Stunning Performance On Ice To "Hallelujah" Captured Our Hearts — And A Gold Medal

Dec 12, 2020

Professional ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donahue, both 29, won their third consecutive Skate America title in Las Vegas on October 24th, 2020. The pair have been dancing together for more than nine years and when you watch their performance, you’ll understand why they deserved the win.

There’s just something magical about figure skating. It combines dance, music, artistry, and sport into one, and it’s done on ice - no other sport has that.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, figure skating, like most other sports, had to be put on pause back in March. The US series of the Grand Prix took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from October 23rd to 24th. Despite the downsizing, the performances at Skate America 2020 were nothing short of magic. One performance, however, stood out.

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donahue have been an ice dancing team since May 2011. For their routine, the 29-year-olds went with a Hallelujah medley by Jeff Buckley and K.D. Lang, a song that they have used previously in the 2015-2016 season, according to teamusa.org. Hubbell told Team USA that she and Donahue were looking for different music to perform but “inevitably,” returned to Hallelujah, albeit a different version. “We were drawn to the idea of marrying the (Buckley and Lang) versions," she said.

Hubbell and Donahue’s free dance performance is so mesmerizing even from the very beginning that you don’t even notice that the ‘spectators’ in the stands are actually cardboard cutouts. Two people moving in synchronicity without needing to say a single word to each other is another thing that makes ice dancing so incredible to watch. The tempo of their flow picks up once the singing in the song starts, and so does their artistry of the program.

Watching these two is literally watching art in motion. When the song reaches its climax, that’s when Hubbell and Donahue are going all out (and so is the cameraman, who skillfully keeps up with their fast pace). At this point, any wonder you ever had about how they had won the last two seasons will be swept away.

Viewers took to the comments section to give their thoughts on the beautiful routine. One person wrote: “Such a beautiful program executed brilliantly by these two skaters. Their fluid movements were so intertwined with the music that they seemed one. Just beautiful!”

Another viewer shared the same sentiments regarding their ‘oneness,’ saying: “Captivating! You could feel their connection in every move. The two looked as one! WOW, what talent. That deserved a packed house applauding their amazing performance.”

One person talked about how it was a pity that they didn’t have a live audience to perform in front of due to social distancing regulations. “Feel sorry for them and everyone, not having an audience,” read the comment.  You can get a lot of energy from the audience.”

But the truth is, there is no need to feel sorry for them at all! The judges award the team with a score of 126.09 for their routine, and it’s the highest of the eight teams competing. Overall, Hubbell and Donahue attained a total of 211.39 points, making them the champions for ice dance in 2020 Skate America.

The mastermind behind their routine is Scott Moir, a retired Canadian ice dancer, and Olympic gold medallist. In an interview with NBC Sports, Hubbell shared the advice that Moir had given to them in preparation for the season. “Enjoying the victories when they happen, celebrating those small moments,” Hubbell, who is from Lansing, Michigan, shared. “And then getting ready for an even steeper climb we know going into the US championships we were really hungry for the title again, and we’ve got a lot of work to do back home.” 

Donahue said he is looking forward to going home and getting back into training. “There’s a lot more to be discovered,” he told the network.

Hubbell started figure skating at the tender age of five, while Donahue started a little later at 10 years old. On their online page, they train in Montréal, Canada, under coaches Romain Hagenauer, Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Pascal Denis. The two were 21 years old when they began their partnership. Their coaches first realized their compatibility at the time during their first day of tryouts at the Detroit Skating Club back in the spring of 2011. Other than their skill and techniques, the two had smoldering chemistry between them and have been an unstoppable team ever since.

What did you think of their routine? Was it deserving of the gold medal? Tell us your thoughts about their program in the comments and be sure to show this to your loved ones to get them mesmerized by this sport as well!