by Anne Calder

The Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe was an added stop to the original 2026 Stars on Ice tour and sold out quickly.

Twelve Olympians performed non-stop for an hour before a fifteen minute Zamboni break. The group number that ended the first half – “It’s Too Darn Hot” was very appropriate for the 95 degree Arizona temperature. The skaters also performed Olympic programs in the second half of the show.

Prior to the event, Madison Chock & Evan Bates and Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko spoke separately with ice-dance.com about their whirlwind experiences during and since the Olympics.

Madison Chock & Evan Bates

Madison Chock & Evan Bates opened their 2025-2026 season with a gold medal at the Grand Prix Cup of China October 24-26. In St. Louis, they defended their U.S National Championship crown. A month later the duo won gold (team) and silver (individual) medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

After the Games, the duo traveled to Zurich, Fribourg and Davos, Switzerland February 26 – March 7 for the team’s debut appearance on the renowned Art on Ice show. The event celebrated it’s 30th anniversary with Olympic and World Champions performing alongside international pop artists.

Then briefly back home to Montreal where they announced the team would not defend it’s World Figure Skating title. Osaka was the next destination and group preparation for the Japan SOI tour April 3-12.

The entire U.S. Stars on Ice cast met up in Ft. Myers, Florida April 14 for two full days of intense rehearsals for the tour prior to opening at the Hertz Arena in Estero.

When the cast had a two day break between the Portland, Oregon and Tempe, Arizona stops, Chock & Bates headed south to the warmer desert temps and green grass of the Phoenician Golf Course in Scottsdale.

Bates is an avid golfer; Chock is a novice-in-training who loves all the aspects of her new hobby.

“I’ve done two rounds of golf in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been so fun. It’s just really nice being outdoors. I think I’m appreciating it so much more because we’re usually inside so much for our sport. Being outside and doing physical activities feels really special.

“It feels like a treat to be out in the sun and enjoying the warm weather, and challenging myself in a new way. I really appreciate that, and look forward to making little gains and pouring my athletic brain into a new sport.”

Bates noted that Arizona, Texas and Mississippi were new tour stops.

“It’s fun to play some areas we haven’t been before. I can’t remember ever doing a show in Mississippi or two shows in Texas. It’s really exciting, We had Skate America in Texas a couple of times. We had a good time there. It’ll be fun.”

“We had a really lovely time here in Arizona,” Chock said. “In addition to golfing, we had a great dinner with the cast. We had a good little break and got to rejuvenate.”

The seven-time U.S. National Champions reflected on the tangibles and intangibles they each brought home from Milan.

“Two medals and pins” Chock said. “Pins were my biggest souvenir. I love collecting pins. We had our Henry and Stella pins from Nulo Pet Foods that we were trading, so I got to trade for a lot of fun pins.”

“It’s such a memorable experience when you go to the Olympic Games,” Bates said. “The emotions are so high and so real, and you live in the memory of these Olympic moments. They just stay with you so strongly. I can remember so many moments, and some of them are small, like going out for pizza with my mom on her birthday, which was February 17, while we were there. 

“Also stepping on the ice and looking around and seeing all the American flags and getting the rush of adrenaline and emotions, and then carrying the flag at the closing ceremonies, going to other sporting events, meeting people, being in the village, doing everything, doing nothing.  All of it is just so vividly captured in my memory that it’s really hard to pinpoint just one, so I’d say everything.”

Chock and Bates have performed in twelve major Stars on Ice tours across the U.S., Canada and Japan. The 2026 tour was different. It had record-breaking sales and sold out venues in most cities.

“It is truly exhilarating,” Chock said about performing to a sold out audience every night. “It’s so exciting to hear the screams of the audience, and the excitement that it feels has been all around figure skating since the Olympics, Then to witness it live every time we step on the ice. It’s been amazing.”

“I think also the fact that we have these sold out arenas for show skating is really special,” Bates added. “We had great attendance at the last couple of World Championships, and of course, the Olympic Games is always a sellout, but to sell out a Stars On Ice show at a venue like Honda Center or SAP Center with like 15 to 16 thousand people screaming, It’s’s so fun.”

Over the years the couple has skated to many genres. Are there others they wish they had selected?

“Not really,” Chock said. “I think we’ve enjoyed every program that we’ve done each year. We put a lot of ourselves into the creative process and the work, and I think there’s a lot to be proud of once we’ve completed the program with our team. If there’s something else out there that we want, or we find, we’ll just skate to it.”

“It’s always fun to think of new and creative stuff, and that’s what’s fun about skating in the shows, especially with younger skaters. They pick music from artists I’m not even aware of,” Bates added. “It’s fun! We’ll keep exploring. The best part of figure skating is it’s creative, so we’ll keep our ears to the ground for new genres.”

