2026 headlining coaches
Danielle Ostrower
Danielle Ostrower is the Director of Teams Elite, a premier synchronized skating program based in Northbrook, Illinois. With a skating career spanning from 1998 to 2006, she represented Chicago Jazz and was a member of Team USA from 2002 to 2006, earning a bronze medal at the 2006 World Junior Challenge Cup. After her competitive skating career, Danielle pursued higher education, earning a law degree and passing the bar exam. However, her passion for skating led her back to the ice, where she transitioned into coaching. She has been with Teams Elite for 16 seasons, serving as the head coach for the Senior, Junior, Novice, Intermediate, and Juvenile teams. Danielle's coaching philosophy centers on a "work hard, play hard" mentality, fostering a balance between discipline and fun. She emphasizes personal connections with her athletes, creating an environment where skaters can thrive both on and off the ice. Beyond her coaching responsibilities, Danielle is committed to advancing the sport of synchronized skating. She continually seeks innovative training methods and strives to elevate Teams Elite's presence on the international stage. Danielle Ostrower's dedication, expertise, and passion have been instrumental in shaping Teams Elite into a powerhouse in the synchronized skating community.
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Jamie whyte
Jamie Whyte is the Assistant Director of Synchronized Skating at Teams Elite and a highly respected figure in the synchronized skating community. He works with multiple levels of Teams Elite’s competitive teams — including Senior, Junior, Novice, Intermediate, and Juvenile — helping guide athletes through national and international competition. He has been part of the Teams Elite coaching staff since 2019, contributing to the club’s success as one of the leading synchronized skating programs in the world. Under his guidance, Teams Elite athletes have achieved numerous national championships and international medals, including a World Junior titles (2025). Before joining Teams Elite, Jamie built a strong foundation in ice dance coaching and athlete development. He has coached multiple U.S. Solo Ice Dance Champions and guided many skaters to national medals. As a competitor himself, Jamie represented Great Britain internationally, including at Junior World Championships. His blend of technical expertise, competitive experience, and passion for the sport makes him a valuable mentor for synchronized skaters striving for excellence on the ice.
2026 featured coaches
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Alexa & Chris Knierim are former American pair skaters and one of the most recognizable couples in U.S. figure skating. They began skating together in 2012, soon became a couple, and married in 2016. As partners, they won three U.S. National Championships (2015, 2018, 2020) and represented the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where they helped Team USA secure a bronze medal in the team event. The pair was known for their technical prowess — including performing a quad twist at the Olympics — and their strong on-ice connection. Chris retired from competitive skating in 2020, concluding a successful career that also included multiple international medals, including at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Beyond their competitive achievements, Alexa and Chris have continued to contribute to the sport and its community, drawing on their years of elite experience to mentor, coach, and inspire up-and-coming skaters. Their story highlights not only athletic excellence but also resilience, partnership, and passion for the sport. They remain beloved figures in U.S. figure skating, celebrated for both their accomplishments on the ice and their ongoing impact off it.
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Michael Lee is the Artistic Director of Opus Mime, a broad-ranging company based in Michigan. Michael has been developing Physical Acting for Skaters since 2007, working first with ice dancers Ben Agosto & Tanith Belbin, then Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Evan Bates, Nathan Chen, synchro teams Miami University, Adrian College and 2025 World Champion Teams Elite Junior, along with other top teams from around the world. In 2017 he was a special guest at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. One of the last and most advanced students of the late French mime Marcel Marceau, who critiqued many of Michael’s pieces, saying, “You have a distinct drama and strength...the caliber of my own company.” His performance and training repertoire includes acting in film and TV, modeling, gymnastics, movement therapy, contact improv, clowning, circus arts, yoga, make-up and oral interpretation. He is a graduate of the Spacial Dynamics Institute in New York, and the International School for Theatre Anthropology in Denmark. More info at: www.michaelleemime.com
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April Sirokie is a classically trained ballet dancer and competitive dancer competing in jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts and Exercise Science from Ball State University. April has been able to dance and choreograph for many performing arts festivals and received multiple scholarships in Chicago and New York to continue her dance training. She performed professionally for 3 years and decided to focus on teaching dance and personal training. She is grateful for a healthy career so she can continue to create, choreograph, and coach. April is also a personal trainer in the Chicagoland area specializing in strength and conditioning for athletes ranging from ice skaters, hockey players, to competitive dance teams. April enjoys working with athletes of all ages and levels and continues to expand her education by attending fitness seminars, workshops, and master classes. As a specialty coach for Teams Elite, April focuses on enhancing athletes' dance skills and off-ice movement to complement their on-ice performances.
