Finding the right partner in pairs or ice dance is one of the most exciting yet challenging journeys a skater and their family can take on. It’s not just about putting two people on the ice together—it’s about creating a team that works both technically and personally. The search often takes patience, resilience, and a bit of creativity, especially because there are more singles skaters than there are skaters looking for pairs or ice dance.

If you’re beginning this process, you’ll quickly discover it’s not as simple as putting out an ad and finding a match the next day. The reality is that finding a partner can feel a lot like dating—it’s about timing, compatibility, and being open to opportunities when they arise. Below, we’ll walk through what to expect during the partner search process, and practical steps you can take to improve your chances of finding the right match.

Make Yourself Marketable

Before you even start looking for a partner, you’ll want to make sure you’re as “marketable” as possible. That doesn’t mean changing who you are; it means presenting yourself as prepared, skilled, and ready to be part of a team. Coaches and families who are considering you will want to know if you’ve put in the work to make the partnership worth exploring.

Start with the basics:

• Tests and Qualifications: Make sure your Moves in the Field and Dance or Pairs tests are up to date. Many families won’t even consider a partnership unless both skaters are at a similar testing level.
• Skill Videos: Create short, clear videos showing you performing the elements relevant to your discipline. For pairs, that means lifts, throws, twists, and death spirals—even if you’re doing them in a simplified or developmental way with a coach or temporary partner. For ice dance, highlight your edges, turns, and patterns. Families want to see that you can hold your own on the ice.
• Presentation and Style: Don’t underestimate the power of showing off your skating personality. Even if your jumps or elements aren’t perfect yet, how you present yourself on the ice matters. A strong posture, confident skating, and musicality can go a long way.

Think of it as preparing your résumé—you’re showcasing your strengths to make coaches and families take a second look.

Use Ice Partner Search Effectively

The Ice Partner Search website is one of the main platforms for finding a partner. It allows you to create a profile, list your skating credentials, and upload videos. Coaches, skaters, and parents regularly scroll through these listings to see who’s available.

When you’re creating your profile, put real thought into how you present yourself:

• Be Specific: Fill out your skating history in detail, including your tests passed, competition results, and training hours.
• Videos Matter: Upload high-quality clips that demonstrate your skills. Families browsing the site often make their first decision based on these videos.
• Contact Information: Decide whether you want to have inquiries go directly to you (or your parent), or whether it’s better for your coach to be listed. Many families prefer having the coach’s information available because it sets a professional tone and ensures conversations stay skating-focused rather than personal.

While Ice Partner Search is a great starting point, remember that not every skater looking for a partner is listed there. Which brings us to the next point.

Your Coach is Your Best Marketing

One of the most overlooked aspects of partner searching is the power of your coach’s network. Skating is a small world, and coaches often know which skaters might be looking for a partner—even if they aren’t listed on any website. Even better if the coach already has someone in mind for you!

Your coach can:

• Reach out directly to other coaches they trust.
• Help arrange tryouts or short-term practices with potential partners.
• Act as the first evaluator. Coaches can assess whether the skills and experience of the potential partner are reasonably aligned with yours, before you even invest in a tryout. They can gauge whether height, skill level, and skating style are compatible enough to make the partnership worth exploring. This saves time, money, and disappointment by filtering out pairings that clearly won’t work.
• Vouch for your skills and work ethic, which carries weight in conversations with other coaches.

It’s important to keep your coach in the loop and work with them as a team. After all, if you do find a partner, your coach will play a central role in shaping your new path forward.

Be Clear About Relocation

One of the biggest realities of finding a partner in pairs or ice dance is relocation. While every skater hopes to find a partner close to home, the reality is that the right fit may live in another city, state, or even country. In many cases, a partnership only works if one skater is willing to move—or if both agree to train at a different location altogether.

Relocation can be influenced by many factors. A skater may be rooted in their current city because they attend high school or college in person, have family ties, or train with a coaching team they don’t want to leave. In other situations, a particular training center may simply offer the best resources for a developing team. For example, if your potential partner wants to train in Montreal, Canada—a global hub for ice dance—you’ll need to decide early on whether moving there is something you and your family are prepared to do.

That’s why it’s essential to be upfront about relocation from the very beginning. Mention it clearly in your Ice Partner Search profile and bring it up in early conversations. Honesty on this topic helps avoid time-consuming tryouts that won’t realistically lead to a partnership.

Moving for skating is a major decision, especially for younger athletes and their families. It can affect education, finances, and daily life. But for many successful pairs and dance teams, relocation was the step that made their careers possible. If you are open about your limits and possibilities, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and give yourself the best chance at finding the right partner.

