by Daphne Backman | Banner picture of Yang & Kay by Robin Ritoss
Ice dance (and determine skating) is particular. All through the previous 25 years, my staff and I’ve been privileged to {photograph} or interview most of the ice dancers at competitions just like the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships, Dallas Basic or Problem Cup. We’ve watched new groups come collectively, welcomed youngsters and oldsters to the ice dance group and helped households navigate a few of the nuances of their new determine skating world. We’ve watched youngsters type friendships and adults discover a camaraderie with others who perceive the every day challenges. We’ve captured the fun of success or disappointment in quotes and pictures or given phrases of encouragement when wanted. We’ve watched athletes say goodbye to the game as they retire and transfer on to new adventures. All are cherished reminiscences for us and our group.
Writing an article about this profound loss is difficult. It’s troublesome to search out the best phrases to precisely seize the enjoyment of their lives. It appears not possible, but it’s necessary to share these ideas and to recollect these we misplaced by sharing even a small piece of what made them particular.
For Sasha, Sean, Julia, Angela, Lily, Alydia and people who perished on this crash…I’ll do my finest to shine a lightweight on the ice dance group members who had been misplaced.
On January 29, American Airways Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members. The 60 passengers included 11 members of the U.S. Nationwide Growth Crew in addition to 4 coaches and 13 members of the family. The skaters had been in Wichita for the high-performance improvement camp, an annual program for athletes on the juvenile, intermediate and novice stage that was created in 2020 to encourage and foster the event of the subsequent technology of skaters. Nationwide Growth Crew members certified by way of placement at three sectional occasions (singles) or by way of the ice dance or pairs finals. Along with coaching and different academic alternatives, individuals attended the weekend’s senior aggressive occasions.
It was not possible to not discover the electrical vitality emanating from the stands in part 119 as the youngsters supported every senior competitor. The connections constructed between the athletes had been heartwarming, and it was apparent the friendships fostered by means of this expertise would proceed far past the few days at this camp. Our tabled media seating was positioned behind this part so we had a entrance row seat to witness the joy that grew all through that weekend. Whereas the Nationals rivals and households headed dwelling on Monday, the Nationwide Growth Crew athletes remained in Wichita for 2 further days to work with specialists and proceed with on and off-ice coaching and efficiency enchancment actions.
At roughly 8:48pm, flight 5342 collided mid-air with a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter whereas approaching Reagan Nationwide Airport in Washington, DC. There have been no survivors.
The DC space is central to numerous skating golf equipment and coaching facilities. When studying concerning the crash, my mind went by means of a psychological checklist of everybody from the Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland areas to think about who may very well be misplaced. Ready to study who was on the flight and affirmation of those that had been passengers was heartbreaking.
From the 28 members of the determine skating household who perished within the crash, 9 had been from the ice dance group. Angela Yang & Sean Kay, the 11-year previous juvenile champions from the 2025 U.S. Ice Dance Ultimate had attended the camp together with their moms Lily (Yang) and Julia (Kay) and coach Alexandr Kirsanov. Alydia Livingston, additionally 11, was invited to attend the camp along with her new ice dance companion. Her sister Everly and oldsters Donna and Peter had been additionally on the flight as was Everly’s singles coach Inna Volyanskaya.
This isn’t the primary time the determine skating group has mourned such a tragic loss. Practically 64 years in the past, on February 15, 1961, Sabena Flight 548 crashed close to Brussels, Belgium, whereas approaching to land. Tragically, all 72 folks on board, together with 18 members of the U.S. determine skating staff who had been on their method to the World Championships in Prague, died within the accident.
Concerning the Victims
Alexandr (Sasha) Kirsanov was a former aggressive ice dancer who represented the USA, Azerbaijan and Russia. After retiring in 2004, he grew to become a determine skating coach and choreographer based mostly within the Newark, Delaware space. The primary time I met Sasha was in Lake Placid on the Ice Dance Championships as he was a part of the teaching staff for one of many groups I knew. The final time I noticed him was on the Ice Dance Ultimate in Plano in November. I needed to share this story.
In 2012, I used to be on my method to the U.S. Championships in San Jose, and my connecting flight was in Philadelphia. Attributable to climate the airplane was delayed lengthy sufficient that I missed my connection in Phoenix. Again then, I didn’t plan my journey as rigorously as I do now, and this missed connection meant no likelihood of arriving in San Jose that night and certain lacking the Novice Sample Dances that had been scheduled to begin at 10am the subsequent morning. Sasha was additionally on my flight, and one in every of his groups was a part of the identical novice dance occasion that means he would additionally miss it.
In contrast to earlier Nationals, I’d be staying with my buddy Robin Ritoss at her dwelling. Once I referred to as to let her know of the predicament, she instructed I fly into San Francisco as an alternative, and he or she would come to fulfill me. As soon as my flight was modified, I went to search out Sasha, and he was capable of e-book the identical flight. Robin was glad to make an additional cease, and I used to be glad one of many groups wouldn’t be with out one in every of their coaches. I share this story as a result of again in July, whereas on the Dallas Basic, I talked with Sasha about this journey, and we each had an awesome snicker about it. I’m glad I had that second.
Sasha leaves behind a spouse, Natalya Gudin, who additionally coached Angela and Sean however was not in Wichita, and a daughter, Nicole. Nicole is a gifted solo dancer and a multi-time nationwide medalist on the Nationwide Solo Dance Ultimate.
