Images by Yoriko Suzuki
For the following entry in our New Group Collection, we meet Jasmine Robertson & Chase Rohner, junior ice dancers who signify the US. The crew gained the gold medal at Junior Grand Prix Varese and completed sixth on the 2025 Junior Grand Prix Closing.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular reminiscences.
Jasmine: Once I was three years previous, as we handed the Manchester Ice Centre in McCall, Idaho, I requested my mom concerning the constructing. She defined, in easy phrases, that it was a spot the place folks danced on ice. Every time we drove by on the way in which to highschool, I’d inform her that it was my ice rink and specific my want to skate. My enthusiasm proved useful for my mom, who describes me as a really energetic little one—one who always wanted new actions. Given the local weather in McCall, Idaho, youngsters sometimes participated in determine skating, hockey, or ski racing. When requested which sport I needed to pursue, I spun round and informed her I needed to bounce on the ice. Later that fall, I enrolled within the Study to Skate program and commenced non-public classes on the age of 4.
My journey in skating has introduced quite a few blessings and memorable experiences. Skating performed an important position in serving to me navigate tough occasions, comparable to my mother and father’ divorce throughout my early years, my mom’s analysis of Stage 3 most cancers after I was ten, and our transfer throughout the US to Nashville, Tennessee. The ice rink grew to become a sanctuary—a spot the place I may momentarily escape life’s challenges and discover tranquility by motion, music, and the liberty of gliding swiftly on the ice.
Chase: I first began skating very younger at about two years previous, and I did some competitions and reveals on and off till I used to be eight. After that, I made a decision I needed to get extra critical about skating and began actually specializing in coaching. I skated singles by intermediate, when my mother prompt I attempt dance to enhance my edge high quality. After about six months of doing dance, I used to be hooked.
What drew you to ice dance?
Jasmine: The explanation why I gravitated in direction of ice dance is that I like to carry out. From a younger age, I’d placed on productions, model daring outfits, and dance. As soon as I grew a bit of older and began to determine skate, I discovered that ice dancing was the right outlet to let my mild shine, and I haven’t stopped since. Plus, I really like sharing the expertise with a buddy.
Chase: I like doing footwork and sophisticated steps, like some sample dances, and the precision of all of it.
Inform us how your partnership began. Describe the tryout.
Jasmine: The Novi coaches informed me a few doable tryout with Chase. We had two tryouts: the primary was a quick check of our compatibility, which went effectively, so we scheduled a second week-long tryout. I felt we labored effectively collectively, and I ended the week with a constructive impression of Chase as a dance accomplice.
Chase: After the primary one, I had determined that that is what I needed to do and that I needed to attempt to make Group USA. I felt like we each clicked fairly simply with one another and I used to be trying ahead to skating with Jasmine.
Jasmine: The factor that stunned me essentially the most about Chase, and is certainly one of my favourite issues about him, is his means to take corrections and apply them straight away.
Chase: I used to be stunned by Jasmine’s willingness to speak and speak clearly about every little thing within the partnership.
What experiences do every of you deliver to the partnership?
Jasmine: I’ve labored with a variety of coaches in Novi, Nashville and McCall. I achieved gold stage in U.S. Determine Skating Strikes within the Discipline and Sample Dance. With a earlier accomplice, I gained the 2024 U.S. championships on the novice stage.
Chase: Previous to skating with Jasmine, I had plenty of competitors expertise in solo dance nationally, and expertise with a brief record of companions in partnered dance, additionally nationally. Earlier than switching to bounce, I used to be a singles skater, and I had already completed all of my strikes within the subject checks, plenty of sample dance checks and thru my juvenile freeskate check. That gave me a superb basis going into this partnership.
What has been the most important adjustment for every of you to this point within the partnership?
Jasmine: My largest adjustment was returning to skating with a accomplice. I spent a 12 months creating my particular person abilities between Chase and my earlier accomplice, so I hadn’t performed a lot accomplice work throughout that interval. When Chase formally grew to become my accomplice, I needed to reacquaint myself with the dynamics of skating alongside another person.
Chase: For me, the most important changes have been shifting from Utah to Michigan and going from one coach to an entire crew. In Utah there weren’t an entire lot of dancers, not to mention groups, so it’s been a superb change to be coaching round much more groups right here in Novi.
What’s it that you simply already like most about dancing together with your new accomplice?
Jasmine: The explanation why I really like dancing and skating with Chase is due to his intentions and efforts he places into his personal skating and the partnership. He wants no exterior push to work arduous and apply the knowledge that we obtain. The opposite half that I actually like about dancing with Chase is that he’s only a nice human being, due to his willingness to hear after I want help and his openness to speak by any challenges we face.
Chase: Jasmine has an amazing work ethic, and there’s a superb quantity of humor combined in day after day.
Inform us about your coaching web site.
Jasmine: Our coaching takes place in Novi, Michigan, the place we profit from phenomenal coaches devoted to motivating and guiding us to excellence. The skaters round us are expert and supportive – seniors set a powerful instance of greatness that I aspire to be, whereas juniors foster a welcoming but pleasant, aggressive environment. All through the week, everybody on the rink joins dance lessons comparable to ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and extra. Personally, I add lengthy distance operating, Pilates, barre, weight coaching, and restoration with a sports activities therapeutic massage therapist. After all, I attempt to add in a superb stability of sleep for restoration too.
