Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje have packed a lot of experience into the last four years starting with Kaitlyn’s move to Canada from the United States in July of 2006 to train with Andrew. That first season they both describe as a whirlwind which included a bronze medal at the 2007 Junior Worlds and a trip to Senior Worlds. This past season was a bit of a mixed blessing in that they failed to qualify for the 2010 Olympics by .3. Olympian Marnie Mcbean, who also didn’t earn a spot in her 1st Olympic try, told Kaitlyn you don’t go to the Olympics for experience you go to win. The silver lining to their “Olympic cloud” meant earning the ice dance title at the 2010 Four Continents Championships. They shared a cool story from the 4Cs: during the Free, Kaitlyn felt something slipping along her neck early on in the program. Looking down, she realized that her pearl necklace had come undone so she grabbed it. During the skate, she and Andrew talked about what to do and thought she could throw the necklace over the boards if they got close enough which didn’t happen. She held on to the necklace through not only the dance spin but through the synchronized twizzles changing hands! Finally, during a moment facing away from the judges that she slipped the necklace in her dress: “Once I could feel it against my tummy then I could relax and start skating!”
The team is intent on capitalizing on their momentum from the past 2 seasons. They are slated to compete at Skate America and NHK and can’t wait to get at it. For this year’s Short Dance, they are using a combination of Etta James’ At last and Frank Sinatra’s cheek to cheek.It was only choreographed last month by Pasquale Camerlengo who is one their coaches along with wife Anjelika Krylova with Shae-Lynn Bourne continuing to be their base coach. Kaitlyn says she was skeptical about the Short Dance start with saying “I am probably one of the only people on the planet who liked compulsory dances”. She has long since come around and says that this year’s programs are “quintessential us.”.
The Free Dance is set to music from The Moulin Rouge soundtrack and they both like it because they haven’t heard more then The Tango Roxanne selection used internationally by any other dance teams. Their goal was to try and balance their style with the rules requiring that the music be uplifting, have an audible beat, be danceable and have the program not be solely reliant on a story. (I say Hallelujah! Oops…my outside writing?) They have some new tricks up their sleeves including some really cool lifts. They have been working on one for the last 2 years with a Cirque du Soleil acrobat and they call it “the Rollup”.
Kaitlyn says skating for her is one word: “Joy”. For Andrew it has meant a lifetime of experience. Off the ice he likes to tinker with his truck. It brings him back to a time when he used to spend time in the garage with his Grandpa Jozef Kriviansky who was a race car driver. They both talk about their rink in Detroit and the support that the skaters all show each other. That support however may not extend as far as the rink-wide online scrabble game that the skaters are playing one on one against each other. Currently in the lead? Kaitlyn and Alissa Czisny are neck and neck in the current game. Wonder if she can spell success? I can:
W-E-A-V-E-R/P-O-J-E.