Preview: Novice Ice Dancers Head to St. Louis for 2026 U.S. Championships
by Anne Calder | Photos by Daphne Backman
Five novice ice dance teams have qualified to compete at the 2026 U.S. Championships in St. Louis, MO.
Novice ice dancers first competed at the National Championships in 1991 in Minneapolis, MN. For almost 30 years, they traveled a convoluted route to Championship venue assignments, competing at the main arena with the juniors and seniors or at nearby venues alongside the juvenile and intermediate competitors.
When U.S. Figure Skating introduced the National Qualifying System (NQS) for the 2019-2020 season, the new pipeline structure strongly affected the juvenile, intermediate and novice (JINs) athletes.
In January 2020, in lieu of their National competition, the JINs who had qualified in all four disciplines at the November Sectionals or Finals attended the first National High-Performance Development Camp. The event was held in Charlotte, NC immediately after the Championships ended in Greensboro, NC.
At the 2024, 2025, 2026 Ice Dance Finals the five highest scoring novice dance teams were invited to compete at the U.S. Championships in Columbus, OH, Wichita, KS and St. Louis, MO.
January 4-6, 2026, the novice dancers will compete alongside all the junior teams at the Centene Community Center in the St. Louis suburb of Maryland Heights. The Olympic Team selection competition will be held January 7-11 at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis.
The novice dancers will begin their 2026 participation on Sunday morning with a 30 minute practice session. The Starlight Waltz and Quickstep Pattern Dances will be skated on Monday followed the next day with their Free Dances presentations. Medals will be awarded at the podium ceremony.
- Novice events will be available on the U.S. Figure Skating YouTube channel.
- Junior events will be live on Peacock and also on the U.S. Figure skating YouTube channel after 24 hours.
Sophia Kartashov (12) Nicholas Kartashov (12)
The team trains at the Hertz Arena in Estero, FL with Ilya Tkachenko and Marina Zoueva, who is also the team choreographer.
What is special about ice dancing with your twin?
Sophia: We always know what the other is thinking — it’s like skating with a mirror that talks.
Nicholas: Trust comes easy, and when everything clicks, it feels like one rhythm, not two people.
How did your ballroom dancing help with ice dancing?
Sophia: Ballroom taught us musicality and expression. On ice, we think to perform, not just skate.
Nicholas: Leading, timing, and partnering — ballroom gave us all of that before we ever stepped on the rink.
Tell us about your Free Dance to Oklahoma. What do you like best about skating it?
Sophia: I love the storytelling. There’s a soft part and an explosive finish — it feels like a real musical on ice.
Nicholas: The character changes make it fun. It’s acting and skating at the same time.
Competing at Championships for the first time — what are you excited about?
Sophia: The moment they call our names and the music starts. It’s the best feeling.
Nicholas: The energy of a bigger arena, I love it. It feels grandiose.
How has your team prepared? Any changes since Finals?
Sophia: We worked on clean edges, timing, and longer lines. Details matter so much.
Nicholas: We adjusted our Starlight Waltz music and added some touches to our footwork in the Free Program. And we practice again and again, of course.
Besides competing, what else are you looking forward to seeing and doing at Nationals?
Sophia: I’m really excited to see the senior teams up close — it’s inspiring. And I’m looking forward to checking out the arena, the setup, all the behind-the-scenes stuff you don’t see unless you’re there.
Nicholas: Besides competing, I’m looking forward to watching other events. It’s motivating to see what the best in the country are doing. And I also love meeting new people at competitions, so that is always fun.
Natalie Leitan (13) & Nathan Leitan (16)
The team trains in Rockville, MD with Dmytri Ilin. The Choreographers are Greg Zuerlein, Charlie White and Tanith Belbin.
What is special about skating with your sibling?
Natalie: Skating with my sibling is special because we’ve spent so much time together that we understand each other without needing to say much. We motivate each other through both high and low moments, push each other through tough practices, and help each other learn from mistakes. The trust and connection we share make every practice meaningful and help us grow, both on the ice and as siblings.
