Images by Yoriko Suzuki
For the following entry in our New Group Sequence, we meet Jasmine Robertson & Chase Rohner, junior ice dancers who symbolize the USA. The workforce received the gold medal at Junior Grand Prix Varese and completed sixth on the 2025 Junior Grand Prix Remaining.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular reminiscences.
Jasmine: After I was three years outdated, as we handed the Manchester Ice Centre in McCall, Idaho, I requested my mom concerning the constructing. She defined, in easy phrases, that it was a spot the place individuals danced on ice. Every time we drove by on the best way to highschool, I’d inform her that it was my ice rink and categorical my want to skate. My enthusiasm proved useful for my mom, who describes me as a really energetic youngster—one who continuously wanted new actions. Given the local weather in McCall, Idaho, kids sometimes participated in determine skating, hockey, or ski racing. When requested which sport I needed to pursue, I spun round and instructed her I needed to bounce on the ice. Later that fall, I enrolled within the Study to Skate program and started non-public classes on the age of 4.
My journey in skating has introduced quite a few blessings and noteworthy experiences. Skating performed a vital position in serving to me navigate troublesome instances, akin to my mother and father’ divorce throughout my early years, my mom’s prognosis of Stage 3 most cancers once I was ten, and our transfer throughout the USA to Nashville, Tennessee. The ice rink grew to become a sanctuary—a spot the place I may momentarily escape life’s challenges and discover tranquility via motion, music, and the liberty of gliding swiftly on the ice.
Chase: I first began skating very younger at about two years outdated, and I did some competitions and reveals on and off till I used to be eight. After that, I made a decision I needed to get extra severe about skating and began actually specializing in coaching. I skated singles via intermediate, when my mother instructed I attempt dance to enhance my edge high quality. After about six months of doing dance, I used to be hooked.
What drew you to ice dance?
Jasmine: The rationale why I gravitated in the direction of ice dance is that I like to carry out. From a younger age, I’d placed on productions, type daring outfits, and dance. As soon as I grew just a little older and began to determine skate, I discovered that ice dancing was the proper outlet to let my gentle shine, and I haven’t stopped since. Plus, I really like sharing the expertise with a buddy.
Chase: I like doing footwork and sophisticated steps, like some sample dances, and the precision of all of it.
Inform us how your partnership began. Describe the tryout.
Jasmine: The Novi coaches instructed me a couple of attainable tryout with Chase. We had two tryouts: the primary was a quick check of our compatibility, which went nicely, so we scheduled a second week-long tryout. I felt we labored nicely collectively, and I ended the week with a optimistic impression of Chase as a dance accomplice.
Chase: After the primary one, I had determined that that is what I needed to do and that I needed to attempt to make Group USA. I felt like we each clicked fairly simply with one another and I used to be trying ahead to skating with Jasmine.
Jasmine: The factor that stunned me probably the most about Chase, and is one among my favourite issues about him, is his capability to take corrections and apply them immediately.
Chase: I used to be stunned by Jasmine’s willingness to speak and speak clearly about every part within the partnership.
What experiences do every of you convey to the partnership?
Jasmine: I’ve labored with a lot of coaches in Novi, Nashville and McCall. I achieved gold stage in U.S. Determine Skating Strikes within the Discipline and Sample Dance. With a earlier accomplice, I received the 2024 U.S. championships on the novice stage.
Chase: Previous to skating with Jasmine, I had lots of competitors expertise in solo dance nationally, and expertise with a brief record of companions in partnered dance, additionally nationally. Earlier than switching to bounce, I used to be a singles skater, and I had already completed all of my strikes within the subject assessments, lots of sample dance assessments and thru my juvenile freeskate check. That gave me an excellent basis going into this partnership.
What has been the largest adjustment for every of you to date within the partnership?
Jasmine: My largest adjustment was returning to skating with a accomplice. I spent a yr creating my particular person abilities between Chase and my earlier accomplice, so I hadn’t executed a lot accomplice work throughout that interval. When Chase formally grew to become my accomplice, I needed to reacquaint myself with the dynamics of skating alongside another person.
Chase: For me, the largest changes have been transferring from Utah to Michigan and going from one coach to an entire workforce. In Utah there weren’t an entire lot of dancers, not to mention groups, so it’s been an excellent change to be coaching round much more groups right here in Novi.
What’s it that you just already like most about dancing together with your new accomplice?
Jasmine: The rationale why I really like dancing and skating with Chase is due to his intentions and efforts he places into his personal skating and the partnership. He wants no exterior push to work arduous and apply the knowledge that we obtain. The opposite half that I actually like about dancing with Chase is that he’s only a nice human being, due to his willingness to hear once I want assist and his openness to speak via any challenges we face.
Chase: Jasmine has an awesome work ethic, and there’s an excellent quantity of humor combined in everyday.
Inform us about your coaching website.
Jasmine: Our coaching takes place in Novi, Michigan, the place we profit from phenomenal coaches devoted to motivating and guiding us to excellence. The skaters round us are expert and supportive – seniors set a robust instance of greatness that I aspire to be, whereas juniors foster a welcoming but pleasant, aggressive ambiance. All through the week, everybody on the rink joins dance courses akin to ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and extra. Personally, I add lengthy distance working, Pilates, barre, weight coaching, and restoration with a sports activities therapeutic massage therapist. After all, I attempt to add in an excellent steadiness of sleep for restoration too.
