Green and Parsons Start Down New Path Together

Spring 2019 marked a time of transition for U.S. ice dancers Caroline Green and Michael Parsons. Both skaters had previously been in long-term partnerships with siblings: Green competed with her brother Gordon for eight years, while Parsons skated with his sister Rachel for 10 years. Then both partnerships ended, and Green and Parsons were on their own. It was a time of complex emotions.
 
Parsons felt regret at the end of a successful partnership, but knew his sister Rachel was making the right decision for her future. "As her brother, I could see that she wasn't happy and she wasn't in a healthy place," he noted. "So I was happy to see her make a good decision for her health. Of course, it was disappointing seeing her take some time away. But again, she needed it, so I can't be too sad about it. And she's a lot happier now, so I can only be happy for her."
 
For Green--who had never partnered with anyone except her brother--it was also a major transition. "He wanted to focus on his academics; it was very important to him," she explained. "And we wanted to end our partnership on a good note." 
 
Green came to accept the change. "I think, honestly, it was the best decision for both of us. We accomplished what we set out to do at the beginning of [last] season. So I think it was, just timing-wise, a good time for him to step away."
 
One thing that Green and Parsons had in common: They were both determined to keep skating. "I never thought for a second that I would retire," said Parsons, 23. "Because there's a lot more left that I want to accomplish. And I'm really happy to be doing that with Caroline now."

Green, at 15, felt the same. "I'm still very young, and there's so much more that I want to experience," she said of skating.
 
With Green and Parsons both looking for partners, the duo soon decided to try practicing together and then teamed up officially. It was a natural development, as both grew up training in the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy (WISA) group in Maryland, with coaches Alexei Kiliakov and Elena Novak. 
 
Parsons said their shared background helped the partnership gel: "It's been a bit of a shortcut, I think, to adjusting to skating with each other. Because we've had very similar bases of technique."
 
Both dancers characterized the WISA approach as strongly focused on skating skills. "I think that our coaches are some of, if not the best, at bringing out the beauty in your skating skills, and run of edge, and just how comfortable you are on your feet on the ice," Parsons commented. "The beauty of technique."
 
Despite the shared background, it was still challenging to learn elements with a new partner. "It's been very different," Green said. "And there's definitely a learning curve. We're still adjusting. But I think it's coming along really well--faster than either of us expected."
 
Surprisingly, lifts were one of the first elements that the couple mastered. "Lifts were definitely a lot easier than I [expected]," said Green. "I'd never done lifts with anyone but Gordon. But that's one of the things that clicked first."
 
"It's a bit counterintuitive," Parsons agreed. "The more complicated things that we tried seemed to come really quickly. And then the basics of crossovers were more difficult."
 
Both said that it is exciting--although different--to work with a non-sibling partner. 
 
"There's pluses and minuses to each," Parsons reflected. "Skating with a sibling, you know how each other thinks, because you've lived together your whole life. There's a big benefit to that familiarity that we don't have. But I think we're doing just fine without it." 
 
He noted the increased flexibility: "It opens up a whole other realm of possibilities for storylines, programs, and music choices. We have much more freedom now to choose the programs that we want."
 
Green said that communication works differently. "I think Michael and I are very open to listening to each other's ideas, and considering each other's perspective, maybe more than, at least, I was with my brother," she remarked. "My brother and I were so comfortable with each other that, sometimes, we would forget to take a step back and look at our programs as a whole."
 
"It's a whole different dynamic," Parsons said. "As soon as we get to the rink, we're focused on everything that we can fix. Because we know that the time we have to work with each other is limited. Whereas with a sibling, you can take the [process] and the problems home with you. It helps us be more focused."
 
One challenge was the need for Caroline to move up to the senior ranks. Parsons, at 23, did not have the option of moving back to juniors. So Caroline, at 15, needed to transition to seniors a few years earlier than most dancers.
 
"It felt like a big change," Green admitted. "But I think it was a change I was ready for."
 
"From my perspective, I think she's already surpassed expectations," Parsons said. "I think a lot of people, just in the few competitions we've done, were really impressed with how mature she's skating, and how we skate together. So one of those limitations that I was worried about didn't really come to be. I think she fits in well in seniors."
 
"Even though it's at a different level, it's still competing, and I'm so familiar with competing," Green commented. "Even though it may be a longer program and more physically demanding, I think it's still, at the core, just the same thing that I've always loved doing." 
 
Off the ice, Parsons is pursuing a degree in biology at Montgomery College (although he took off the fall semester due to competition travel). Green, meanwhile, attends a public high school near their rink. 
 
"Our coaches have always been really good about adapting our training time around school, to make sure we get that school experience and have a life outside of skating. And I think it helps keep everyone sane," Green said with a laugh.
 
In his spare time, Parsons enjoys playing guitar and writing songs. "Music is a huge part of my life, whether it's on or off the ice," he said.
 
Green also favors creative pursuits, such as drawing, painting, and dancing. "Even though [dancing] is a big part of skating, it's nice sometimes to do it as free expression," she commented.
 
The new team has competed twice so far, at Lake Placid Ice Dance International and Lombardia Trophy. 
 
"I think we learned a lot from these competitions, just in terms of competing with each other," Parsons remarked. "Our coach, Elena Novak, always says: 'One competition is as good as six weeks of training.'"
 
"Lake Placid felt very new and different, and I could sense the learning curve more than in practice," Green said of their first competition. "At Lombardia, I felt more comfortable with myself and our programs, as well as our partnership."
 
The team had a fall in the short dance at Lombardia, but recovered with a strong free dance. "I thought it was a good progression from Lake Placid," Parsons said. "And looking at the scores, we're already in a place where we can compete with some of the best teams in seniors. So that's really encouraging."
 
Green/Parsons will make their Grand Prix debut as a team at 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines and compete at Skate Canada International the following week. The team doesn't plan any major changes prior to the events; their focus is on further developing their programs. They hope to show continued progress in their performances in Las Vegas.
 
"This is our first year, so we're not planning on beating everybody at Skate America," Parsons said. "But I think we're expecting to do our best, and just be happy with our skating."