Nathan: Skating with my sibling is special because we know each other so well and we spend a lot of time together on and off the ice. It’s very fun to live with your partner! Being siblings makes skating together and communicating a lot easier as well.
Tell us about your Free Dance to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. What do you like best about it?
Natalie: I really like our free dance to ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ because both songs tell stories about overcoming challenges. ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ is about leaving things behind and taking control of your own path. ‘I’m Still Standing’ is about pushing through setbacks. The lyric ‘I’m still standing, better than ever, I did’ really resonates with our skating and why these songs felt like the perfect choice for us.”
Nathan: I really like Elton John’s music in general and ever since I started competing I knew I wanted to do an Elton John program. I really like our choreo sequence during the “I’m still standing part,” because it’s super fun to perform. Our program tells a story of perseverance and resilience which we believe was a great pick.
You will be skating at the Championships for the first time. What are you most excited about?
Natalie: I’m most excited about the experience itself. Competing at the championships has been a dream come true, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many talented skaters, to see the level of competition, and to finally take everything we’ve worked on in practice and share it on such a big stage.
Nathan: I am most excited to learn what the experience is like. Competing at the championships is a great opportunity for us to meet more experienced skaters, see our friends, and show the best of our programs.
You recently medaled at the Santa Claus Cup in Budapest, Hungary. Share your thoughts about your first international event.
Natalie: Competing in Budapest was such an incredible experience and something I will cherish in my heart forever. We were so grateful for the chance to represent Team USA and be part of the competition. Meeting skaters from all over the world was very inspiring, and being able to skate in another country made the whole experience amazing! It gave us a new perspective on our own skating and how far we’ve come. I feel extremely proud of everything we’ve worked for to get to this point, especially because we won, which makes the experience even more meaningful.
Nathan: We are so thankful for the great opportunity for an international! It was a great experience and my first time in Europe. Meeting and talking with so many different teams was very invigorating while also representing the USA for the first time felt so valuable. It gave me a new view on international competitions because now instead of watching them I get to compete in them! It was our first gold internationally and ever!
How has your team prepared for the Championships? Were any program changes made?
Natalie: Our days start with early morning practice at 6, then school, and we return to the ice in the afternoon. We’ve spent hours focusing on every detail of our programs, fixing mistakes, and improving as skaters every day. It’s been a lot of hard work, but all of that effort has brought us to this point, and we feel ready to give our best performance.
Nathan: We have been training every day with our coach and working hard. We spend lots of time fine tuning our steps and working on improving our overall performance.
Besides competing, what else are you looking forward to seeing and doing at Nationals?
Natalie: I am so excited to meet new people and get to learn what the experience is like!
Nathan: I am super excited to see all the older skaters as I have looked up to them for years! I also can’t wait to see all my friends again and make new ones as well!
Katherine Li (11) & James Zhu (14)
The team trains at the IceWorks in Ashton, PA with coaches and choreographers Nick Buckland, Penny Coomes, Colin McManus, Anastasia Cannuscio, James Hernandez and Zhanna Palagina.
What is special about skating with your sibling?
Katherine: Skating with my sibling is special because we know each other so well and trust each other. That makes it easier to work together and stay focused and help each other.
James: I have someone there when things get bad and since we are siblings, we work easier together than being solo skaters or being with another partner.
Tell us about your Free Dance to Dr. Who, the Television Series. What do you like best about it?
Katherine: What I like best about our free dance is how it showcases the characters of the show in Dr. Who which is really cool. James portrays Dr Who and I am the alien, and during the free dance we are trying to represent the battle between Dr. Who and the alien.
James: I love Dr. Who free dance program. It has so much creativity and drama. It is really the best fit for us since our free dance shows so much action through out the program.
Tell us about your first international competition at the Bolero Cup in Sheffield, Great Britain.
Katherine: It was an amazing experience for us since it was our very first international event representing Team USA. It was also the inaugural first competition for the Bolero Cup. We were so proud to receive the gold medal and trophy from legendary figure skating champs Torvill and Dean which the competition was named in honor of their 1984 Olympic performance.