This season was the primary as a staff for Angela Yang & Sean Kay, who represented the College of Delaware Determine Skating Membership and each competed in solo dance. Though a brand new staff, they positioned first at each occasion together with the Dallas Basic, Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships and the U.S. Ice Dance Ultimate. It was fantastic to observe them proceed to develop as a staff by means of every competitors. I keep in mind Anne (Calder) messaging me throughout the Ice Dance Ultimate to ensure I’d seen them enjoying with their stuffies within the kiss ‘n cry after the free dance. Juvenile is such a enjoyable stage to {photograph} due to the competitor vitality and pleasure of skating.
I met and had a quick dialog with Julia (Sean’s mom) on the Dance Ultimate. When she realized I used to be from ice-dance.com, she thanked me for the entire photographs that we’ve posted of her youngsters. I discovered later from one other father or mother who was on the camp, that each Lily and Julia had one in every of Robin’s photographs from Lake Placid as their cellphone background. That meant quite a bit.
In September, Angela completed second within the Juvenile Mixed occasion on the 2024 Nationwide Solo Dance Ultimate. Sean received the Novice Mixed on the similar occasion and his brother Skyler received Intermediate Mixed.
Angela and Sean had a lot potential as a staff and of their solo careers. Their love of skating and fervour for efficiency will probably be missed.
Angela’s mom Lily in addition to Julia, Sean’s mom had been additionally on the flight. Angela is survived by her father Jacob, sister Tiki and brother Miller. Tiki has arrange a GoFundMe for the household. Sean is survived by his father Vitali, sister Samantha and two brothers. A GoFundMe to proceed the skating journeys of Sean’s siblings has been created.
There will probably be a celebration of life for Sasha, Sean, Julia, Lily and Angela from 8 am till 12 pm on Saturday, February 22, 2025, on the College of Delaware Fred Rust Ice Area in Newark, DE. In lieu of flowers, donations could also be made payable to the College of Delaware Skating Membership and mailed to the Fred Rust Ice Area, 549 S. Faculty Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716.
On January 20, singles skater and solo ice dancer Alydia Livingston (Washington Determine Skating Membership) and Matthew Jacoby introduced their ice dance partnership on Instagram. Matthew had competed in intermediate ice dance on the Ice Dance Ultimate and was invited to attend the Excessive Efficiency Growth Camp along with his new companion.
Alydia’s sister Everly, a singles skater, had additionally certified to attend the camp by way of a fourth place end in intermediate ladies at Jap Sectionals. Alydia and Everly had been often known as the Ice Skating Sisters on Instagram and Youtube and had a rising social media presence sharing movies of their performances and adventures. Their father, Peter, had taught them to skate, and the household embraced the world of determine skating.
I spoke with Liz (Matthew’s mom) on the final day of the U.S. Championships. She shared that Alydia and Matt had been excited to be on the camp and searching ahead to the season. Issues had been going effectively. I used to be trying ahead to seeing this new staff debut at a summer time competitors initially of the 2025-26 season.
Liz and Matthew took a flight again to Philadelphia earlier on Wednesday.
Together with these talked about above, a complete of 28 members of the determine skating group had been misplaced on January 29. The next singles skaters and coaches additionally perished:
- Jinna Han (and mom Jin)
- Spencer Lane (and mom Christine)
- Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov (coaches)
- Brielle Beyer (and mom Justyna)
- Cory Haynos (and oldsters Stephanie and Roger)
- Olivia Eve Ter (and mom Olesya)
- Franco Aparicio (and father Luciano)
- Eddie Zhou (and oldsters Yu Zhou and Kaiyan Mao)
- Inna Volyanskaya (coach)
In case you are interested by contributing to assist the households left behind on this tragedy, U.S. Determine Skating has created the U.S. Determine Skating Household Assist Fund to help these straight impacted.
On February 5, Monumental Sports activities & Leisure, Leisure Gang and U.S. Determine Skating introduced they are going to host a dwell determine skating tribute to be held at Capital One Area in downtown Washington D.C. on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Legacy on Ice will honor the 67 lives misplaced and lift funds to assist victims’ households and the primary responders and aviation professionals who labored tirelessly within the aftermath of the tragedy. All proceeds will probably be collected by the Monumental Sports activities & Leisure Basis and equally distributed to the U.S. Determine Skating Household Assist Fund, Higher Washington Neighborhood Basis’s “DCA Collectively Reduction Fund” and DC Hearth & EMS Basis. The occasion will probably be co-hosted by 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano and can embrace Ilia Malinin (three-time U.S. Champion and 2024 World Champion), Amber Glenn (two-time U.S. Champion and 2024 Grand Prix Ultimate Champion), Madison Chock & Evan Bates (six-time U.S. Champions and two-time World Champions) and extra.
It’s my hope that the sense of connection in our ice dance group brings consolation to everybody as we transfer ahead whereas grieving this loss. Although they’re not with us, their affect stays — in each reminiscence and each act of kindness impressed by their lives. We stock them ahead in our hearts, guaranteeing that their legacy continues to form our group for the longer term.
Photograph Gallery: Ice Dance Neighborhood Members Misplaced on Flight 5342
Photographs by Daphne Backman, Melanie Heaney and Robin Ritoss