Images by Danielle Earl
For the subsequent entry in our New Group Collection, we meet Charlie Anderson & Cayden Dawson, junior ice dancers who symbolize Canada and competed internationally in the course of the 2025-26 season.
Charlie: Nearly all of my household skates, so skating was dropped at me at a reasonably younger age. I first began with hockey once I was 4 years previous, however a 12 months later I made a decision to change to determine skates as a result of I noticed a pair of them at a retailer and I favored the color (they had been pink). Humorous sufficient I didn’t love skating at first as a result of I didn’t like falling, and I couldn’t skate quick instantly. I solely saved going as a result of the camp I used to be studying to skate at to us swimming after, so I endured the falls, with swimming as a reward. However I did begin to take pleasure in skating after we had been nearing the tip of the skating camp as a result of I might lastly stand on my toes for longer than 10 seconds. From there, skating simply turned part of my life. After I was about 7, I turned an enormous fan of Yuna Kim, Yuzuru Hanyu, and Advantage/Moir. I used to be drawn to these skaters as a result of to me it regarded like they may fly.
That helped kickstart my journey into turning into a free skater up till I used to be 15 years previous. I used to be at all times a tough employee, however I used to be so shy and afraid of being judged once I tried to carry out, as a result of it by no means got here naturally to me. Which meant my free skate applications had been by no means carried out to their full potential as a result of I used to be too embarrassed to strive, so I believed if I might make up for it by having excellent jumps then it’ll be okay. I turned hyper-focused on eager to land my jumps completely that my relationship with skating turned poisonous. I nonetheless saved pushing myself as a result of though I knew I didn’t actually have a future in free skating, not less than I might skate quick, I’ll at all times let myself take pleasure in that feeling.
After I turned 15, I made a decision to change skating golf equipment as a result of I needed to start out contemporary, even when I wasn’t going to skate for for much longer. That was once I met the Moir’s. After a short time of skating at my new (and present) membership, Ilderton Skating Membership, I used to be launched to synchro and ice dance. I wasn’t certain about ice dance at first, as a result of it was such a drastic change for me. However for synchro, I made a decision to present it a shot. I ended up making the Junior synchro crew, Ice Ignite Junior, and from there my total life modified. I used to be launched to an entire new world, and I immediately fell in love with it. My synchro coaches Sheri and Cara Moir helped me notice one thing particular about myself. I had a brand new ardour burning inside me that I didn’t know ever existed, and all it took was the coaches who selected to imagine in me.
I continued with synchro for all of my junior eligible years and commenced ice dance. I noticed how a lot the perfectionist in me took over my life in skating, that when I realized methods to let go of it, I felt so free. I realized methods to carry out with out the stress of being excellent on a regular basis. I now attempt to put my coronary heart, soul, and feelings into each program, as a result of I noticed phrases can’t specific how a lot ardour and love I’ve for the game, so I strive present it by means of my skating.
Cayden: My skating journey began once I was 5 years previous, in hockey, similar to most different Canadian boys. My hockey profession was quick lived as I couldn’t fairly work out the stick and puck a part of it, which turned out to be fairly vital. I did nevertheless, uncover that I liked to skate. Pursuing that, I then signed up for CanSkate (Be taught to Skate) classes once I was 7 years previous. I took my first steps in determine skates at Forest Hill Skating Membership in Toronto, the place I used to be fortunate sufficient to be taught by means of CanSkate by Don Jackson!
My household then moved to Oakville, Ontario in 2014, the place I continued skating and commenced coaching singles with a brand new coach, Michael Hopfes. Michael ended up being some of the influential folks in my skating profession. He taught me a lot however most significantly taught me methods to love what I do, and I wouldn’t be the athlete or particular person I’m immediately with out him. After competing and studying singles for round 2 years. I discovered I liked the efficiency a part of skating, however had a love hate (largely hate) relationship with jumps and spins. Which led to getting the chance to check out ice dance, and due to how efficiency central it was, I believed it was a fantastic match! I saved going with singles and ice dance concurrently for an additional 4 years or so.
With the beginning of the pandemic and the place I used to be in my life it got here time to resolve between one or the opposite. The selection was clear that ice dance was the trail for me, so my dance coach on the time instructed that I head to Scarboro if I needed to start out taking Ice Dance severely. I had quite a bit to be taught as my earlier highest degree of dance expertise was solely in Pre-Novice, so I spent a season simply coaching and studying from the coaches and athletes in Scarboro, in addition to constructing a brand new partnership. The next two seasons we competed in Junior representing Brazil, which led to plenty of nice alternatives, JGPs, worldwide competitions and Junior Worlds!