James: We had an awesome time there, although it was probably one of the first competitions that I was super nervous for. We also really enjoyed getting to explore London and doing some sight seeing after the competition which was amazing.
How has your team been preparing for the Championships. Were any changes made to the program?
Katherine: We are working to push ourselves to the limit and putting in 100% effort.
James: There were no major changes made to our programs, we are just practicing to polish up some weak spots from the Ice Dance Final and have confidence the hard work will pay off.
You will be skating at the U.S. Championships for the first time. What are you most excited about?
Katherine: I am glad that we qualified for our first U.S Championships in our first year together in the Novice level and I am really excited to compete there!
James: I am excited to visit St. Louis and see all the great competitors there and also see my friends as we train and live all over the country so this is a great time to get together.
Besides competing, what else are you looking forward to seeing and doing at Nationals?
Katherine: See my friends and have fun!
James: I look forward to seeing my friends and also watching all the other competitions and performances!
Rylen Lukanin (12) & Patrick O’Brien (13)
The team trains at the Montclair State University ice arena in New Jersey with Kristen Fraser-Lukanin and Igor Lukanin, who also choreographs their programs.
What is special about Ice Dance? What is your favorite / least favorite element? Why?
Rylen: My favorite element is footwork because I like the turns. One of my favorite turns is a forward outside rocker. One of my least favorite elements is the spin. It’s not that I don’t like it, the entry to the spin is a little nerve wracking but after we get past it I start to breathe.
Patrick: What’s really special about Ice Dance to me is the connection you get to create on the ice with your partner. My partner is one of my closest friends, and it’s so much fun to perform together. My favorite element this year is the choreo step. It took me a long time to really get the performance and timing right, but now that I finally feel confident with it, it’s become something I’m proud of.
Tell us about your individual skating journeys and how you became Team Lukanin & O’Brien?
Rylen: I started “skating” around the age of 3 with Patrick. My mom always told me she would spend 30 minutes putting on all my layers and then I would skate for 5 minutes and say” I’m done”. Then at the age of 5, Patrick and I started to really skate and we started to compete in pre-juvenile and everything has gone on from that moment.
Patrick: My earliest skating memories go all the way back to when I was just learning to walk. I’ve basically grown up on the ice. My skating journey with Rylen started not long after that. My older sister was taking lessons with Mrs. Kristen and Mr. Igor, and one day they decided to give us a chance to skate together. We clicked right away, and we’ve been Team Lukanin & O’Brien ever since.
Tell us about your Free Dance to Wicked: The Soundtrack. What do you like best about skating it?
Rylen: I love skating to the Wicked Soundtrack because it has many different music styles and Patrick and I excel in facial expressions and dance, so the music really helps us show that. Also, I love my costume, it fits to wicked so well!
Patrick: Our Free Dance to Wicked: The Soundtrack is honestly my favorite program I’ve ever skated. The music is super fun, so it makes performing it feel really cool. My favorite part is the beginning because it starts off with a ton of energy—it’s like jumping right into the action.
Tell us about your experience competing internationally at the 2025 Bolero Cup in Sheffield, Great Britain.
Rylen: At Bolero Cup we had a great time! When we are at international competitions we just want to have a great experience! I took pictures with some of my favorite skaters! And we got to cheer for our National Team members!
Patrick: Competing at the 2025 Bolero Cup was honestly such a fun time. It was my first time ever visiting Great Britain, so everything felt new and exciting. One of the coolest parts was getting to meet Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean in person! I also felt really proud and honored to be chosen to represent the United States at the first-ever Bolero Cup. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
You will be skating at the Championships for the first time. What are you excited the most about?
Rylen: I am most excited to be competing at nationals for the first time! Also, I can’t wait to watch the juniors and seniors!
Patrick: I’m super excited to compete at the US Figure Skating Championships for the first time! Skating alongside so many talented teams is going to be amazing, and I’m excited for the challenge. It’s definitely a big stage, but I look forward to get out there, and give it my best.