Clarify Training Expenses

Another topic that can surprise families during the partner search is finances. While it’s not the most common arrangement, there are situations where boys ask the girl’s family to cover some—or even all—of the training expenses. On the flip side, some girls, eager to secure a partner, will offer to pay for everything themselves.

Neither situation is inherently right or wrong, but it is critical to be clear about expectations once there is strong interest in starting a partnership. Typically, these conversations about expenses happen toward the end of the tryout process, when both skaters and families already see potential and are discussing next steps.

At that point, families should talk through:

• Number of Lessons – How many private or semi-private lessons per week each family can commit to.
• Supplementary Training – Whether the team will take ballet, off-ice conditioning, ballroom, or other classes, and how those costs will be split.
• Financial Limits – While the ideal scenario is for the new team to take advantage of all training opportunities offered, the reality is that finances may limit how much can be done. Being upfront about those limits early helps avoid disappointment later.

Because training costs in pairs and dance can be significant, misunderstandings about who is responsible for what can quickly sour a partnership. Discussing finances openly ensures that both families understand the level of commitment and can move forward with clear expectations.

Get Yourself Out There

Another key part of the process is visibility. Simply put: the more people who see you skate, the more opportunities you’ll have.

• Compete in Solo Dance: If you’re an ice dancer, consider competing in solo dance events. This gives you valuable competitive experience while keeping your name out there in the skating community. Other coaches and families may notice your performances and remember you when they’re looking for a partner.
• Skating Camps and Clinics: Attend summer training camps or specialized pairs/ice dance workshops. These are natural meeting places for skaters and can sometimes lead to unexpected matches.
• Stay Active in Your Club: Don’t underestimate the importance of being visible in your local rink community. Word of mouth is often how opportunities arise.

Sometimes, being seen skating well in front of the right people can do more for your partner search than any website profile.

Every Tryout is a Building Block

It can be discouraging when a tryout doesn’t end in a partnership—but here’s the truth: every tryout is valuable.

Each time you step on the ice with someone new, you’re learning:

• What skills and qualities you bring to a partnership.
• Where your strengths shine.
• Which areas you need to improve to be a stronger partner next time.

Even if you walk away without a match, that experience helps prepare you for the next opportunity. In many cases, skaters who tried out but didn’t match up still recommend each other to other coaches or families later. The skating world is small, and you never know where one tryout might eventually lead.

Be Flexible With Potential Partners

This may be one of the hardest parts of the process: being open to a partner who isn’t your “perfect” match on paper. You might dream of finding someone exactly your age, height, and skill level, but the reality is that the pool of available partners is small.

It’s worth considering:

• Different Skill Levels: Sometimes, one partner may be slightly stronger technically. That’s okay—as long as both skaters are committed to improving, the partnership can still thrive.
• Height and Age Differences: While there are guidelines, many successful teams have made less-than-ideal matches work through hard training and creative choreography.
• Short-Term Partnerships: Even if a partnership isn’t forever, skating with someone can get you seen by judges, coaches, and other families. That visibility might lead to new opportunities down the road.

In the world of pairs and dance, visibility is everything. Being on the ice with a partner, even if it’s not your ultimate dream match, can keep doors open.

The Emotional Side of the Search

Searching for a partner isn’t just about logistics and technical elements—it’s also an emotional journey. There may be excitement when a potential partnership comes along, and disappointment if it doesn’t work out. It’s normal to feel frustrated at times, especially if the search takes longer than you hoped.

Here are a few reminders to keep perspective:

• Patience is Key: Some skaters find a partner right away, while others may spend a year or more searching. That doesn’t mean your time is wasted—you’re still building skills and growing as a skater.
• Resilience Matters: Not every tryout will lead to a match, and that’s okay. Each experience helps you learn what you want (and don’t want) in a partner.
• Family Support is Crucial: Parents often play a huge role in this process—handling communication, arranging travel for tryouts, and providing encouragement when things get tough.

Remember: every top-level pair or dance team started where you are. They, too, had to go through the ups and downs of the partner search before finding their path.

Final Thoughts

Searching for a partner in pairs or ice dance is a unique process, blending the worlds of sport, artistry, and relationships. It takes more than just skill—you need persistence, flexibility, and the willingness to put yourself out there.

By making yourself marketable, using tools like Ice Partner Search wisely, relying on your coach’s network, staying visible, being honest about relocation, and viewing every tryout as a learning experience, you give yourself the best chance of finding the right match.

In the end, the partner search isn’t just about finding someone to share the ice with—it’s about finding someone to share the journey.