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Rodolfo Blanquicett is a highly accomplished Latin and Rhythm coach in both the Pro/Am and professional ballroom divisions. A Best of the Best title winner and recipient of multiple Rising Star titles, Rodolfo brings elite-level competitive experience and dynamic performance expertise to his coaching. He specializes in partnering, styling, and ballroom movement, with a strong emphasis on body connection, presentation, and musical interpretation. Known for his high energy and engaging teaching style, Rodolfo breaks down complex movement into clear, accessible steps and demonstrates with precision and charisma. At NAASSC, he will lead ballroom-focused off-ice sessions designed to elevate performance quality and confidence that translate directly onto the ice.
2026 NAASSC staff
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Ashley Carlson is an American synchronized skating coach, consultant, and choreographer with 30 years in the sport and over a decade of experience coaching elite athletes at the Senior, Junior, and Collegiate levels. A former Team USA coach, she led Adrian College’s varsity synchronized skating program to multiple national and international podium finishes. She also coached Team USA at international competitions in Austria, Croatia, England, France, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Since transitioning from full-time coaching, Ashley has worked with teams across various divisions, from Adult and Masters teams to those competing at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. She also specializes in recruitment, digital marketing, and both strategic program and holistic athlete development. As an athlete, Ashley competed in synchronized skating for nearly two decades, earning four U.S. Championships medals, including a gold in the Adult division with the Crystallettes in 2009. She also was a member of the Club Synchronized Skating Team and Intercollegiate Figure Skating Team at Miami University. Off the ice, Ashley holds a Master’s degree in Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from Miami University. She currently resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, Ryan, and their son, Cooper.
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Victoria is a Canadian synchronized choreographer and consultant to teams worldwide. She currently coaches at Trinity Skating Academy and Skate Oakville. A former Team Canada member for nearly a decade, she competed in numerous world championships and ISU events, including winning the 2015 World Synchronized Skating Championships with NEXXICE Senior. She also earned two world medals and three Canadian titles. Since 2015, Victoria has worked with national teams like Team France (Chrysalides), Team Turkey (Vizyon), and Team Great Britain (Zariba). She also coached Team USA’s Adrian College senior team to their first podium finish at the US Championships and led Canada’s first Senior Elite 12 team to national team status and a podium finish at their first ISU event, along with a national title in 2024. Off the ice, Victoria holds a BA from the University of Guelph and a TEFL certification from the University of Toronto. She became a Skate Canada certified national coach and earned her Chartered Professional Coach designation in 2024.
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Kameryn Furman (Kam) has been involved in synchronized skating for the past 29 consecutive seasons. As an athlete, Kam is a Skating Skills Gold Medalist, Ice Dance Gold Medalist, Solo Ice Dance Gold Medalist, and Ice Dance International Medalist. As an athlete, she has earned Gold, Silver, Bronze and Pewter medals at Midwestern Sectionals and is a 2X Bronze and 1x Pewter National Medalist. She skated through the Junior level with Saint Louis Synergy before moving to Kansas City in 2016 after earning her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. As a coach, she has worked with various levels from Aspire 1 through Team USA Junior (National Silver Medalists) and all four available Adult levels (Masters National Bronze & Pewter Medalists). In addition to coaching, Kam is the Director of Synchronized Skating for KC MOMENTUM, works full time as an engineer at Burns & McDonnell, and coaches private lessons that primarily focus on skating skills and ice dance. Kam was also the recipient of the Hallmark Cards Leadership Award for the 2024 Women’s Sports Awards.
2026 local featured coaches
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