ice dancing teams that have competed in two Olympic games.

About two years ago Shpilband welcomed Italian ice dancing champ and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo to join his team. He also hired Michael Lee, a mime who trained under Marcel Marceau, to work with the skaters and their performances.

“We start with the breath ... It has to be with every single movement ... If they inhale ... That’s joy ... Instead of telling them to smile,” Lee said.

In 2018 Shpilband’s most well-known team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, decided to move to Montreal for a fresh start with new coaches. But that didn’t mean Shpilband and his team closed up shop. Instead, the opposite happened.

“Very well represented ... Probably the most teams from any other place,” Shpilband said. “This season we’re focusing on making our presence felt.”

Four out of the 12 ice dancing duos competing at the junior level at nationals will be from Novi and three out of the eight senior teams at nationals will be from there.

Shpilband said to look out for Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, who he said have a great shot to make the podium at nationals and move on to worlds.

Watch the national competitions on NBC and NBCSN. The senior events start this Thursday. NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Nationals begins Friday night at 8 p.m.


About the Authors:

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.