New Team Series: Sylvie Kotch & Archie Schuster

Photo by Daphne Backman

For the next entry in our New Team Series, we meet Sylvie Kotch & Archie Schuster, intermediate ice dancers from the United States who finished fifth at the juvenile level at the 2026 U.S. Ice Dance Final. 

Tell us about your individual skating journeys, including any early special memories.

Sylvie: I learned how to skate on my backyard rink, when I was 3 years old. At age 6, when I started to try to jump on my own, my mom called a figure skating club for me to take lessons, but because it was during covid, my first lessons with a coach were on my backyard rink. I started competing singles at age 8.

Archie: I started skating at 8 in Learn to Skate. I really liked it, so I kept going, and I especially liked doing spirals down the ice. My first competition was at age 10.

What drew you to ice dance?

Sylvie: I started ice dance because I wanted to see what it would feel like. I really enjoyed it and wanted to keep ice dancing because it was fun and I realized I wanted to skate with a partner.

Tell us how your partnership started?

Sylvie: I met Archie at the 2023 Excel National Festival in Austin TX, and we were both from MN. We kept seeing each other at competitions throughout that year and got to know each other, and our moms both knew we wanted to skate with a partner at some point. One day, we realized our ice dance lessons were back-to-back, so we asked the coach to try us out as partners in ice dance. Our tryout went well, and it felt good skating together.

Archie: I met Sylvie in Austin, TX at the Excel series and we both ended up being from MN, and we started skating together a year later and it worked!

What is it that you like most about dancing with new partner?

Sylvie: What I like most about skating with Archie is that he works hard, and I trust him.

Archie: What I like most about skating with my partner is that she is always a bright presence on and off the ice and has an incredible lightness to her skating.

What experiences do each of you bring to the partnership? 

Sylvie: I skated with Northernettes synchronized skating for 3 years and bring experience skating “in-synch” with teammates, this is where I realized I really wanted to skate with a partner. I competed at the 2025 Synchronized Skating National Championships at the juvenile level. I have passed my Silver Skills and my bronze free skate.

Archie: I have passed my gold skills, and pre-gold freestyle tests but most important, I always come to the rink with a good attitude and a growth mindset.

What has been the biggest adjustment for each of you so far in the partnership?

Sylvie: The biggest adjustment for us has been scheduling our training time at both of our rinks and with all our coaches.

Archie: The biggest adjustment has been learning to work with each other on developing our programs, such as the music and costumes.

Tell us about your training site.

We train at St. Paul FSC and at Braemar City of Lakes FSC. We both take ballet and Pilates at our home club, Braemar.

Tell us about your coaches.

Our primary dance coach is Madeline Moore, and our supportng coaches are Ari Lieb, Molly Oberstar & Kelly Corcoran-Smith. Our off-ice Pilates and Dance coach is Lisa Zamarripa.

Who is choreographing your programs. Is someone else arranging your music? If so, please share those experiences.

Sylvie: Greg Zuerlein and Tanith Belbin collaborated for this season’s choreography. Hugo Chouinard cut the free dance music. I really enjoy working with Greg & Tanith at MIDA and look forward to our trips there.

Archie: It’s a pleasure to work with them and have fun as we work hard.

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?

Sylvie: I would like to have a lesson with Madison Chock because she is so fun to watch, and I love her costumes.

Guillaume Cizeron, because I admire his ability to control the ice with laser focused precision as his body melds with the music embodying it completely!

What is each of you looking forward to most this skating season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?

Sylvie: I am looking forward to competing, because it is what I enjoy the most. Our biggest challenge will be qualifying for nationals, being new to the intermediate level.

Archie: I’m looking forward to: NQS, qualifying for Nationals at intermediate is our long-term goal this year and our biggest challenge.

Please share anything you would like our readers to know about you as a team?
Sylvie: We are a great team because we both really enjoy learning new skills and growing together.

Archie: As a team: we both love having each other as partner and the progress we make everyday, especially when our technical elements come together the week before competition.

Follow Sylvie and Archie on their team Instagram account @Sylvie.Archie.icedanceteam.