Watch all of #YAS2026 this season on our American Ice Theatre YouTube YAS 2026 Playlist. Every Saturday in April there will be a new YAS Challenge livestreamed at 12:30 PM Eastern Time.
YAS 2026 Selection Committee – Total Scores
Below, you will find the applicants, their scores from the YAS 2026 Selection Committee, and the top 3 Finalists who have been selected to advance. These Finalists will participate in the 4 YAS Challenges in April, where they will showcase their work and their process of choreographing as well as receive feedback from internationally renowned figure skating choreographers.
The 2026 Young Artists Showcase Selection Committee evaluated each applicant based on three key components: their Choreography Reel, their Choreographic Prompt, and their Essay, with a total of 35 points possible per judge (or 175 total points from all judges). The Choreography Reel (16 points) was assessed on composition, execution, creativity, and diversity of work. The Choreographic Prompt (12 points) challenged applicants to express movement through the theme of “Contrast,” scoring on composition, execution, and creativity. Finally, the Essay (7 points) was judged on the clarity of the applicant’s vision for their Festival ensemble piece and their ability to integrate feedback into their choreographic process.
To see each of the applicants’ submissions, watch their videos on our #YAS2026 YouTube Playlist!
2026 Young Artists Showcase (YAS) Info
Below, you will find the applicants, their scores, and the top 3 Finalists who have been selected to advance. These Finalists will participate in the 4 YAS Challenges in April, where they will showcase their work and their process of choreographing as well as receive feedback from internationally renowned figure skating choreographers.
YAS 2026 Selection Committee Scores
| YAS Applicants (Right) YAS Selection Committee (Below) | Jessica Kemper | Meryl Shackett | Mia Potter | Cathryn McGowan | Jamie Chandler Hawley | Amy Pisoni |
| Audrey Weisiger | 32 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 29 |
| Nathan Birch | 26 | 28 | 31 | 26 | 31 | 35 |
| Maja Luther | 24.5 | 28.5 | 32 | 25 | 29 | 27 |
| Jeremy Abbott | 21 | 28.5 | 32.5 | 31 | 28 | 28.5 |
| Cara Hagan | 25 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| TOTAL POINTS (out of 175): | 128.5 | 146 | 154.5 | 140 | 147 | 146.5 |
YAS 2026 Challenges
| FINAL SCORES | |||
| Challenge 1 | |||
| Challenge 2 | |||
| Challenge 3 | |||
| Challenge 4 | |||
| TOTAL |
| CHALLENGE 1 | |||
| Jenn Edwards | |||
| Simone Grigorescu | |||
| Adam Rippon | |||
| Maja Luther | |||
| Philipp Tischendorf | |||
| Audrey Weisiger Top Pick | – | ||
| TOTAL |
| CHALLENGE 2 | |||
| Jenn Edwards | |||
| Simone Grigorescu | |||
| David Wilson | |||
| Alissa Czisny & Kurt Browning | |||
| Audrey Weisiger Top Pick | |||
| TOTAL |
| CHALLENGE 3 | |||
| Jenn Edwards | |||
| Simone Grigorescu | |||
| Katherine Hill & Ben Agosto | |||
| Renee Roca | |||
| Audrey Weisiger Top Pick | |||
| TOTAL |
| CHALLENGE 4 | |||
| Jenn Edwards | |||
| Simone Grigorescu | |||
| Doug Webster | |||
| Adam Blake | |||
| Audrey Weisiger Top Pick | |||
| TOTAL |
In March, meet the 3 Finalists in their “Get to Know Me” videos on our Young Artists Showcase Facebook Page.
YAS 2026 Finalist Selection Committee
This past February, this committee selected the 3 Finalists for #YAS2025 from the pool of 7 YAS applicants from all over the world. They view the application videos, and thoughtfully choose the choreographers who will compete in each season of YAS.
- Nathan Birch – Executive Director & Co-Founder of The Next Ice Age
- Cara Hagan – Professor of Dance & Freelance Artist
- Audrey Weisiger Founder of Young Artists Showcase
- Maja Luther – Founder of Studio Maja and Co-Founder of the Contemporary Skating Alliance
- Jeremy Abbott – Olympian & International Skating Choreographer
YAS 2026 Regular Judges
Our weekly, regular judges (this is still TBD for 2026) are:
YAS 2026 Guest Judges
Our rotating, guest judges (this is still TBD for 2026) are:
- April: Adam Rippon & Maja Luther and Philipp Tischendorf
- April: David Wilson & Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny
- April: Renee Roca & Katherine Hill andBen Agosto
- April: Adam Blake & Doug Webster
YAS 2026 Sponsors
Thank you to our #YAS2026 sponsors! We are so appreciative of your support of artistic skating, and look forward to continuing to partner with you in the future.
