By LOIS ELFMAN
It is only September, but ice dancers Anaelle Kouevi and Yann Homawoo have already competed four times. They started this month in Bangkok, Thailand, where they finished eighth in an ISU Junior Grand Prix competition. In their second year on the international circuit, they feel themselves getting stronger and evolving as competitors.
“I had a really good experience in Thailand; there were a lot of lessons, and I was able to compete against cool, new people,” said Kouevi. “The audience was very welcoming. Honestly, the fact that figure skating isn’t too big in Thailand made it so that when there was a competition, people were really excited. They were really welcoming towards all the skaters.”
While in Bangkok, they did some sightseeing, including the Grand Palace and the Big Buddha at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen temple. “We also petted and fed some elephants,” said Homawoo. “It was really cool.”
After a fifth-place finish at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kouevi, 15, and Homawoo, 17, have continued to progress. In June, they decided to change coaches and train in Alexandria, Virginia, with Pierre Souquet-Basiège and Lorraine McNamara.
“They bring a different set of eyes and a different point of view,” said Kouevi. “They were skaters not that long ago. They know what would help us to be more confident. I feel my confidence actively growing with every competition. … [In Thailand], I felt I’m here to show my performance, show a story, skate my best.”
They have made changes to their programs since changing coaches, feeling they wanted a different storytelling vibe. The choreography also continues to evolve. The duo was back to training the day after returning from Thailand. Next up for them is a Junior Grand Prix event in Gdańsk, Poland, Oct. 8–10. In November, they have the U.S. Ice Dance Final to qualify for the 2027 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
“We’re definitely going to be working on developing our skating and our programs,” said Homawoo. Of course, they hope to improve on their finish from the 2026 U.S. Championships. “One of our biggest goals is to continue to tell stories through our skating. Obviously, there’s the technical side of skating…but at the end of the day it’s about the story you put out on the ice and how people are impacted.”