When that partnership got here to an finish, I had simply graduated highschool and was trying to attend college in London, Ontario. So, I made the powerful determination to go away my Scarboro skating household, and transfer to the Ice Academy of Montreal – Ontario, so I might attend college full time and proceed my coaching. Shortly, Charlie and I teamed as much as compete in Junior for Canada. We spent one season growing and competing solely domestically, whereas we waited for my launch. Which leads us into this previous season, our first worldwide season collectively, and our first medal at nationals!
What drew you to ice dance?
Charlie: After I moved to the Ilderton Skating Membership, my coach Carol Moir, in addition to Sheri, Cara, and Scott, all inspired me to strive ice dance and synchronized skating at a junior degree. They noticed potential in me that I hadn’t acknowledged in myself but. I truthfully questioned why they believed in me, as a result of I felt there have been a whole lot of technical expertise I used to be missing, and I used to be even fascinated about stepping away from skating altogether. However the Moirs gave me a brand new alternative to develop and specific myself in methods I hadn’t actually imagined earlier than.
I nonetheless bear in mind Scott pulling my mother apart on my very first day coaching as an ice dancer. As dangerous as I believed I used to be, he informed her that he believed I might grow to be a world-class athlete. These phrases utterly reignited my motivation and shifted my mindset. Since then, I’ve grown a lot as an athlete, and I’ve discovered an unbelievable associate to share these experiences with — which has been actually particular.
Cayden: Aside from the very fact I didn’t must stress about leaping anymore, I actually simply liked how ice dance was an avenue for efficiency. Of all of the disciplines it locations essentially the most emphasis on leisure, which for me is one thing tremendous particular. The flexibility to make somebody smile out of your skating is a sense like no different, which I feel is and has been the supply of a whole lot of my ardour for this sport. After I first started ice dance up till immediately, simply over a decade later!
Cayden, are you able to discuss your first partnership and representing Brazil?
Completely! It was the primary partnership I had the place I wasn’t only a child skating recreationally, so I had plenty of work to do as a skater and as a associate. We type of dove into the JGP sequence head-first, which was nice to get the expertise and the publicity to that stage so early in our growth. Finally that season we ended up coming in need of our aim of qualifying for Junior Worlds, which taught me methods to cope with failure, which has paid off in life in addition to in skating time and time once more. The next season we ended up attaining that aim, and we turned the primary Brazilian ice dance crew to qualify for an ISU Championship!
What I’m most grateful for although, was attending to go to Brazil twice, the place we did reveals and taught a seminar. Seeing the eagerness that was within the rink in São Paulo and within the skating neighborhood as an entire in Brazil, was so inspiring and surprising for a rustic that primarily focuses on summer season sports activities and has so few ice rinks. My favorite half was when the Zamboni got here out to resurface the ice, the children had been completely devastated that they needed to get off and take a break. Which was such a refreshing distinction from the tradition in Canada the place ice is so accessible that you find yourself taking it as a right and begin trying ahead to these Zamboni breaks. General, I’m so grateful for these years of my life for all that I learnt, skilled and achieved!
Inform us how your partnership began. Describe the tryout.
Charlie: Initially, I reached out to Cayden for the tryout. As quickly as we stepped on the ice collectively, I virtually instantly knew I needed to be companions with him. I used to be so nervous going into the tryout as a result of I knew I wasn’t as skilled of an ice dancer in components like lifts or spins, so my hopes and confidence weren’t very excessive. However all the pieces felt pure. The communication, working by means of issues collectively, and performing collectively felt like second nature to me. I’ve realized quite a bit from Cayden’s kindness and constructive power, and I’m so grateful and fortunate to have discovered such a fantastic associate.
Cayden: Charlie reached out to me for a tryout at first, which labored out completely as I used to be already planning a transfer to London, the place Charlie was coaching. The tryout was fascinating as a result of I used to be not solely seeing if I used to be match with Charlie, but in addition seeing if the varsity can be match for me. Each of which turned out to be a convincing sure! The tryout went so properly that Charlie ended up being the one skater I attempted out with! We had a lot chemistry and camaraderie that our coach Scott stated “He had to withstand not making us a crew after the primary 5 minutes”.
Charlie: Coming from a skater who had solely ever skated to instrumental/swish items of music earlier than I met Cayden, I used to be actually stunned when he informed me he had solely actually skated to upbeat/rock music for his applications earlier than he met me. Our first season collectively was each our first occasions skating to a very totally different style to what we’re used to!
Cayden: There was quite a bit about Charlie that stunned me, on the floor she’s a comparatively shy, “retains to herself” type of particular person in order we acquired nearer and spent extra time collectively she simply saved shocking me. However I feel I used to be most amazed and nonetheless am constantly amazed by how nice of a skater she is. She does some issues on the ice that I truthfully don’t assume anybody can do, and the way in which she does it’s so fascinating to an out of doors viewer. Leaving me with the unattainable job of attempting to match her lol!