The Golden Waltz is a highly technical ice dance pattern that is being competed in the 2026-2027 Rhythm Dance after a decade and a half absence.

Bates shared his thoughts. “I like doing Golden Waltz, but it’s a really tricky dance. It takes a lot of time and effort to master it, so it will be really fun to see some of the newer skaters who have never competed compulsory dances at the senior level. Now they’re going to be thrown into probably the most challenging compulsory or pattern dance. That will be really fun to watch.”

The married couple spoke about the post-tour, vacation and summer plans.

“We’ve been home only two days since we left for the Games,” Bates said. “Our dogs are with my folks in Michigan. We’ve been on the road for a long time. It’s been a whirlwind after the Olympics, but it’s been fun.

“We definitely are planning more time with family, which I would consider a vacation. We’ll be spending time in Michigan and in California, where our parents live. 

“This summer we’ll be celebrating some family milestones. My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding, so we’re planning a trip around that celebration. Hopefully we’ll get to celebrate Father’s Day with Madi’s parents  and just reconnecting after a very busy time. We’re still busy, but it feels a little different.

“I’ll still be part of the ISU. I’m doing the athletes committee again, so we’ll be involved with hopefully some improvement across the board when it comes to everything in ice dance, from rule changes to competition schedule to safeguarding athletes, and everything in between.”

“We’re not locking anything into place,” Chock said. “Definitely show skating sounds appealing. We have some more shows on the horizon, and we’re excited for it.”

Since the interview the following shows have been added to Chock & Bates schedules:

Destiny Ice Show in Tokyo, Japan – July 31, August 1-2, 2026
Sun Valley Ice Show – Sun Valley, ID – August 29, 2026.

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko

Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko began training for their Olympic dream back in April 2014 when the duo first partnered. Twelve years later at the Selection Gala in St. Louis, the team was presented their jackets by Christina’s mother along with an invitation to compete at the Winter Games in Milan, Italy.

While it was the young athletes’ Olympic debut, the name Ponomarenko was already associated with its history. Anthony’s parents are the only ice dancers to win Olympic medals of all three colors. Sarajevo (1984-bronze), Calgary (1988-silver) and Albertville (1992-gold).

The U.S. Bronze medalists spoke to IDC about their expectations for the Olympics and how both were surprised by their temporary residence in Milan.

“I didn’t expect to like the village life that much,” Carreira said. “It was really fun because all of Team USA was on the same floor as the skating team, so we all got to live together for a month. There was always something to do in the village. I never wanted to be in my room. I was always out with friends. It was a lot fun.”

Ponomarenko added, “I think the respect between athletes was surprising to me. Everyone there had to sacrifice so much to get to the Olympics, so talking with the speed skaters, the hockey skaters, even some of the skiers, they all had so much respect for what the other does. I made deep, meaningful connections with people. Some people are just so cool.”

The Olympic Village had another distinction. It served a desert treat that the athletes just couldn’t get enough of – chocolate lava cake with a warm gooey center that oozed out when cut.

“It was fantastic,” Ponomarenko said. “They had only a select few of them, so they would keep the cake in the back. You had to specifically ask for it and sometimes even trade a pin.”

Another foodie thing was a visit to the McDonalds that sold regional Italian food including Nutella muffins, Gelato bites and Parmigiano Reggiano snacks. After their Free Dance along with two other dancers, the athletes ordered from the outside drive-thru at 2:00 a.m. Then they posted a video that went viral.

Carreira’s mother bought her a necklace with Olympic rings to remember her Milan debut while her partner snagged an official Milano Cortina 2026 gameplay puck for his souvenir.

“Also there was so much in our rooms,” Carreira said. U.S. Figure Skating had Sonja Hilmer make paintings of all of us, and then we got to take them home, which was really cool.”

A month after the Olympics, Carreira & Ponomarenko represented the U.S. at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, CZE prior to embarking on their first Stars on Ice Tour.

Carreira & Ponomarenko were originally scheduled to appear only as guests in several cities. However, when Emily Chan & Spencer Howe withdrew due to a scheduling conflict, they were were invited to join the full tour.

The skaters traveled from city to city in a sleeper bus.

“We all have our own bunk beds,” Carreira explained. “We play cards, we talk, we sleep. It’s just been a lot of fun getting to live with everyone. On the longer drives we sleep, because we’re usually skating the next day.”

Ponomarenko added, “Our entire schedule has shifted since starting the tour because we have late nights.”

“We go to bed super late and wake up also super late,” Carreira continued. “Our day just starts later. I don’t think it’s been too bad on our bodies. We feel pretty good.”

In addition to their first bus tour experience, the duo had to adjust to skating in groups.

