Karina Manta & Joseph Johnson | Golden Skate

Karina Manta & Joseph Johnson

humbaba

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 12, 2004
Karina MANTA, born March 30 1996 in Olympia, WA, USA, and Joseph JOHNSON, born May 5 1994 in Rockford, IL, USA, are ice dancers representing the USA.


Karina and Joe began skating together in February of 2014. Early in the 2015-16 season, they were added to the U.S. international selection pool and assigned to Skate Canada Autumn Classic, where they earned a bronze medal. In November 2015, they placed first in the Pacific Coast Sectionals, qualifying for the 2016 National Championships.

Their 2019 US Nationals Free Dance to "Sweet Dreams" went viral. They are currently performing with Cirque du Soleil.



BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFO

ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00034969.htm

USA Fanzone bio: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=95

Icenetwork bio (archive 2018 and prior):
https://web.archive.org/web/20180610000435/http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/team/manta_johnson

Ice-dance.com profile from the 2016 US Nationals: http://www.eventcoverage.ice-dance.com/ms/usnationals16/competitors/karina-manta-joe-johnson/

Ice-dance.com profile from the 2015 US Nationals: http://eventcoverage.ice-dance.com/...titors/junior/100-karina-manta-joseph-johnson

Stats on ice: https://statsonice.com/skaterteam/Karina/Manta/Joseph/Johnson/

SOCIAL MEDIA

Karina's twitter: https://twitter.com/karinamantras

Karina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinamanta/?hl=en

Joe's twitter: https://twitter.com/joejohnsonice

Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joejohnsonice/



ISU personal best scores:



TypeLevelEventScore
TotalSeniorISU CS US Classic 2018134.09
RDSeniorISU CS US Classic 201849.01
RD TechnicalSeniorISU CS US Classic 201825.41
SD ComponentSeniorISU CS US Classic 201824.60
FDSeniorISU CS US Classic 201885.08
FD TechnicalSeniorISU CS US Classic 201848.82
FD ComponentSeniorISU CS US Classic 201837.26


ISU personal best scores (historical):



TypeLevelEventScore
TotalSeniorISU CS US Classic 2016137.76
SDSeniorISU CS US Classic 201653.60
SD TechnicalSeniorISU CS US Classic 201629.56
SD ComponentSeniorISU CS Nebelhorn Trophy 201725.91
FDSeniorISU CS US Classic 201684.16
FD TechnicalSeniorISU CS US Classic 201645.06
FD ComponentSeniorISU CS US Classic 201641.10


PROGRAMS

2018-19

RD: Flamenco: Malaguena by Ernesto Lecuona, Tango: Alcoba Azul by Elliot Goldenthal, Flamceno: Malaguena by Ernesto Lecuona
FD: "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics

2017-18

SD: Bossa Nova: Right Now performed by The Pussycat Dolls, Samba: Fireball performed by Pitbull
FD: Your Song (from "Moulin Rouge" by Elton John, performed by Ewan McGregor, One Day I'll Fly Away (from "Moulin Rouge") by Randy Crawford performed by Nicole Kidman

2016-2017

SD: "Dream a Little Dream", "I Wanna Be Like You"
FD: "Dream On" by Aerosmith

2015-16

SD: "March from Love for Three Oranges" and "Cinderella Waltz" by Prokofiev
FD: "Maple Leaf Rag," "Bethena," and "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin

Articles and Other Media

Article about Karina from May, 2014: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/chandler/article_0e2d29c2-e2de-11e3-b205-0019bb2963f4.html

SD practice, 2017 US Nationals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t5rd4yY_6s

FD practice, 2017 US Nationals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3M3FB8pPLg

SD practice, 2015 Autumn Classic International: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGrej95BtBM
Karina's video montage of their Autumn Classic experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2Yu9UhsHk&feature=youtu.be

Video Interview Oct. 2018 by Skate Talk On line
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JlYcxESo66E

Photos

Cute photo from Joe's instagram, Joe and Karina in Colorado with Chock/Bates and Coomes/Buckland:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BT78Hp8hzw6/?taken-by=joejohnsonice

Karina and roommate Jason Brown ready for the "Great Gatsby" themed school dance: https://twitter.com/jasonbskates/status/460472882762510338