Chase: The ice is nice, and it’s a pleasant quiet setting, which provides us all the chance to concentrate on what we’re doing. The power additionally supplies area for dance lessons and carry coaching.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each must relocate? In that case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
Jasmine: Our teaching crew consists of Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Deller, and Adrienne Lenda. We additionally work with Renee Petkovski, the off-ice dance teacher, Oleg Ouchakov, the lifts coach and Michael Lee, the appearing coach. I really worth the expertise, experience, and alternatives I’ve gained at this college.
Three years in the past, I made a decision to relocate right here from Nashville, TN, and the transition was straightforward—I’m glad I made that call. Ice Dance of Novi turned out to be the proper alternative for me. The transition has not been really easy for my mother and father. We nonetheless have our dwelling in Nashville. My mother travels forwards and backwards with our canine, Banjo. She misses dwelling in Nashville and mentioned subsequent 12 months, she’s shifting again to Nashville full-time. I’m excited to start out dwelling life by myself.
Chase: Our coaches on the ice are Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Adrienne Lenda, and Natalia Deller. Off the ice, are Renee Petkovski, Oleg Ouchakov, and Michael Lee. We’ve a crew of seven coaches on and off the ice. They every deliver one thing completely different and useful to the crew effort. I moved simply after turning 17 from Utah. I’m lucky to stay within the dwelling of one other skating household in Michigan.
Who’s choreographing your applications. Is another person arranging your music? In that case, please share these experiences.
Jasmine: Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo function our principal choreographers and are primarily accountable for music modifying. Every so often, another person is used to refine transitions and improve musical endings.
Chase: Choreography is a collaborative effort, primarily between Igor and Pasquale, with enter from our different coaches as wanted. Music is especially performed by Igor.
In case you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
Jasmine: I’d like to work with Madison Hubbell. Her skating demonstrates each magnificence and power, and she or he appears significantly expert at conveying a magical narrative by her performances. I vastly admire Madison Hubbell’s talents and aspire to emulate her stage of artistry and method. I imagine that receiving instruction from her would considerably contribute to my improvement and permit me to refine my skating in alignment with the admirable qualities she displays.
Chase: Scott Moir. Since I began doing dance, I’ve vastly admired his skating talents. I had the chance to satisfy him a pair years in the past at U.S. Championships in Columbus, which was very thrilling.
What have been your largest challenges this season? What are you trying most ahead to for the rest of the season?
Jasmine: This season, I’ve been wanting to compete once more. Since we’re a brand new crew, I had no expectations for the end result this 12 months. My solely purpose was to develop as a brand new crew and as a junior ice dance competitor. Our largest problem to this point has been the method of skating as one. That is typical for a brand new crew, and it takes time and mileage to turn out to be one unit when skating.
Chase: I’m trying ahead to us persevering with to enhance as a crew and attempting to progress from every competitors to the following, together with enhancing on the worldwide stage.
Inform us about your competitions to this point this season. You gained the gold medal at a JGP occasion. What was this like?
Jasmine: Firstly of the season, I didn’t have any expectations for the way competitions would prove. Touring overseas for the primary time was thrilling, particularly since we reached the rostrum at our debut JGP occasion. After a brief week at dwelling within the U.S., we rapidly headed off to Italy. When the competitors ended there, I used to be each ecstatic and stunned by our victory—I really hadn’t anticipated it. That have boosted my confidence and impressed me, affirming that ice dancing is the place I belong and that my dedication and arduous work have been paying off.
Chase: I had no actual anticipation of how something would go, as a result of we have been a brand new crew. Getting worldwide assignments was very thrilling and surprising, so I didn’t have any particular targets in thoughts. We had no concept the place we would slot in on the junior worldwide stage, so it was very unimaginable to win a gold medal in Italy.
You certified for the Junior Grand Prix Closing in your first season. Once you set your targets for the season, was this one thing you have been capturing for?
Jasmine: Considered one of my targets this season was to concentrate on enhancing and strengthening our partnership so we may turn out to be a aggressive crew and qualify for a JGP. I’m proud that we achieved this purpose and are surpassing our personal expectations for the 12 months. It has been an unimaginable begin to our journey as a dance crew.
Chase: We undoubtedly had a purpose of reaching nationals, however we weren’t pondering internationally in the beginning of the season. We exceeded each risk we may have set as a purpose.
What’s one phrase that greatest describes your partnership?
Jasmine: Cooperative – as an adjective – working or appearing collectively willingly for a standard function or purpose.
Chase: Decided.
Please share something you prefer to our readers to find out about you as a crew.
Jasmine: We frequently share loads of laughter, joking round about numerous issues. I particularly take pleasure in making Chase giggle, usually getting an amazing response from him by opening my tales with one thing stunning or dramatic. After a superb giggle, I end telling my story. These shared moments imply loads to me and are the highlights of my day.
You may comply with Jasmine and Chase on their Group Instagram @Robertson.Rohner25.
