Canadian and World Ice Dance Champions:

Canadian ice dancers, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, were the first North Americans to win a World Championship in ice dancing.

About Shae-Lynn Bourne:

Shae-Lynn Bourne was born on January 24, 1976 in Chatham, Ontario. She began skating when she was seven years old. She competed in pair skating before switching to ice dancing.

About Victor Kraatz:

Victor Kraatz was born on April 7, 1971 in West Berlin, West Germany.

He began skating when he was nine years old. He grew up in Switzerland, and later moved to Canada.

Competition Highlights:

• Canadian Ice Dancing Champions - 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
• World Ice Dancing Champions 2003
• Four Continents Ice Dancing Champions 1999, 2001, 2003
• Olympics - 10th in 1994, 4th in 1998, 4th in 2002

Coaches:

During their time together, Bourne and Kraatz were coached by several different coaches: Josée Picard and Erik Gillies, Tatiana Tarasova, Natalia Dubova, Uschi Keszler, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, and Nikolai Morozov.

Training:

The team first trained in Canada, but their final training took place in Newington, Connecticut in the United States. There, they trained under Nikolai Morozov.

Trademark Move - Hydroblading:

Bourne and Kraatz were the first ice dancers to include hydroblading elements in their programs. Hydroblading is gliding on deep edges with the bodies stretched in a very low position that is almost parallel to the ice.

The Bourne-Kraatz dance team did not invent hydroblading, but they did make the move popular.

Professional Career:

Shae-Lynn Bourne pursued a professional solo skating career. She has skated in many professional ice shows. She has also worked a skating coach and choreographer.