by Anne Calder | Images by Daphne Backman & Robin Ritoss
Aneta Vaclavikova & William Lissauer grew to become ice dance companions in March 2025. Vaclavikova represented Slovakia within the earlier season, so the brand new workforce needed to sit out worldwide competitions for a 12 months. Not too long ago the workforce received the junior silver medal on the 2026 Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide, that included fifteen different rivals from Azerbaijan, Canada, Eire, Israel and america.
Aneta Vaclavikova, who will rejoice her “candy sixteenth” birthday on August 14, 2026 was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. Her mom is a former Czech Republic determine skater. Her father is Slovakian. Vaclavikova’s two older brothers additionally compete on the worldwide stage in determine skating. Tadeas represents Czechia and Lukas skates for Slovakia.
William Lissauer was born in Baltimore, MD on November 5, 2006. He is a big Method One racing fan, however added – a depressed Ferrari Fan. The highschool graduate plans to place his superior training on maintain right now. “I can at all times return to highschool, however not at all times return to skating.”
The Starting – Following their Siblings
Vaclavikova started her skating journey at age 4 when she tagged alongside to her brothers’ observe day-after-day.
“I began actually liking it and simply obtained on the ice with them,” Vaclavikova shared.
Lissauer had the same on-ice starting.
“My sister actually needed to skate. My dad was a surgical resident on the time, so he wasn’t residence as a lot as a result of he was at all times working. My mother introduced me at any time when my sister needed to skate. I simply went on the ice along with her, and that’s how it began.”
Neither of the companions favored to leap, so ice dance was a pure determine skating selection.
“I used to be extra into the dance and inventive type, so I simply selected dance,” Vaclavikova mentioned. “It’s way more enjoyable. I get pleasure from it extra.”
“The identical factor,” added Lissauer. “I additionally didn’t like skating alone, in order that drew me to ice dance.”
A New Partnership
“Our partnership obtained collectively as a result of I had not too long ago cut up with my outdated companion,” Lissauer defined. “Within the course of of getting tryouts, Aneta’s dad texted me and requested to arrange a tryout. She got here (to Connecticut) for 2 weeks, and the remainder is historical past.”
Vaclavikova & Lissauer competed domestically (NQS) through the 2025-2026 season.
The brand new workforce medaled on the 2025 Lake Placid Championships (third) and Problem Cup (1st). In Las Vegas, Nevada on the 2026 U.S. Ice Dance Closing, their third place end earned them a ticket to the U.S. Championships in St. Louis. The rookies received the pewter medal at their U.S. Nationals debut.
New Accomplice – Adjustments – Changes
“(Lissauer) could be very totally different from my final partnership,” Vaclavikova famous. “He’s very talkative, very outgoing. What I wasn’t used to, however I find it irresistible.”
“Once we first met and partnered, she was very shy, so I wasn’t anticipating her to be as mush of a talker as she is,” Lissauer mentioned. “The extra we’ve gotten to know know one another, the higher pals we’ve gotten. She talks rather a lot and makes observe actually enjoyable.”
Lissauer additionally shared her ice dancing contribution to the workforce.
“She is extra just like the balletic inventive facet of issues, which is one thing I’m engaged on, however she has naturally,” Lissauer mentioned. “It’s good that she’s serving to me with it. I’m making an attempt to construct it alone.”
Vaclavikova added, “He brings the ability.”
“She’s very straightforward to skate with. It’s very straightforward to work issues out along with her. I really feel our kinds go rather well collectively. All the pieces is simply actually clean, actually flowy.
As a brand new workforce, there are additionally changes.
“I’d say it’s in all probability simply Aneta transferring to a distinct continent to coach,” mentioned Lissauer. “She was coaching in Italy on the time with one other coach, and he or she moved all the way in which to America to skate with me.” WOW!
Coaching with the Elite
Vaclavikova & Lissauer practice in Newington, Connecticut with Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov.
The Area can be residence to the reigning World Junior Champions, Hana Marie Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin. The 2025-26 World Junior Champions, Noemi Maria Tali & Noah Lafornara cut up their coaching between Newington and the IceLab in Milan, Italy.
Lissauer spoke about coaching with these champions, “It’s very good. It pushes us to maintain getting higher, and hopefully at some point to additionally be part of alongside them and make it three World Junior Champions all coaching collectively.
“I don’t know if it’s something that’s ever been carried out earlier than. It’s undoubtedly not a standard prevalence for that to occur. It simply pushes us day-after-day to attempt to get higher and higher.”
“ them conjures up me to maintain pushing by way of to attain it as properly,” Vaclavikova added.
Working with Melissa and Denis is a brand new expertise.
“They’re actually wonderful,” Vaclavikova mentioned. “ They assist me get by way of exhausting mentoring blocks.”
“There’s undoubtedly some issues they do otherwise,” Lissauer added. “They’ve helped me be much more assured in my very own skating. They’ve helped with the stress of competitions that’s now at an all-time low with me. It’s not as worrying because it was as a result of I’m extra assured in my very own talents.”
Lissauer can be nearer to his Glastonbury, CT. household residence reasonably than two and a half hours away in New Jersey.
Second Season – New Beginnings
Because the workforce enters it’s sophomore season collectively Lissauer famous what was discovered final 12 months and the way they are going to strategy their worldwide challenges.
“It’s simply largely being collectively for a second season. We’ve extra expertise with one another. We all know learn how to skate with one another higher. As a result of the partnership is pretty new, numerous issues are simply going to maintain constructing as we get extra expertise collectively.”
“Stepping out onto the massive worldwide stage for the primary time as a workforce, it’s simply going to be new for us. It’s going to be a studying expertise. Clearly we nonetheless have one other junior season subsequent 12 months, in order that will likely be good. This 12 months is simply all about studying.”
2026-2027 Music
Lissauer defined the selection of their Waltz Rhythm Dance music to picks from The Nice Gatsby soundtrack, together with “Younger and Lovely” by Lana Del Ray and “A Little Celebration By no means Killed No one” by Fergie.
“It was one thing that the coaches determined. We additionally actually prefer it as properly as a result of we thought it could be distinctive. Not many individuals would use it, and that’s what we have been going for.”
“It’s sort of humorous. Our precise waltz music initially isn’t waltz music. Melissa and Denis have their individual or no matter who modified the beat to be a waltz particularly so we may use it. I do not know who did the altering.”
“Our Free Dance is identical music as final season – “Moonlight Sonata”. We saved it as a result of final 12 months we have been solely allowed to compete domestically. We actually just like the music, and we thought it match us, so we determined to show it internationally this season.”
2026 Junior Grand Prix Project
Aneta Vaclavikova & William Lissauer have been assigned to their first Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia. They are going to be joined by former coaching mates: Rylen Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien. The groups will compete August 27-29, 2026.
