Over the course of their 14 seasons competing together, three-time ice dance world champions and team Olympic gold medalists, Madison Chock and Evan Bates have become known for their creative, story-telling routines. From a snake and snake charmer, to an extraterrestrial and an astronaut, to the concept of passing time, the husband-and-wife duo have worked hard to push the artistic boundaries of their sport. This season — which will be capped by an Olympic Games they largely are anticipated to win — is no different.
Ahead of their first competition of the Olympic season, the ISU Grand Prix Cup of China, they announced their programs for this pivotal season —with choices following a typical pattern for the pair, who tend to showcase a more traditional (if technically complex) rhythm dance, followed by a uniquely themed free dance. Their rhythm dance (which must be music from the 90’s, as dictated by the International Skating Union (ISU) will be a Lenny Kravitz medley. In contrast, their free dance will be competed to a cover of The Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black, from the HBO television show, Westworld — performed as a flamenco routine, which will feature their signature twist, with Chock as the matador, and Bates as a bull.
“Usually, you’d see the man be the matador and the woman be the cape,” Bates said. “We’re really excited about the prospect of doing this traditional dance, but in a completely new way.”
For athletes in artistic sports such as figure skating, creating the right routines can make or break a season. For many, that process begins with finding the perfect music. Not only will they have to continue to enjoy listening to it through hundreds, if not thousands of repetitions a week for the rest of the year, but it must help highlight their best skills, while at the same time inspiring them to grow.
“You kind of know in the first five seconds whether a song grabs your attention or not. And that’s really what we’re looking for, something that has a hook, something that captivates the audience from the first couple of notes,” Bates said.
Perhaps as important, is finding a choreographer that will arrange required elements in such a way they can squeeze out the most points for the athlete, whilst maximizing the artistic effects of the routine. “Paint it Black from Westworld sounded Spanish flamenco inspired,” Chock said, with Bates adding, “We started to hear these paso doble rhythms, and we thought, OK, let’s make it a paso doble or flamenco.” To achieve this, Chock and Bates enlisted longtime coach and choreographer, Marie-France Dubreuil, along with the expertise of world-class flamenco dancer, Antonio Najarro.
“When they spoke with me about the idea, I loved it,” Najarro said. “I love to give the flamenco soul to other types of dance. And so they sent me the original music, and I added flamenco rhythms, flamenco percussions, clapping, just to help to feel the flamenco. And the result, for me, is a real marriage between the two styles."
Najarro is no stranger to putting his artform on the ice. He’s worked with dozens of figure skaters from French Olympic gold medalists Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat in 2001, to Spain’s Olympic bronze medalist Javier Fernandez in 2018. But Chock and Bates’ twist — having Chock portray the typically macho matador — allowed him to explore new expressions of the traditional Spanish dance. Together, they worked on creating a feminine strength in Chock, allowing her to take on the more powerful role for the routine.
“As a dance choreographer, I love when I find skaters that want to take risks,” Najarro said. Figure skating and flamenco aren’t an inherently obvious mix, he explained. Gliding on the ice conveys a feeling of elegance, of the ethereal — while Flamenco is about heaviness, weight into the floor, it has a dark energy to it, and to combine the two, without butchering either, takes a real level of dedication and skill."
“I explained to them how to move their heads, how to fix the eyes, how to feel the ‘zapateado,’ the footwork on the floor, and to make it work on the ice,” he said. “At the end, it's an energy that is very different than a skater normally feels on the ice.”
As in recent years, Chock has designed their costumes, committing to the theme visually as well as through their music. “I think matadors have the best fashion of anyone,” she said. “The colors they wear, the ornate designs — they’ve got it all.” Her skirt is cut in such a way that it also seems like the traditional cape a matador carries, and they’ve incorporated the use of it into their choreography. Meanwhile, for Bates’ role, she’s enjoyed bringing more animalistic textures to his costume, portraying a bull, but also a man.
Chock and Bates begin their Olympic season this week at the Grand Prix Cup of China. Having been crowned at the top of the podium for the last three world championships and last two grand prix finals, fans will be watching closely to see if the six-time U.S. champions can continue their winning streak. “We knew we wanted to do something more serious, something with more depth [this season],” Bates said. “In an Olympic year, it’s really important to find music that you’re going to be remembered for.”
This may especially be true for the pair this year. Assuming they make the U.S. Olympic team, the 2026 Milan Cortina Games will be their fourth Olympics together — the fifth for Bates — and at age 33 and 36 respectively, it is possible this season will be their last on competitive ice. But no matter their results this season, it’s the commitment to theme, content style, and a longevity that few figure skaters get to enjoy that has set them apart, ensuring a legacy that won’t quickly be forgotten.