SIGN THE PETITION & MAKE ICE DANCE A REAL SPORT AGAIN

After watching Worlds live and suffering through three hours of 80s RDs, I said enough is enough!

This is not the sport I fell in love with.

Spread the word & share the link.

Finally got to see my faves live 🩵🩵🩵 Beautiful as expected and still so much room for growth! Juulia is absolutely stunning in person — a real life barbie doll 💖💖💖

Never thought myself and Kaitlyn Weaver would blow up ice dance twitter on a fine Tuesday morning! What a mess 💀

NUMBERS ARE JUST NUMBERS, BUT BRILLIANT ART LIVES FOREVER!

SO PROUD OF JUULIA & MATTHIAS!

🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵

Turkkila & Versluis: “We Have Been Together From The Very Beginning, We Don't Know How It Feels Like To Skate With Someone Else”

The working relationship between Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis is exceptionally intimate. United as one, the ice dance couple have gotten used to each other's touch.

In Pirkkola ice rink, the zamboni driver is finishing his work. The ice is fresh and the first skater enters the rink. She takes the ice and moves gracefully. After a few minutes, another person walks briskly from the locker room to the ice. He takes his skate guards off and glides calmly.

The two skaters soon approach one another. They grab each other's hand and skate together. The training day of Juulia and Matthias is ready to start. They have been an ice dance couple for several years. Contact between them is close during practices and performances. In ice dance, skaters have to really show emotions and be fully committed.

“We want to perform in a state of flow, movement blending into each other,” Juulia describes. Matthias nods next to her. The duo, born in 1994, started their ice dance career together in the spring of 2016.

Juulia and Matthias have spent a lot of time together. It is very obvious in an interview situation, where both finish each other's sentences. If one person searches for a certain word, the other blurts it out immediately.

In recent years, their career has been on the rise. The couple won European Bronze last season and this fall, they became the first Finnish team to win Finlandia Trophy.

The journey to the top has been long. Matthias points out that the transition from single skating to ice dance was not easy. Performance quality is vital in this discipline. Every touch has to look genuine and natural. Feelings must be conveyed to the audience. The couple has made efforts to be more bold and vivacious.

“We don't want to look like shy Finns,” Juulia says. “We always want to give more,” Matthias adds.

Juulia considers it a strength that both started ice dance together at the same time. “We have been together from the very beginning. We don't know how it feels like to skate with someone else,” she says.

In recent years, the couple has learned to relax during their performances. “Physical touch already feels natural,” Matthias shares. “We don’t feel the need to force emotions. Touch has become natural through repetitions and personal familiarity. We have skated kilometers with each other,” Juulia continues. “Our chemistry has improved tremendously,” Matthias concludes.

From an outsider’s point of view, it is clear that they also have chemistry off the ice. One cannot necessarily assume that they are dating. In ice dance, however, many couples are together in real life.

Have many people approach to ask if you are a couple? The question makes them smile. “People probably speculate more on the internet. No stranger has ever come to ask,” Matthias responds.

Juulia and Matthias are frolicking together on the ice. Pirkkola rink is dark and cold, but the couple exudes warmth. They move smoothly as one. Juulia often has a wide, cheeky smile. Matthias looks more serious and focused.

In Juulia’s opinion, sharing this journey with Matthias has been the best part of her ice dance career. “It has been wonderful to share success with someone. I don’t feel alone. Matthias understands all my sentiments because we’ve experienced everything together,” Juulia reveals. Her other half agrees. In single skating, Matthias always felt lonely. “It's nice to share this process with a partner,” he says.

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 NHK Trophy - Free Dance

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 NHK Trophy - Rhythm Dance

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 Grand Prix Espoo - Free Dance

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 Grand Prix Espoo - Rhythm Dance

Two years and counting ✌🏻 So happy to share this wonderful sport with people around the world ❤️

Precious giggles and priceless score reaction (122.93) at the Swiss Ice Skating Open 2023!

❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️🤩❤️

“For me, Tessa and Scott’s Vancouver Olympic free dance. That was the moment I fell in love with ice dance. I was like woah, I wanna do that someday but back then, I didn’t think that I would be an ice dancer. That was a program that made me speechless.”

— Juulia Turkkila on her favourite program across all disciplines

“As president of the Scott Moir fan club, I could go on about his innate talent, musicality, passion, drive, commitment, work ethic. Truly, the list is so long cause he is the best in every way.”

“From her ability to move and create brilliant choreography to her athleticism and near perfect technique, she’s the greatest skater I’ve ever seen. Her brilliance is evident in everything she does and she is ruthlessly competitive. Those are some of my favourite traits but they don’t come close to the fire that lit within me when we skated together. Our eyes would meet on the ice and it would take us to another world.”

— Tessa and Scott on each other, Canadian Sports Hall of Fame 2023

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 Finlandia Trophy - Free Dance

So happy for them 🥇

Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis

2023 Finlandia Trophy - Rhythm Dance