Oona Brown and Gage Brown are an American sibling ice dancing team that began competing in 2016. Together, they are the 2020 US Junior National bronze medalists.
In an interview with the “Blossom on Ice,” Oona and Gage commented on their performance in Tallinn, their programs, the pros and cons of skating with your sibling, races across New York, switching from pair skating to the ice dance, and more.
How do you feel about your performance in Tallinn?
Gage:
We feel very good. It was our first World Junior Championships, so it was definitely exciting to get through it and to skate our best. We really put on a good show.
Oona:
I think all the elements were strong, and we did all we could. So, yes, it felt very good.
Would you please talk a bit about your programs?
Gage:
Our rhythm dance is to a Broadway musical called The Boy From Oz. Hugh Jackman plays in that. In the beginning of the season, we thought it would be a little hard to do something like that, but as more competitions passed by, it started to get comfortable. The program is definitely a good show to put on for all the spectators and judges.
And your free dance?
Oona:
The free dance is Clair de Lune and Air by Jan Werner. It’s soft in the beginning, so you have to really feel the music.
Gage:
It’s more of a modern take on classical music. It was definitely a challenge for us to skate to these pieces of music, because soft skating is not something that we’re used to. We’re more used to powerful, sharp skating, so this was definitely a cool change for us this season. I think we performed it well in Tallinn. We’re happy with how we skated.
You are brother and sister. What are the benefits and drawbacks of skating with your sibling?
Gage:
Benefits are, we live together, so we know each other very well. We know how each other works. Definitely the drive to skating is easier, because we just drive together. I think that knowing each other well is definitely a big benefit for us.
And are there any drawbacks?
Gage:
Occasionally, yeah, we’ll get into arguments, but that’s just sibling things (smiles). Not often though.
This happens between any partners, I think, even if they’re not siblings.
Gage:
Yes, I’m sure.
In terms of your personalities, do you have a lot in common?
Oona:
Actually, not really; a little (smiles).
Gage:
Yes and no. Oona is more soft spoken, I would say. I’m more outgoing. But I feel like when we skate on the ice, we’re very similar in how we portray it on our programs.
I know that you come from a very big family and have 5 other siblings.
Gage:
Five siblings, yes, so there’s seven in all.
How do you spend your time together? Do you have any interesting family activities?
Oona:
Yes. We run races.
Gage:
Yeah. Competitive running. We’ll sign in to races across New York, where we’ll run. There’s a lot of people usually running those. Also, we play music. I’m in a band, with my two brothers. We play outside a lot, we play soccer. We do a lot of outdoor activities together.
How did you start skating in the first place? Who brought you to the ice rink?
Gage:
Our older sister started skating first. We both saw her compete, so we thought to ourselves that it would be really cool to try out. And we never stopped.
I know that you started off as single skaters. Then you switched to pairs, and then to the ice dance.
Gage:
Yes.
Would you please talk about that? Why did you end up choosing the ice dance?
Gage:
We started off as singles. I’m sure many people start off as single skaters. We did that for about … how many years? …
Oona:
About six years.
Gage:
Yes. We did singles for about six years. Then we moved onto pairs, because our coaches thought it would be cute to put us together as a team. But we really enjoyed watching and skating ice dance, so we just made the switch after one year of pairs. We never stopped and kept going.
What do you like most about the ice dance?
Oona:
That you really get to show your personality, show yourself to the crowd. Show what a good skater you can be.
Gage:
The freedom of it, I think, definitely is the big upside to it. Just the way you can express yourselves on the ice. I feel like it is very easy to do with ice dance.
Where do you find inspiration, in general?
Gage:
Our mom, definitely, is a big inspiration for us. Other skaters. Such as Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje. We skated with them for a long while, and they’ve definitely influenced us. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, for sure. They’re a big team to look up to.
Ludmila ORLOVA, Tallinn.