New dance team alert - Canadian champion Paul Poirier has found a new partner in two-time U.S. junior bronze medalist Piper Gilles. After splitting with Vanessa Crone last month, Poirier will be skating the new season with Gilles, who will be eligible to represent Canada next year. Gilles last skated Zach Donohue, who is now skating with former U.S. junior champion Madison Hubbell.
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Due to International Skating Union rules, Gilles will not be able to skate for Canada until next year, when she end two years of not competing internationally for the U.S. She and Donohue last competed in 2010.
In an interview with International Figure Skating, Gilles and Poirier revealed that in addition to working with Carol Lane, they will be getting choreography help from British ice dance legend Christopher Dean.
This off-season has been busier than usual in the ice dance splitsville department. It was also mentioned in the interview that Poirier had a tryout with former World junior champion Emily Samuelson, who had ended her partnership with Evan Bates earlier this year. Bates is now skating with Madison Chock.
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