{"id":39313,"date":"2025-02-24T15:48:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=39313"},"modified":"2025-02-24T15:48:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:48:49","slug":"recap-2025-four-continents-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/recap-2025-four-continents-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap: 2025 Four Continents Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Anne Calder<\/em><\/p>\n

The 2025 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships were held in Seoul, Korea, February 19 – 23. The event was established in 1999 to provide non-European countries a competitive opportunity similar to the European Figure Skating Championships.<\/p>\n

The continents include the Americas (North and South), Africa, Asia and Oceania – four of the five represented in the Olympic rings, excluding Europe.<\/p>\n

Fourteen ice dance teams representing eight countries (AUS, CAN, CHN, JPN, KAZ, KOR, MEX, USA) competed in both the Rhythm and Free Dances.<\/p>\n

RHYTHM DANCE<\/b><\/p>\n

The season 2024-2025 Rhythm Dance theme is \u201cSocial Dances and Styles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s<\/span>\u201d. It\u00a0 <\/span>takes inspiration from the high energy and entertaining dance styles from these decades.<\/p>\n

The five highest scoring teams after the Rhythm Dance included: Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha, Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko and Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik.<\/p>\n

Gilles & Poirier (CAN) chose a 1960\u2019s Barbie and the Beach Boys <\/i>theme that included \u201cI Get Around\u201d and \u201cCalifornia Girls\u201d plus \u201cWipeout\u201d by The Surfaris. The duo has been switching off four sets of \u201csurfing\u201d themed costumes all season. In Seoul, they wore pink and yellow beach outfits. The twizzles and lift earned level 4; both midline step sequences were level 3. The program scored a season best 87.22 points.<\/p>\n

Gilles explained the choice of these themed costumes for the event. \u201cWe and our coaches have clearly two top favorites of the group. We felt confident in these since they\u2019re really easy to skate in. We wanted to be comfortable and calm here at Four Continents. These bring that out in us, and they\u2019re also just so cute.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put a lot of care and attention into the program since the Grand Prix season because we felt there were a lot of places that didn’t have the exact feeling that we wanted to capture,\u201d Poirier explained. \u201cWe put a lot of time into really developing each moment and each movement creating the power and the feeling that we wanted to create.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates (USA) performed their Dance Through the Decades<\/i>\u00a0program to seven musical selections from the 50\u2019s, 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s. The married couple opened with the Hawaii 5-0 <\/i>instrumental theme and closed with \u201cLast Dance\u201d by Donna Summer. The twizzles and lift earned level 4; the midline step sequences were level 2 (W) and 3 (M), and reduced the base value for the element. The total segment scored 86.21.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to always hope for the season\u2019s best, which today we were a little bit short,\u201d Bates said. \u201cAt the Final we skated really well and really free. Today I think maybe there were moments where we could have attacked a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lajoie & Lagha (CAN) danced to the Austin Powers <\/i>theme song, \u201cSoul Bossa Nova\u201d by Quincy Jones and his Orchestra, \u201c<\/i>Shining Star\u201d by Earth, Wind & Fire and \u201cBoogie Wonderland\u201d by Earth, Wind and Fire & The Emotions. The twizzles and lift were level 4; both midline step sequences earned level 3. The team received a personal best 82.86 score.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe personal best feels very good,\u201d Lajoie said. \u201cToday we were able to keep calm and skate the rhythm dance [well]. We made a lot of changes, and it felt really good. It almost feels like it\u2019s not the same program as before. I think it was our best rhythm dance of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carreira & Ponomarenko (USA) used \u201cI just want to Make Love to You\u201d by Etta James and \u201cLong Tall Sally\u201d by Little Richard to earn a 79.30 segment score. The twizzles and lift earned level 4; both midline step sequences were level 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rhythm dance was definitely a goal for us because nationals was tight,\u201d Ponomarenko noted. \u201cThe nerves got to us a bit, so this one was more free. There\u2019s a bit of technical work that needs to be done before Worlds, but we\u2019re happy overall.\u201dCarreira added, \u201cIt was a step in the right direction, but we want to continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zingas & Kolesnik (USA) danced a Bee Gees medley that included: \u201cJive Talking\u201d, \u201cStayin\u2019 Alive\u201d and \u201cYou Should Be Dancing\u201d. The twizzles and lift earned level 4; the midline step sequences were level 1 (W) and level 2 (M). The segment scored 74.63.<\/p>\n

Zingas shared her disappointment in the performance. \u201cWe had some high expectations because we performed pretty well in last year\u2019s Four Continents. I felt particularly shaky, so definitely not the best I can do. I had some little mistakes here and there that added up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we were expecting to do better in terms of scores, but it\u2019s the jet lag. I\u2019m ready to go to bed,\u201d Kolesnik confessed. \u201cWe could have definitely done better, so we\u2019re just going to forget about it and move on and do our best in the free.\u201d<\/p>\n

FREE DANCE<\/b><\/p>\n

Except for a mid-day practice session, the athletes had a day off between the Rhythm and Free Dances,<\/p>\n

At the end of their competition, the following athletes stood on the podium: Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (gold), Madison Chock & Evan Bates (silver) and Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha (bronze).<\/p>\n

The defending champions Gilles & Poirier (CAN) danced to \u201cAir on the G String\u201c by LIBERA, Robert Prizeman, \u201cA Whiter Shade of Pale\u201d by Annie Lennox, \u201cTango on the G String\u201d by Rob Colling, \u201cA Whiter Shade of Pale\u201d by Annie Lennox. The second place program scored a season best 131.24. The gold medal total was 218.46.<\/p>\n