“It’s just so much fun,” Carreira said. “We don’t get to skate with the other disciplines ever, so it’s nice to see how they work, how they train. In the group numbers we’re used to tracking each other – looking in the corner

of our eye for where the other person is, so it hasn’t been too big of an adjustment. The group rehearsals and group numbers are a favorite part.”

“There’s one number in particular, The Too Darn Hot one that has the entire cast. Everyone loves it – the costumes, the choreography. So it’s just really, really fun to skate that every night,” Ponomarenko added.

“We had to do side-by-side single axels in the group numbers, but it was actually easier than expected. We both did freestyle as kids, so it’s in there somewhere,” Carreira said.

On the tour, the team visited many new cities. Each had a favorite that left a special memory.

“I love it here in Arizona,” Carreira said. “Yesterday we had a day off. We spent the day at the pool. There’s a Whole Foods right across the street. We had a big dinner all together the first night we got here, and last night a few of us went out to dinner together. Yeah, Arizona. I want to live here.”

“I would say Greenville, South Carolina. It was our first full day off in a week and a half. We were doing a bunch of rehearsals, and we traveled up there,” Ponomarenko said. “The town was just quiet and peaceful with a lot of wonderful restaurants and beautiful scenery. It was great to just walk around and see everything.”

He quickly added, “I would also say here [in Arizona] is another good one, just because I played my first game of golf ever yesterday at the Phoenician, and it was awesome.”

Ponomarenko loves hockey. During the tour he got to see a Minnesota Wild Stanley Cup playoff game.

“Hockey is my favorite sport, so just being able to see a game live and receive some jerseys from NHL teams is pretty special,” he said.

Author’s Note: In the photos above, Anthony Ponomarenko is holding a new souvenir – an original 1988 Champions on Ice Tour program from the Milwaukee, WI event. The show was a tribute to the Calgary Olympians including ice dance silver medalists – Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko.

The team discussed next season’s Rhythm Dance and the Golden Waltz pattern.

“Very, very excited,” Ponomarenko said. “I’ve always been against not having compulsory dances in our sport, in our discipline, just because they are the fundamentals. It is the bare bones basics of our sport, and I’m happy that they’re putting it back. I think it’s a great change.”

“I’m also super excited,” Carreira said. “I really like the Golden Waltz. It’s really fun. We’ve only got to work on it a little bit so far, but there’s a lot to learn and a lot to do with it. So, I’m really excited.

“We had a couple of days off after the San Jose SOI, so we flew to Los Angeles. Randy Strong [choreographer and dance coach] put us in contact with one of her friends, and we did ballroom for two days before we went to the Toast to Milan event in Colorado Springs.”

Anthony Ponomarenko has history with the Golden Waltz.

His parents, Marina Krylova & Sergei Ponomarenko with their coach, Natalia Dubova created and first performed the pattern in 1987 as part of the Original Set Pattern. The OSP allowed teams to choose their own music and choreography to an ISU assigned specific rhythm and music type that changed yearly.

He spoke about whether his family history with the pattern would add pressure.

“I don’t think so. We definitely have to skate it well to honor their memory and their touch on the sport, but I don’t feel like I have pressure. We’re going to really train this dance and make sure that it’s good.”

About additional help they may receive, he added, “I think we’ll probably send a video or two over to them, just because they have little secrets and tips that maybe others don’t.”

The dancers shared their post tour schedule.

“We have five days off, and then we start training again. We do choreography for programs, have Champs Camp this summer. We’re really excited for this new season,” Carreira said.

“We [already] have two very significant program options, one for rhythm and one for free and even some rough cuts to start. We’ll really nail that down when we get back. We’re a little bit along.”

“We want to be fully organized, so when we get back, all we have to do is correct. Well it’s a big part, but all we have to do is choreography,” Carreira said. “We’re talking to our coaches constantly so we’re ready to start when we get back home.”

When Carreira returns home she will be living in Canada. For four years, she commuted daily from Michigan to maintain her U.S. residency. In November 2025 she received her U.S. passport and was sworn in as an American citizen in time to compete at the Olympics.

“Right after I got my [U.S] passport, I got a place really close to the rink. Especially in the winter, driving on that road back and forth, it’s not safe. I’ve had many close calls, so the minute I could, I moved back,” Carreira said.

The chat ended with the team discussing their training location and future goals.

“We will continue to spend some time in Montreal training in that atmosphere, but our main hub now will be in London, Ontario,” Ponomarenko explained.

“We’re definitely staying in four more years. We want to bring back some Olympic medals,” Carreira said. “We’ve talked with our coaches. We have a plan for programs for four seasons. We’re looking forward to growing, and I think we’re going to have a great time.”