Results under -/+5 scoring system:
Video links in results


SeasonLevelCompetitionSDFDOverall
Season 2018-2019
2018/19Senior2019 US National Figure Skating Championships55.16 (7)104.81 (6)159.97 (7)
2018/19Senior2018 Skate America51.89 (10)87.44 (10)139.33 (10)
2018/19SeniorISU CS US Classic49.01 (6)85.08 (5)134.09 (5)



Results under -/+3 scoring system:
Video links in results


SeasonLevelCompetitionSDFDOverall
Season 2017-2018
2017/18SeniorUS National Figure Skating Championships58.29 (9)92.71 (9)151.00 (9)
2017/18Senior2018 Midwestern Sectional49.33 (2)89.66 (1)138.99 (2)
2017/18SeniorISU CS Nebelhorn Trophy51.91 (12)74.57 (14)126.48 (14)
2017/18SeniorLake Placid Ice Dance International59.33 (4)83.92 (6)143.25(5)
Season 2016-2017
2016/17SeniorUS National Figure Skating Championships57.96 (7)89.19 (7)147.15 (8)
2016/17Senior2017 Midwestern Sectional59.83 (1)86.17 (1)145.00 (1)
2016/17SeniorISU CS US Classic53.60 (6)84.16 (4)137.76 (5)
2016/17SeniorLake Placid Ice Dance International52.36 (6)80.69 (4)133.06 (8)
Season 2015-2016
2015/16SeniorUS National Figure Skating Championships54.57 (7)88.13 (6)142.70 (7)
2015/16Senior2016 Pacific Coast Sectional51.22 (1)80.10 (1)131.32 (1)
2015/16SeniorSkate Canada Autumn Classic International52.89 (2)79.00 (4)131.89 (3)
Season 2014-2015
2014/15JuniorUS Junior National Figure Skating Championships45.09 (9)69.14 (9)114.23 (10)
2014/15Junior2015 Midwestern Sectional, Junior40.82 (3)70.78 (3)111.60 (3)

From the Original Post:

The first time I saw Karina Manta and Joseph Johnson skate, I thought Wednesday Addams and Huck Finn had grown up and formed an ice dance team. I immediately fell in love with them. Their dances this season (2018-19) are irreverent, quirky, funny and endearing. They are offbeat and fresh and never, ever pretentious.

I hope skating fans will show Joe and Karina some love. They are a singular team with distinctive choreography. Ice dance needs them.
 
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ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Karina and Joe's blogging from the Autumn Classic for ice-dance.com:

2015 ACI Blog #1: The Karina & Joe Show
Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 October 2015 23:01
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/2015-aci-blog/2217-2015-aci-blog-1-the-karina-joe-show (written by Karina)​

2015 ACI Blog #2: The modern Chaz Michael Michaels (as Joe has dubbed Hanyu ;))
Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 October 2015 20:13
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/2015-aci-blog/2218-2015-aci-blog-2-the-modern-chaz-michael-michaels (written by Joe)​

2015 ACI Blog #3: I brought pictures!
Last Updated on Thursday, 15 October 2015 19:47
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/2015-aci-blog/2219-2015-aci-blog-3-i-brought-pictures (written by Karina)​

2015 ACI Blog #4: First international medals
Last Updated on Saturday, 17 October 2015 23:59
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/2015-aci-blog/2223-2015-aci-blog-4-first-international-medals (by Joe -- who has a very humorous and expressive writing style :cool:)​

Nice photo of Karina and Joe with their Autumn Classic medals:

Wishing them the best at Nationals.


... Karina and roommate Jason Brown ready for the "Great Gatsby" themed school dance: https://twitter.com/jasonbskates/status/460472882762510338 ...

Thx for the thread :).

As an aside, for those who don't know: Karina, Jason, and Britney Simpson no longer live together.
 
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musicfan80

Medalist
Joined
May 20, 2015
Best of luck to them at Nationals! I wonder how well they will place - they were (I believe) 10th at Junior Nationals last year. But I think that they had to move up to Seniors this year, correct? I believe Joe should be old enough that he has aged out.

As an aside, for those who don't know: Karina, Jason, and Britney Simpson no longer live together.

I was under the impression that that arrangement was temporary - didn't Jason's family very quickly move to Colorado Springs?
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Best of luck to them at Nationals! I wonder how well they will place - they were (I believe) 10th at Junior Nationals last year. But I think that they had to move up to Seniors this year, correct? I believe Joe should be old enough that he has aged out.