Besides competing, what else are you looking forward to seeing and doing at Nationals?
Rylen: Besides competing, I am looking forward to hanging out with my family and hearing them cheering me on and watching U.S. Figure Skating announce the 2026 national team for the Olympics!
Patrick: Besides competing, I’m really excited to watch the junior and senior teams up close and in person, especially since it’s an Olympic year. It’s always an inspiration for me to watch the higher levels compete.
Anna Waugh (14) and Matthew Jacoby (16)
The team trains at Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society in Ardmore, PA with Slava Uchitel, Oleg Feduikov and Zhanna Palagina. Slava Uchitel choreographs their programs.
You are a new team. Tell us about your individual skating journeys.
Anna: I started skating when I was just 3, so have been skating for 12 years and have been doing Ice Dance for 6 years. I moved to Philadelphia in June with my mom to skate with Matt. We get along really well so it’s been fun partnering with him. I have qualified for the US National Development Team 4 times and now I am so excited to be skating at the US Championships!
Matthew: I think my skating story is pretty typical; my parents signed me up for learn to skate when I was five and I quickly started telling them I want to ‘do that’—all of the jumps and spins I saw the big kids doing. After a lot of asking, they found me a coach. This is my third season in ice dance. The past year was hard after the crash, but I knew I wanted to keep skating and am really lucky to have found such a great partner. Anna and I started skating together in June and clicked right away. We have a lot of fun together.
You skate at America’s first skating club, the The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society. What is special about training in a 175 year old historic building?
Anna: I think that skating at the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society is very special. It is a very unique rink and really pretty place to skate.
Matthew: It’s really nice to train on purely figure skating ice and even better to be in one with windows! The club completed restoration of the roof and skylights over the summer, and it is so light and airy now in the rink. It is amazing seeing the sun rise and set from the ice (usually not on the same day…). My favorite time is seeing the trees covered in snow in winter, it feels so open and free.
One of the funniest things about the club are all of the old rules left over from the 1800’s that are still part of the member agreement – like that we have to carry rope and an ice pick when we go skate on the Schuylkill River (river going through Philadelphia). I don’t think I’ve ever seen any ice, let alone skateable ice, on the Schuylkill!
At the Dance Final your coach said your training for the Championships would include, “Lots of spins and footwork.” Share how you have prepared for the January event.
Anna: Well, we sure have been doing lots of spins and footwork, and of course twizzles preparing for the Championship.
Matthew: Lots of spins and footwork! We basically made a plan and followed it – patterns, spins, footwork, lifts. Always, but especially since we are a new team, there’s a lot of room for improvement.
Tell us about your Free Dance. What do you like best about skating it? Explain your costumes.
Anna: I personally love our Free Dance this year. It is very fun and more upbeat than any program that I’ve done before. Our Free Dance costumes were made by my Mom, which is very special to me. I got to be part of the design of my dress and see up close all of the love, sweat and tears she put into making it. It all paid off and we have very beautiful costumes.
Matthew: We are skating to the music of Ray Charles – one of the most iconic American musicians. It’s a great match for us because we both like upbeat programs and his music offered us a great range of pieces to perform to. I think this program really lets us highlight our personalities while having fun to the music.
You will skate at the U.S. Championships for the first time. What are you most excited about?
Anna: Competing at the U.S. Championships is just such a great honor for only skating together for six months. We have been training very hard since the Ice Dance Finals. I am very excited to go to St. Louis; to just be there and be in the atmosphere of the Championship!
Matthew: I am so excited to be skating at the competition where the US Olympic Team will be decided!
Besides competing, what else are you looking forward to seeing and doing at the Championships?
Anna: I want to see the Arch, just walk around and check things out, and try some of the food in St. Louis.
Matthew: I have never been to St. Louis before, and I want to go to see the Arch. One of my favorite things about skating is that I get to learn about lots of new places, and St. Louis is bringing me closer to my goal of skating in all 50 states. Also, just being in the arena when the championship is taking place is awesome. I am so excited to see some of the best skating in the world!