{"id":43313,"date":"2026-06-08T17:05:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=43313"},"modified":"2026-06-08T17:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:05:54","slug":"stars-on-ice-comes-to-the-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/stars-on-ice-comes-to-the-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"Stars On Ice Comes to the Desert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

The Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe was an added stop to the original 2026 Stars on Ice tour and sold out quickly.<\/p>\n

Twelve Olympians performed non-stop for an hour before a fifteen minute Zamboni break. The group number that ended the first half – \u201cIt\u2019s Too Darn Hot\u201d was very appropriate for the 95 degree Arizona temperature. The skaters also performed Olympic programs in the second half of the show.<\/p>\n

Prior to the event, Madison Chock & Evan Bates and Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko spoke separately with ice-dance.com<\/span> about their whirlwind experiences during and since the Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madison<\/b> <\/b>Chock<\/b> <\/b>&<\/b> <\/b>Evan<\/b> <\/b>Bates<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

Madison Chock & Evan Bates opened their 2025-2026 season with a gold medal at\u00a0the Grand Prix Cup of China\u00a0October 24-26. In St. Louis, they defended their U.S National Championship crown. A month later the duo won gold (team) and silver (individual) medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.<\/p>\n

After the Games, the duo traveled to Zurich, Fribourg and Davos, Switzerland February 26 – March 7 for the team\u2019s debut appearance on the renowned Art on Ice <\/i>show. The event celebrated it\u2019s 30th anniversary with Olympic and World Champions performing alongside international pop artists.<\/p>\n

Then briefly back home to Montreal where they announced the team would not defend it\u2019s World Figure Skating title. Osaka was the next destination and group preparation for the Japan SOI tour April 3-12.<\/p>\n

The entire U.S. Stars on Ice cast met up in Ft. Myers, Florida April 14 for two full days of intense rehearsals for the tour prior to opening at the Hertz Arena in Estero.<\/p>\n

When the cast had a two day break between the Portland, Oregon and Tempe, Arizona stops, Chock & Bates headed south to the warmer desert temps and green grass of the Phoenician Golf Course in Scottsdale.<\/p>\n

Bates is an avid golfer; Chock is a novice-in-training who loves all the aspects of her new hobby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done two rounds of golf in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been so fun. It’s just really nice being outdoors. I think I’m appreciating it so much more because we’re usually inside so much for our sport. Being outside and doing physical activities feels really special.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like a treat to be out in the sun and enjoying the warm weather, and challenging myself in a new way. I really appreciate that, and look forward to making little gains and pouring my athletic brain into a new sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bates noted that Arizona, Texas and Mississippi were new tour stops.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s fun to play some areas we haven’t been before. I can’t remember ever doing a show in Mississippi or two shows in Texas. It’s really exciting, We had Skate America in Texas a couple of times. We had a good time there. It’ll be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a really lovely time here in Arizona,\u201d Chock said. \u201cIn addition to golfing, we had a great dinner with the cast. We had a good little break and got to rejuvenate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The seven-time U.S. National Champions reflected on the tangibles and intangibles they each brought home from Milan.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo medals and pins\u201d Chock said. \u201cPins were my biggest souvenir. I love collecting pins. We had our Henry and Stella pins from Nulo Pet Foods that we were trading, so I got to trade for a lot of fun pins.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s such a memorable experience when you go to the Olympic Games,\u201d Bates said. \u201cThe emotions are so high and so real, and you live in the memory of these Olympic moments. They just stay with you so strongly. I can remember so many moments, and some of them are small, like going out for pizza with my mom on her birthday, which was February 17, while we were there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso stepping on the ice and looking around and seeing all the American flags and getting the rush of adrenaline and emotions, and then carrying the flag at the closing ceremonies, going to other sporting events, meeting people, being in the village, doing everything, doing nothing.\u00a0 <\/span>All of it is just so vividly captured in my memory that it’s really hard to pinpoint just one, so I\u2019d say everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chock and Bates have performed in twelve major Stars on Ice tours across the U.S., Canada and Japan. The 2026 tour was different. It had record-breaking sales and sold out venues in most cities.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>It is truly exhilarating,\u201d Chock said about performing to a sold out audience every night.<\/span> \u201cIt’s so exciting to hear the screams of the audience, and the excitement that it feels has been all around figure skating since the Olympics, Then to witness it live every time we step on the ice. It’s been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>I think also the fact that we have these sold out arenas for show skating is really special,\u201d Bates added. \u201cWe had great attendance at the last couple of World Championships, and of course, the Olympic Games is always a sellout, but to sell out a Stars On Ice show at a venue like Honda Center or SAP Center with like 15 to 16 thousand people screaming, It\u2019s’s so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years the couple has skated to many genres. Are there others they wish they had selected?<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really,\u201d Chock said. \u201cI think we’ve enjoyed every program that we’ve done each year. We put a lot of ourselves into the creative process and the work, and I think there’s a lot to be proud of once we’ve completed the program with our team. If there’s something else out there that we want, or we find, we\u2019ll just skate to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>It\u2019s always fun to think of new and creative stuff, and that’s what’s fun about skating in the shows, especially with younger skaters. They pick music from artists I\u2019m not even aware of,\u201d Bates added. \u201cIt\u2019s fun! We\u2019ll keep exploring. The best part of figure skating is it\u2019s creative, so we\u2019ll keep our ears to the ground for new genres.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Golden Waltz is a highly technical ice dance pattern that is being competed in the 2026-2027 Rhythm Dance after a decade and a half absence.<\/p>\n

Bates shared his thoughts. \u201cI like doing Golden Waltz, but it’s a really tricky dance. It takes a lot of time and effort to master it, so it will be really fun to see some of the newer skaters who have never competed compulsory dances at the senior level. Now they\u2019re going to be thrown into probably the most challenging compulsory or pattern dance. That will be really fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The married couple spoke about the post-tour, vacation and summer plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been home only two days since we left for the Games,\u201d Bates said. \u201cOur dogs are with my folks in Michigan. We\u2019ve been on the road for a long time. It\u2019s been a whirlwind after the Olympics, but it\u2019s been fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely are planning more time with family, which I would consider a vacation. We\u2019ll be spending time in Michigan and in California, where our parents live.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis summer we\u2019ll be celebrating some family milestones. My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding, so we’re planning a trip around that celebration. Hopefully we\u2019ll get to celebrate Father\u2019s Day with Madi’s parents\u00a0 <\/span>and just reconnecting after a very busy time. We’re still busy, but it feels a little different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ll still be part of the ISU. I’m doing the athletes committee again, so we’ll be involved with hopefully some improvement across the board when it comes to everything in ice dance, from rule changes to competition schedule to safeguarding athletes, and everything in between.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not locking anything into place,\u201d Chock said. \u201cDefinitely show skating sounds appealing. We have some more shows on the horizon, and we\u2019re excited for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the interview the following shows have been added to Chock & Bates schedules:<\/p>\n