Koshiro Shimada makes the move to Ice Dance

[gsk8]

Ikura Kushida / Koshiro Shimada are now a team!

Koshiro SHIMADA on Instagram: "今シーズンから櫛田育良さんとアイスダンスカップルを結成することになりました。世界で戦えるカップルを目指し、私達にしか出来ない表現、世界観を求めて頑張ります。 　昨シーズンでシングルスケーターとしてのキャリアを終えることを決断致しました。これまでのスケート人生は愛媛、岡山を経てスイスを拠点に、試合や日々の生活を通して本当に特別な経験をさせていただきました。 沢山の大切な人と出会えたこと、頑張り続けることの意味を学べたこと、スケートが今

3,499 likes, 120 comments - koshiro.shimada on May 9, 2025: "今シーズンから櫛田育良さんとアイスダンスカップルを結成することになりました。世界で戦えるカップルを目指し、私達にしか出来ない表現、世界観を求めて頑張ります。 　昨シーズンでシングルスケーターとしてのキャリアを終えることを決断致しました。これまでのスケート人生は愛媛、岡山を経てスイスを拠点に、試合や日々の生活を通して本当に特別な経験をさせていただきました。...

www.instagram.com

"I have decided to end my career as a single skater last season.

My skating career has taken me to Ehime, Okayama, and Switzerland, where I have had some truly special experiences through competitions and daily life.
I met a lot of lovely people, learned the meaning of continuing to work hard, and skating has vividly colored my life today.

I am truly grateful to my family, friends, and coaches who have supported me since I was a child, the people who have always cheered me on, and all the people I have met.

Thank you so much!

And I still plan on sharing my skating journey with you all"

 

[Jeanie19]

I am so excited about this team. Ikura has great skating skills and they are both lovely to watch.

 

[rabidline]

As singles skaters they have a matching vibe: committed performers with flair. This may be the most excited I have been for a Japanese ice dance team

 

[Jeanie19]

As singles skaters they have a matching vibe: committed performers with flair. This may be the most excited I have been for a Japanese ice dance team

This is the most Excited I have ever been for any ice dance team.

 

[Mathman]

I can see why these two want to peg their futures to the ice dance discipline. .

Here is a fan cam of Shimada that looks like a solo dance, with a bunch of high-spirited jumps thrown in as choreographic highlights.

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And here is Kushida at last years Japanese Nationals. The both have outstanding body awareness. And all that PIZAZZ! Performance 10!

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[rabidline]

And those who want to see a glimpse of their chemistry when they skate together...

 

[Arriba627]

Oh this will be fun to watch. Hope he can do well with all the lifting.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

This is the most Excited I have ever been for any ice dance team.

Good for you! For me, that's taking it too far. But for Japanese ice skating, K/S are looking like a team who might be highly competitive, which would boost Japan's Team event Olympics chances for 2030.

I doubt Miura/Kihara will continue in pairs till 2030 due to Kihara's age and injuries, but maybe the second Japanese pair, who are better right now at singles elements, might improve overall by 2030. At least enough to help a bit for the 2030 Olympic Team event combined with a solid Kushida/ Shimada for ice dance and the usual Japanese singles skating excellence.

 

[Ruthypegs]

This is the most Excited I have ever been for any ice dance team.

they do look like a really exciting ice dance team, but I'm sad that I'll no longer see Koshiro skate singles - he was one of my favourites.

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

I am very surprised by Koshiro’s decision, less so by Ikura’s. I was already “ice dance shipping” her, so I’m delighted. I think it is a bit of a loss for the world of singles, but I’m excited to root for them and see where this goes.

 

[jorge2912]

Very interesting really!! I hope ikura and Kushiro move to ice dance be amazing and at the same level or better than Daisuke Takahashi and Kana Muramoto, I'm sure they will does it wonderfully.

It reminds me when Juulia Turkkila decided move to ice dance since 6 or 7 years ago.

 

[synesthesia]

It reminds me when Juulia Turkkila decided move to ice dance since 6 or 7 years ago.

Her partner, Matthias Versluis, as well. There are several precedents of singles skaters switching around Ikura's and Koshiro's ages going on to do quite well in dance, e.g. Kana Muramoto, Tim Koleto, Lewis Gibson, Saulius Ambrulevicius (who all were around Koshiro's age) or Misato Komatsubara and Shingo Nishiyama (who were Ikura’s age).

I hope ikura and Kushiro move to ice dance be amazing and at the same level or better than Daisuke Takahashi and Kana Muramoto, I'm sure they will does it wonderfully.

I would love to see them do as well or even better (and I bet Kana and Daisuke would be delighted too), but with the level of politics in ice dance and a federation that doesn’t invest more than the bare minimum in the discipline and is very reluctant to dispatch their ice dancers to Challengers or other B events for them to gain experience and build their reputation I fear it will be an uphill battle. Utana and Masaya, who will presumably be their training mates, are the strongest senior team Japan currently has, with both partners having years of dance experience and solid skating and performance skills, and despite their strong showing in the RD at Worlds they were lowballed to the point they didn’t advance to the FD and thus were denied the opportunity to secure an individual Olympic dance spot for Japan. (I’m crossing my fingers that they can somehow qualify a spot in Beijing.)

One good thing is that the Kinoshita Cup has now gained Challenger status and that we will most likely see both senior Kinoshita dance teams there, where they will hopefully receive a bit of a boost, if they skate well.

And those who want to see a glimpse of their chemistry when they skate together...

All of the couples did the above part in Kassouya pretty well, making me wish that more of them would consider giving ice dance a try. I’m still sad that Moa Iwano apparently wasn’t able to find a suitable dance partner – she is such a wonderfully expressive skater, just like Ikura!

Speaking of Kassouya, Ikura also had nice chemistry in her short “Our demons” duet with Yurina Okuno (hopefully same sex pairings will gain more traction in the near future):

https://youtu.be/bJjLpGTNkvY?t=130

_______________​

Btw, this (partly paywalled) Deep Edge article states that at the time of the Kassouya rehearsal camp the couple was expected to be announced at “Bloom on Ice” in April, which unfortunately went on to be cancelled:

「滑走屋」直前合宿で語ったアイスダンス挑戦への思い　櫛田育良〝かなだい〟から刺激　 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus　最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け

フィギュアスケート男子で2022年全日本選手権2位の島田高志郎(23)＝木下グループ＝と女子で2024年世界ジュニア選手権5位の櫛田育良(17)＝木下アカデミー＝が9日、アイスダンスの新カップル結成を発表した。島田は種 […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

 

[jorge2912]

I would love to see them do as well or even better (and I bet Kana and Daisuke would be delighted too), but with the level of politics in ice dance and a federation that doesn’t invest more than the bare minimum in the discipline and is very reluctant to dispatch their ice dancers to Challengers or other B events for them to gain experience and build their reputation

Is like some federations that sees ice dance like something not serious or just for spectacle for TV like "dance with the stars" but don't consider invest more for develop it. If were in that way wrong way to think.

 

[Silevril Ilumire]

I wish Kazuki Tomono would try ice dance when he is ready to bid farewell to singles. I’ve been “ice dance shipping” him for years with various people.