What experiences do every of you carry to the partnership? (Worldwide competitions, coaching, and so forth.)
Charlie: Earlier than Cayden and I had been companions, I didn’t have any worldwide expertise as an ice dancer, however I did as a synchro skater! I skated on Ilderton Skating Golf equipment junior synchro crew, Ice Ignite Junior, for 3 years.
Synchro actually helped retrain my physique to be a lot stronger in my turns & twizzles, confidence to carry out, methods to skate near my teammates and so forth. All of my synchro coaching has translated to my ice dance, and I’m so glad that I had the prospect to try this.
Cayden: I feel Charlie and I each introduced distinctive experiences to the partnership. I had the earlier expertise of worldwide occasions in ice dance, and had been doing ice dance for a very long time. And Charlie had competed in Senior along with her earlier associate and had competed in synchro, helpful experiences that I hadn’t and nonetheless haven’t had but. We labored onerous to share our prior data with eachother so we may very well be ready for nearly something.
What has been the largest adjustment for every of you thus far within the partnership?
Charlie: I feel an enormous adjustment I needed to work by means of was to let myself lean on Cayden not simply as a associate, but in addition as a pal. With life comes challenges, and I discovered myself attempting to work by means of a few of these challenges alone, nervous that l’d be a burden. However being a crew is extra than simply being teammates who prepare collectively, it’s additionally about counting on one another emotionally and constructing that unbreakable help between one another! 🙂
Cayden: An enormous adjustment for me within the partnership was understanding how totally different approaches can nonetheless result in the identical(and even higher) outcomes. As a lot as Charlie and I get alongside tremendous properly, we’re nonetheless totally different folks, with totally different personalities. Which modifications how every of us are inclined to strategy coaching, and particularly how we strategy competitors. I feel discovering room to completely perceive eachothers strategies, and discovering our strategy as a crew took some time, and is one thing that in fact we’re nonetheless engaged on.
What’s it that you simply already like most about dancing together with your new associate?
Charlie: I just like the easy-going and constructive perspective that Cayden reveals up with on a regular basis for observe. He’s goofy and humorous however is at all times so wanting to be taught and work onerous. Coaching with somebody like that makes going into observe one thing I look ahead to on a regular basis.
What l like essentially the most about skating with Cayden is that it feels free. I belief him fully, which lets me skate and carry out freely with him.
Cayden: Skating with Charlie opened my eyes to an entire new approach of ice dance. I at all times thought it was tacky when folks talked a couple of program as ‘telling a narrative’, or ‘artwork’. As a result of for me it was at all times simply sport and leisure. Since skating with Charlie, I’ve explored new kinds of music and the idea of storytelling reasonably than simply performing as a result of it’s enjoyable. This has allowed me to essentially put my coronary heart into our applications and make a product that we like to think about our artform.
The place are you presently coaching, and what does a typical coaching day appear to be for you?
We prepare in London, Ontario on the Ice Academy of Montreal – Ontario Campus. A typical coaching day for us is 4 hours on the ice, working each with coaches and alone. Adopted by usually an hour and a half of off-ice coaching, both Energy and Conditioning, Ballet, Dance, or Yoga. We actually love coaching right here, from coaches, to coaching mates, to services and off-ice integration, it actually is a superb scenario for us!
Inform us about your coaches and choreographers.
We’ve got such a fantastic teaching crew right here in London; Scott Moir, Cara Moir, Sheri Moir, Adrian Diaz, Madison Hubbell, Justin Trojek, and Alma Moir. We actually like having the massive crew of coaches as a result of it helps to get totally different opinions and views, to create the most effective and most versatile variations of ourselves. It is usually very nice how completed and skilled our coaches are, virtually any scenario we discover ourselves in, odds are one among our coaches has lived that very same scenario of their profession and may also help information us by means of it. As for choreographers, the crew consists of most of our coaches in addition to Sam Chouinard and Sarah Steben, who at all times assist carry our applications to life. Similar as with teaching, it actually helps to get everybody’s enter and concepts for choreo to finish up with the most effective applications attainable. All of our choreographers contribute to each applications however this previous season Cara was the primary choreographer for the Free Dance, and Sheri for the Rhythm.
Inform us about your applications this season. Who/what impressed your music decisions and general themes?
