Is Compulsory Dance, Original Dance, or Free Dance your favorite and why?
I usually prefer the Original Dance the most out of the three Dance portions because it allows more freedom and creativity than the Compulsories, but it’s not as long as the Free Dance!
Thinking back to all the programs that you have skated together as a team, which program is your favorite? Which is the most memorable?
I think my favorite program was our 2008 Chopin FD because it allowed us to show a new, more mature side to our skating after so many years skating together. I think our most memorable program however was probably our Elvis medley FD.
How did this year’s Olympic experience compare to your experience at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy?
Despite medaling in Torino and not in Vancouver, I have to say that my Olympic experience in 2010 was ten times better than in 2006! The first time around I was so overwhelmed, the entire trip is now just a blur in my memory. Although I was of course thrilled with the results, I can’t even say for certain that I truly enjoyed every minute of it. This year, because we were older and more experienced, we tried to take in and appreciate not only the highlights of the Olympics, but also every step of the journey which led us there. We were so lucky to be on a team made up of some of our closest friends and most talented skaters the U.S. has ever produced and going through this experience together made it that much more special. I will never forget all the good times we had together and am so grateful to have been able to take part in what will forever be a truly unforgettable experience.
After making the decision that this year would be the final year to compete, what is your next step?
Well, at this point we have not formally decided whether or not we will retire from competitive skating or not. We’d like to take our time on Stars on Ice to get a feel for life as a professional skater and see how we like it! After that, if we do ever feel the pull to get back into competition, we will consider our options and make a final decision.
Do you have a ritual before stepping onto the ice? If so, what is it?
I like to walk through my program on the floor and I always make sure that my guards are perfectly lined up.
If you weren’t professional figure skaters, which careers would you have chosen?
I’d like to get into broadcasting and journalism after my skating career ends.
During the 2010 Olympic Games, what was your favorite sport to watch (besides figure skating, of course!)
I really had the most fun being a fan of the USA hockey team this year. That final CANADA vs. USA hockey game was so exciting!
What do you look most forward to this year as a full-time member of the Stars on Ice cast?
As a child, I never missed Stars on Ice when it passed through my town and always loved the groups’ numbers because it allowed me to see my favorite skaters interact with one another in a way you never get to see in competition. That being said, now that I’m a part of it from the other side, I still enjoy the group numbers the most and contributing to a product that everyone is working so hard to make the best it possibly can be.
What insight can you give fans about your Stars on Ice performances this season?
The program we’re performing as our solo this year is my personal first attempt at conceptualizing and choreographing a skating program. Ben and I both love Jason Mraz and had seen a couple on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance perform to the song we chose, “If It Kills Me”, whose performance we really enjoyed. I then thought of a foreign film I’d always loved called “Love Me if You Dare” that follows a young boy and girl, who grow up together and struggle with the timing of being friends and being in love, so I based the program design around that storyline and had my mom create incredible quick change costumes to help demonstrate the transition of time while these two characters realize they want to be more than just friends. I hope the audience enjoys it!