Chase: The ice is sweet, and it’s a pleasant quiet surroundings, which provides us all the chance to concentrate on what we’re doing. The power additionally offers area for dance courses and elevate coaching.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each need to relocate? If that’s the case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
Jasmine: Our teaching workforce consists of Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Deller, and Adrienne Lenda. We additionally work with Renee Petkovski, the off-ice dance teacher, Oleg Ouchakov, the lifts coach and Michael Lee, the performing coach. I actually worth the expertise, experience, and alternatives I’ve gained at this faculty.
Three years in the past, I made a decision to relocate right here from Nashville, TN, and the transition was straightforward—I’m glad I made that call. Ice Dance of Novi turned out to be the correct alternative for me. The transition has not been really easy for my mother and father. We nonetheless have our residence in Nashville. My mother travels backwards and forwards with our canine, Banjo. She misses residence in Nashville and mentioned subsequent yr, she’s transferring again to Nashville full-time. I’m excited to start out residing life alone.
Chase: Our coaches on the ice are Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Adrienne Lenda, and Natalia Deller. Off the ice, are Renee Petkovski, Oleg Ouchakov, and Michael Lee. We have now a workforce of seven coaches on and off the ice. They every convey one thing completely different and invaluable to the workforce effort. I moved simply after turning 17 from Utah. I’m lucky to stay within the residence of one other skating household in Michigan.
Who’s choreographing your applications. Is another person arranging your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
Jasmine: Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo function our principal choreographers and are primarily chargeable for music enhancing. Every now and then, another person is used to refine transitions and improve musical endings.
Chase: Choreography is a collaborative effort, primarily between Igor and Pasquale, with enter from our different coaches as wanted. Music is especially executed by Igor.
If you happen to may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
Jasmine: I’d like to work with Madison Hubbell. Her skating demonstrates each class and power, and she or he appears significantly expert at conveying a magical narrative via her performances. I drastically admire Madison Hubbell’s talents and aspire to emulate her stage of artistry and approach. I consider that receiving instruction from her would considerably contribute to my improvement and permit me to refine my skating in alignment with the admirable qualities she displays.
Chase: Scott Moir. Since I began doing dance, I’ve drastically admired his skating talents. I had the chance to fulfill him a pair years in the past at U.S. Championships in Columbus, which was very thrilling.
What have been your largest challenges this season? What are you trying most ahead to for the rest of the season?
Jasmine: This season, I’ve been desperate to compete once more. Since we’re a brand new workforce, I had no expectations for the end result this yr. My solely purpose was to develop as a brand new workforce and as a junior ice dance competitor. Our largest problem to date has been the method of skating as one. That is typical for a brand new workforce, and it takes time and mileage to develop into one unit when skating.
Chase: I’m trying ahead to us persevering with to enhance as a workforce and making an attempt to progress from every competitors to the following, together with bettering on the worldwide stage.
Inform us about your competitions to date this season. You received the gold medal at a JGP occasion. What was this like?
Jasmine: In the beginning of the season, I didn’t have any expectations for a way competitions would end up. Touring overseas for the primary time was thrilling, particularly since we reached the rostrum at our debut JGP occasion. After a brief week at residence within the U.S., we rapidly headed off to Italy. When the competitors ended there, I used to be each ecstatic and stunned by our victory—I actually hadn’t anticipated it. That have boosted my confidence and impressed me, affirming that ice dancing is the place I belong and that my dedication and arduous work have been paying off.
Chase: I had no actual anticipation of how something would go, as a result of we have been a brand new workforce. Getting worldwide assignments was very thrilling and surprising, so I didn’t have any particular targets in thoughts. We had no concept the place we would slot in on the junior worldwide stage, so it was very unbelievable to win a gold medal in Italy.
You certified for the Junior Grand Prix Remaining in your first season. While you set your targets for the season, was this one thing you have been capturing for?
Jasmine: One in every of my targets this season was to concentrate on bettering and strengthening our partnership so we may develop into a aggressive workforce and qualify for a JGP. I’m proud that we achieved this purpose and are surpassing our personal expectations for the yr. It has been an unbelievable begin to our journey as a dance workforce.
Chase: We positively had a purpose of reaching nationals, however we weren’t considering internationally initially of the season. We exceeded each chance we may have set as a purpose.
What’s one phrase that greatest describes your partnership?
Jasmine: Cooperative – as an adjective – working or performing collectively willingly for a typical goal or purpose.
Chase: Decided.
Please share something you desire to our readers to find out about you as a workforce.
Jasmine: We frequently share loads of laughter, joking round about varied issues. I particularly take pleasure in making Chase snicker, usually getting an awesome response from him by opening my tales with one thing stunning or dramatic. After an excellent snicker, I end telling my story. These shared moments imply lots to me and are the highlights of my day.
You possibly can comply with Jasmine and Chase on their Group Instagram @Robertson.Rohner25.