I was under the impression that that arrangement was temporary - didn't Jason's family very quickly move to Colorado Springs?

Yes, Karina and Joe are competing as Seniors at Nats.

Jason moved to the OTC in spring 2014, IIRC -- and has lived there ever since, AFAIK.
I've never heard a thing about his family moving to Colorado Springs, although he seems to see them relatively frequently, one way or the other: they visit him in Colorado and travel to his comps, and sometimes he visits them in Illinois.
 
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ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Manta & Johnson reflect on their skating journeys
by Anne Calder | Photos by Robin Ritoss
Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 January 2016 23:08
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/articles/2294-manta-johnson-reflect-on-their-skating-journeys

Best to Joe and Karina in St. Paul :yay:.

Group photos including Joe and Karina from the Broadmoor Skating Club send-off dinner for Nats:
 
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musicfan80

Medalist
Joined
May 20, 2015
I really hope that Karina and Joe are able to make a splash at Nationals this year. What are their realistic chances of finishing in the top 6-8? If they did that, would their chances be pretty good that they get assigned more Senior Bs and get a bye that way to Senior Nationals next season? Would they even get a GP assignment?

I really want to see Karina rap, BTW. :biggrin:
 
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CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
They were the skaters at our table at the Friends of Figure Skating breakfast. They were very nice to talk with....didnt know you could train at the Airforce Acadamy Rink....
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Manta & Johnson reflect on their skating journeys
by Anne Calder | Photos by Robin Ritoss
Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 January 2016 23:08
http://www.ice-dance.com/main/articles/2294-manta-johnson-reflect-on-their-skating-journeys

Best to Joe and Karina in St. Paul :yay:.

Group photos including Joe and Karina from the Broadmoor Skating Club send-off dinner for Nats:

Sorry if I double posted...need a nap! Karina and Joe were the skaters at our friends of figure skating breakfast table. They were very nice people. Didnt know you could train at the USAF Acadamy rink.....
 

musicfan80

Medalist
Joined
May 20, 2015
Congrats to Karina & Joe on a GREAT debut (7th place) at U.S. Nationals! I hope that this gets them more international assignments this fall. I believe they only were assigned the Skate Canada Autumn Classic. Hopefully, they will at least get some more Senior International Bs. It would be GREAT if the assignments allowed them to have not have to go through Regionals/Sectionals.

What is the likelihood they would even get a GP assignment, even if it was a last minute or replacement situation?

Here's a pretty cool photo posted by Joe about their Nationals experience: https://www.instagram.com/p/BA75RIGpx4g/.
Karina posted a great photo of them as well: https://www.instagram.com/p/BA-WHkumXWT/.
 

humbaba

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 12, 2004
I would love to see Karina and Joe get a grand prix spot, but I don't think it's likely. I'm hoping they will get some senior Bs next season so they can get points and improve their international ranking. Then GP spots might be possible the following year. I suppose there's a chance they could get a Skate America host pick. Again, that's probably a long shot, but I can hope. :)
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I would love to see Karina and Joe get a grand prix spot, but I don't think it's likely. I'm hoping they will get some senior Bs next season so they can get points and improve their international ranking. Then GP spots might be possible the following year. I suppose there's a chance they could get a Skate America host pick. Again, that's probably a long shot, but I can hope. :)

I don't think it's that long of a shot! The Shibutanis will likely get one spot at the U.S. Champs. Chock and Bates might get the 2nd if USFS wants a head to head showdown, but I don't think that will happen, I think C&B will get two spots elsewhere as will Hubbell and Donahue. Hawayek and Baker are #17, so they'll get two spots also. I think Cannuscio/Mcmanus will get the 2nd spot since they're No #30 on the SB list at the moment (and don't qualify for one automatically), but the 3rd spot is up for grabs, so the battle will likely be between these two and Aldridge/Eaton. So it's totally possible. Depends on how they fare during summer comps.....

Waiting for baited breath for their FD!!
 

musicfan80

Medalist
Joined
May 20, 2015
So, is this the start of a series that Joe is going to post about now that their off season has started: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBdQnyXJx5m/ :laugh:

I'm assuming their season ended at Nationals - are there any competitions that Karina and Joe would be this spring or would they now only be training and doing some shows?
 
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