“We were completely exhausted afterwards, but that\u2019s because we gave it our all. We\u2019re proud of what we accomplished here,\u201d Poirier said. \u201cNow we have a nice chunk of time to go home, review the programs, see where we still feel like we can expand them, grow on them, develop the character more and squeeze little moments out of the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re just going to focus on giving ourselves the training that we know we need so that we can go into Worlds feeling confident. I think that’s the most important thing – carry this over to the World Championships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chock & Bates (USA) combined \u201cRound Midnight\u201d by Miles Davis, \u201cTake Five\u201d by Dave Brubeck\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTake Five\u201d by Juju to win the Free Dance with 131.72 points. The reigning World Champions totaled 217.93 and earned the silver medal.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvan and I are really happy with how we performed our free dance today,\u201d Chock said. \u201cThe audience was so supportive that we had the best time performing for them. This is a great stepping stone for the World Championships. Our free dance is right where we want it to be. We’re going to go home and do some technical work and just keep improving our programs to get them to their full potential by the World Championships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bates shared his thoughts on the their dance. \u201cDefinitely our best performance of this program. I felt like we were dancing and not so consumed with all the technical elements. We were able to dance, enjoy the music and the atmosphere. It was a really, really great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lajoie & Lagha (CAN) sandwiched Karl Hugo\u2019s \u201cMurky Solitude\u201d in between bookends of Paul Simon\u2019s \u201cThe Sound of Silence\u201d performed by Disturbed to score 118.18 program points. While the team\u2019s total 201.04 earned the bronze medal, the dancers were very disappointed in their performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate doing mistakes, and I did a mistake today (stumble in the twizzle), so I’m not very happy about my performance,\u201d Lajoie said. \u201cIn general, it was a very, very, very good weak. We did a very good rhythm dance, and all the practices were super good, so I think overall it was good. Mistakes happen. It’s just very upsetting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lagha continued. \u201cIt was okay. We trained very hard to come here, and it’s still a good experience. It’s also difficult to skate in the evening in Asia. We were very tired, and it was a challenge to skate today, but we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carreira & Ponomarenko scored 117.78 points for their performance to Carmon Suite <\/i>by Rodion Shchedrin. Both programs totaled 197.08. The team discussed convincing their three coaches, Scott Moir, Madison Hubbell, and Adrian Diaz, to let them skate to Carmen.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cActually Scott (Moir) was the easiest to convince of the three, but we wanted to be kind of ready and mature enough for it, so like we all knew we had to wait to do it,\u201d Carreira said. \u201cBut last year when we came back from Worlds and came into the rink the next day, Madison (Hubbell) asked what we were thinking. We said we like Carmen; that’s all we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSince day one of the off season that’s all we’ve been pushing for, and we’re happy that we decided to choose it and pursue it,\u201d Ponomarenko added.<\/p>\n

Zingas & Kolesnik earned 113.92 points dancing to Benoit Richaud\u2019s choreography to \u201cEpilogue\u201d by Olafur Arnalds and \u201cLost It To Trying\u201d by Son Lux. The total score earned 188.55 points.<\/p>\n

This program is really special to us,\u201d Zingas noted. \u201cThroughout the season, I think it’s evolved, and it’s grown. It means more to us now. Even though the result wasn’t exactly what we hoped, I feel proud of what we did today and feel excited to start a new season with a good momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

EVENT EXTRAS<\/b><\/p>\n

What Rhythm Dance theme would you like to have for next season?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Paul Poirier:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt’s fun to be forced to tackle a very specific style and to learn from that and grow from it and do something that you’ve never done before. Over the last few years, there’s been a big focus on using a lot of popular music from different decades, and that’s been a lot of fun to explore those different periods of time. We haven’t done a ballroom-based rhythm dance in several years, and that’s something that we really enjoy doing, especially having grown up competing compulsory dances so much. So I think that’s something that we would enjoy doing.”<\/p>\n

Evan Bates: \u201cAt my first Olympics, at our first Olympics with Paul, we did Folk Dances. I felt like for an Olympics that worked well because people could bring out their home culture and put it on the Olympic stage. I think that was kind of cool for an Olympic year, but we’ll see what happens next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zachary Lagha: \u201cI like the ballroom idea. I say bring back [the] compulsory.<\/p>\n

What costume changes have you made this season? Why is your costume special?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Piper Gilles: (CAN) \u201cFor the Barbie and Beach Boys we have four and a half costumes. Technically, I have five.<\/p>\n

Piper Gilles: (CAN) \u201cI have three for the free dance. One I made with fabric that didn\u2019t work. Then I made another one that was too restrictive with the long sleeve. The structure was a bit stiff. I felt going into the second half of the season, I wanted something that I was really comfortable in. You can see that out there. I\u2019m not stiff at all. I\u2019m really happy with it. It feels good. I think it just kind of brings another new life to this program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marjorie Lajoie: (CAN) \u201cZachary\u2019s Austin Powers costume was not in the Rhythm Dance theme of the year which is social dance. We have to follow the rules, so that\u2019s why we changed it. Also it has a better shape. The previous costume looks okay if you know the movie, but when you don\u2019t, you cannot get it. Now the costume is more mature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christina Carreira: (USA) \u201cWe came back from Cup of China and wanted to give our free dance a fresh look for the season. We all wanted a different look. This is what we came up with – a bit more of a classical look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah Lim: (KOR) \u201cOur theme is social dance. We wanted to have the dance theme of jive and swing on the ice. We made changes to the Rhythm Dance music and costumes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madison Chock: (USA) \u201cI was inspired by the Chrysler building. Our program is very jazzy. I imagine it as like a night out in New York on kind of a rainy day, and we’re just enjoying the Art Deco feel of New York City. Like old films and obviously the beautiful architecture in New York City, it’s inspired a lot by Art Deco, it’s just where the music took us.\u201c<\/p>\n

Which teams will be competing at the 2025 World Championships in Boston, Massachusetts USA?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n