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PETER

DOB
February 6, 1971

Height
6'2"

Birthplace
St. Petersburg, Russia

Hometown
St. Petersburg, Russia

NAOMI

DOB
December 18, 1978

Height
5'6"

Birthplace
Arcata, California

Hometown
Allegan, Michigan


Training Facility: Ice House

Training Town: Hackensack, NJ

 

N A O M I

When three years old, Naomi began training at the Redwood Concert Ballet in Eureka, California. Cast as a bon-bon in "The Nutcracker", she first performed on stage at the age of six. Naomi would then perform in the beloved Tchaikovsky holiday production annually until she was fifteen. The prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy (Interlochen, Michigan) awarded her talent and productive work ethic with a ballet and modern dance scholarship, where she earned an award for "outstanding achievement in ballet." She also danced as a member of the Grand Rapids Ballet Company of Michigan.

Naomi wished to learn how to skate after attending a "Smurfs on Ice" show, and began taking private lessons at the age of eight. Drawing inspiration from her background in ballet, she started ice dancing at the age of twelve. Together with her first partner John Lee, she achieved the 1995 U.S. Novice dance title and a 1996 Junior silver medal. Igor Shpilband and Liz Coates coached Lang & Lee at the Detroit Skating Club before their partnership dissolved in 1996.


By her father's heritage, she is a Native American and a member of the Karuk Tribe of California. (Pictured to the right is the Karuk flag.) Given at birth, her Indian name is "Maheetahan," meaning "Morning Star." Naomi will be the first Native American woman to participate in the Winter Olympic Games, and only the second to compete in any Olympic Games.
 

Naomi's great-grandmother, the beautiful Elsie Olive Norris,  was a violinist who performed in Vaudeville.


Throughout her entire senior year at her Lake Placid, New York high school, Naomi remained on the honor roll, and received the Principal's award for "excellence in citizenship." She graduated in 1997, and her long-term goals include graduating from college. Aspiring to be a veterinarian, Naomi loves animals. In addition to skating full-time, she teaches basic skills programs at the Ice House.


P E T E R

 

Peter was named after his grandfather, a four-time Russian figure skating singles champion from 1936 to 1939, who first introduced him to the sport at the age of six. Starting out as a singles competitor, Peter's artistic strengths and an ankle injury later led him to adopt the discipline of ice dancing. Originally he represented the Soviet Union and Russia, before competing with partner Sophie Eliazova in America for three years. He also performed with the Russian All Stars tour in Europe.

Since beginning ballet at eight years old, Peter has extensively trained in dance with the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. An all-around athlete, he competed in a variety of sports as a child in addition to skating; including basketball, tennis, and soccer.
 

Leaving behind his parents and brother in homeland Russia, he initially moved to America in 1992 with his former wife, ice dancer Natalia Annenko. Peter earned his U.S. citizenship on January 29th, 2001, allowing him to represent the USA with Naomi at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

His choreographic achievements include creating their 2000 U.S. Nationals exhibition to the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber ballad "That's All I Ask of You", pictured below. To pursue his interest as a part-time model, Peter has signed with an international modeling agency. He has also coached private students at the Detroit Skating Club, and plans to coach full-time after he finishes his career as an ice dancer.


After Peter spotted Naomi at the 1996 U.S. Nationals and later found out she was without a partner, he wrote to her expressing his interest in forming a partnership, and they auditioned in Lake Placid, New York. Originally they trained in Lake Placid with Natalia Dubova, but later moved to the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, so Naomi could resume training with Shpilband and Coates. Naomi and Peter made their competitive debut as a senior dance team during the 1996/1997 season. Earning a 5th place finish at their first U.S. Nationals in 1997, they placed 10th at their first international competition, the Challenge Lysiane Lauret in Morzine, France.

Naomi and Peter have since become the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 U.S. Ice Dance Champions, and have ranked as high as 8th at the World Championships. Since moving to Hackensack, New Jersey, in the summer of 2000, they rigorously trained for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Despite a stress injury of Peter's that caused them to withdraw from the first half of the 2001/2002 season, Naomi and Peter enjoyed a successful season debut at the National Championships in January.

Fulfilling their life-long dream, Naomi and Peter competed on Olympic ice in Salt Lake City and sparked thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the audience.

Naomi and Peter claimed their 5th consecutive US title in Jan. 2003, and retired from amateur skating; but still continued with busy lives. Peter has been spending time coaching and choreographing at the Ice House in Hackensack, NJ. Naomi has been coaching as well and on Aug. 26, 2004 gave birth to a daughter, Lillia Ashlee, in Brooklyn, NY.

On 9/17/05 they performed a new show program as part of Michael Weiss's Fundraiser in Reston, Virginia, making their first appearance together on the ice in over a year and a half. They are now looking forward to an exciting career as professional ice dancers.