This 12 months for the 90’s themed Rhythm Dance we actually needed listening to this system to really feel such as you had been listening to a DJ within the 90’s – which impressed the music cuts and construction of this system. With the choreography we aimed to design this system to be very excessive power to the purpose the place it was ironic and slightly comical, which we discovered very difficult, however, Sheri actually helped make sure that we had the facets of irony we had been on the lookout for with out falling off the deep finish. The Vanilla Ice piece was one which all of us liked as we needed a hip hop flavour that might mix properly into different songs, and the track by Proper Mentioned Fred we picked due to how ridiculous and enjoyable it’s, which match our theme completely. Lastly, the track by The Offspring was one which truthfully we weren’t too loopy about, however Scott insisted we use it, and we’re glad we took his recommendation as a result of we actually grew to love that piece and the power it added to this system!
For the Free Dance, all of us felt very linked to the Free Dance we did in our first season collectively to “One other Love” by Tom Odell. So, we needed to remain in that very same modern/lyrical style whereas making it slightly extra mature and centered round our connection to 1 one other. Cara instructed “Depart a Gentle On” and we knew that was the one! The story continued to develop as we labored on this system however in the long run we landed on Charlie taking part in the function of somebody preventing private battles and being reluctant to just accept assist, in order to not unfold the burden. Which turns right into a battle between the 2 of us, ultimately resulting in acceptance and unity on the finish of this system. Though Cara would inform you it’s our program and our artwork, she was actually the brains behind this freedance and we really feel she did such a fantastic job bringing our collective imaginative and prescient to life! We’re actually going to overlook this program!
What have been among the greatest classes you’ve realized from competing internationally?
An enormous lesson we learnt from competing internationally this season was the significance of managing stress and sustaining confidence. If you’re at a global occasion representing a rustic like Canada, you’re feeling like there’s a sure normal you must uphold, which is an effective factor, however it might additionally add an extra sense of stress, on prime of the common competitors nerves. One of many methods we discovered to handle it was sustaining confidence, to know we earned the alternatives and we had been going to do our greatest to make ourselves and everybody who had a component in getting us there proud!
Is there a contest efficiency that stands out as a breakthrough second for you as a crew (thus far)?
Charlie: I feel our RD and FD applications from final season helped unfold our title positively, particularly after competing at our JGP’s. I felt like we had been capable of showcase two utterly totally different applications that had been nonetheless capable of praise each of our skating types.
Cayden: I feel for me the Free Dance at our JGP in Ankara was a vital second for us as a crew. Following the RD, we had been ready that neither Charlie or I had ever been in earlier than, and truthfully didn’t absolutely anticipate to be in earlier than the occasion. Understanding we had the prospect at a medal at our first JGP collectively, made me nearly essentially the most nervous I had ever been. We ended up skating a Free Dance that was not excellent, however nonetheless felt so rewarding and fulfilling to carry out. Like we had simply taken the primary massive step in the direction of undertaking our targets!
What’s every of you trying ahead to most subsequent season? What will likely be your greatest problem(s)?
We’re actually excited to have one last 12 months in junior and we’re trying ahead to creating and performing new applications, telling new tales, and showcasing totally different motion types. I feel an enormous problem for us goes to be trusting the method. We’re so pleased with the season we had final 12 months, which has led to us setting some fairly excessive targets for ourselves for this coming season. However respecting the method and being happy with imperfection as issues develop are issues our coaches proceed to remind us of. It’s onerous when issues don’t work 100% instantly however trusting they are going to get there with work and repetition goes to be actually vital for us, as it’s for many dance groups, particularly on this “inventive” part of the season.
How do you’re feeling about Westminster Waltz for subsequent season?
We really feel higher about it than we felt concerning the Rhumba and Quickstep, lol! However severely, we predict it will likely be cool, followers, athletes and coaches have been asking for a waltz for a very long time so it’s very nice that they heard that. It’s a really lengthy and structured dance, so it’s going to require some creativity to make it mix with the remainder of a Rhythm Dance properly, which will likely be fascinating to see! We actually struggled to attain the Key Level ranges we had been aiming for final season, so we’ve been engaged on this dance quite a bit to strive flip that weak point right into a energy.
For those who might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
Charlie: A dream lesson for me can be Tessa Advantage. She has at all times been an ice dancer I look as much as and watch often!
Cayden: I feel for me Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean must be on prime of that record. As a British-Canadian rising up in my English household, they had been at all times and deservedly so, the image of Ice Dance. The innovation they dropped at the game was unbelievable, and studying from them can be tremendous cool!
What’s one phrase that finest describes your partnership?
Our coach Madi usually says we now have a “chaotic appeal”, which we predict is ideal! Though, we’re engaged on turning it into extra of a managed chaos.
Please share something you desire to our readers to find out about you as a crew.
We are able to’t wait to indicate our new applications for this 12 months! We’re engaged on new types of dance and motion to indicate some variations from final 12 months and check out showcase the vary and depth of our skating, we are able to’t wait to share!
