Shae-Lynn Bourne


Shae-Lynn Bourne, is a Canadian ice dancer and choreographer. In 2003, she and partner Victor Kraatz became the first North American ice dancers to win a World Championship. They competed at three Winter Olympic Games, placing 10th at the 1994 Winter Olympics, 4th at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and 4th at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Since retiring from competitive skating, she has become a renowned choreographer, choreographing programs for Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu and multiple World Champions including Nathan Chen and Evgenia Medvedeva. During the 2020 ISU Skating Awards, Shae-Lynn was named Best Choreographer.

Personal life

Bourne was born on January 24, 1976, in Chatham, Ontario. She has an older brother, Chris, a younger sister, Calea and younger brother Sean. She married her skating coach Nikolai Morozov on August 12, 2005, but the marriage was short-lived, and they divorced in July 2007. She is currently married to Bohdan Turok with whom she has a son, Kai, born in June 2012. She worked as a coach and a choreographer at the Granite Club in Toronto, then moved to the Carolina Ice Palace in Charleston, South Carolina in 2019.

Career

Bourne began skating in 1983. Early in her career, she competed in pair skating with partner Andrew Bertleff. She stated that she enjoyed pairs "but I was dropped a lot, there were a lot of head injuries, and I finally said, 'No more, I'm not going to last much longer if I kept doing this.'"

Partnership with Kraatz

Interested in switching to ice dancing, Bourne traveled to Boucherville, Quebec in 1991 after a coach, Paul Wirtz, suggested that she try out with Victor Kraatz. Although at first Kraatz did not see himself with Bourne, they skated together for a week and a week after she returned to Ontario he asked to form a partnership.
During their career, Bourne/Kraatz were coached at various times by Tatiana Tarasova, Natalia Dubova, Uschi Keszler, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, and Nikolai Morozov. For the 1997–98 season, their free dance was modeled after Riverdance, with footwork instruction provided by Riverdance lead dancer Colin Dunne. Bourne/Kraatz became known for their deep edges and soft knees. They were credited with perfecting and popularizing the hydroblading technique.
Bourne/Kraatz missed the 2000 Four Continents and 2000 World Championships due to Bourne's knee surgery. In spring 2000, they changed coaches, moving to Tatiana Tarasova and Nikolai Morozov in Newington, Connecticut.
Bourne/Kraatz withdrew from their 2002 Grand Prix events due to Bourne's injury. They won their tenth Canadian national title and their third Four Continents title. Bourne/Kraatz went on to become the first World champions in ice dancing from North America, winning gold at the 2003 World Championships in Washington, D.C. They retired from competition at the end of the season.
On October 21, 2003, they announced the end of their partnership; while Bourne enjoyed show skating, Kraatz said he wanted "to experiment with other things and follow up on other dreams that I have". In January 2007, they were inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame.

Ice shows

Bourne has skated solo in shows and tours around the world, such as Stars On Ice, Champions on Ice in North America and Japan, Art On Ice in Switzerland, the 2009 Ice All Stars and the 2010 Festa On Ice, held in Seoul, South Korea. She has also competed on figure skating reality shows like Battle of the Blades on CBC and Thin Ice on ABC.

Coach and choreographer

Bourne formerly coached Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje, and Cathy Reed / Chris Reed. She has choreographed programs for:
Show choreography
Bourne has used her celebrity to speak out against child abuse. She and Kraatz skated in numerous charity shows such as "Dreams On Ice". Bourne was the honorary chairperson for the "Every Life Counts" campaign for Chatham-Kent. Bourne and Kraatz received the Canadian Governor General's Meritorious Service Crosses for speaking out about unfair judging practices.

Programs

SeasonOriginal danceFree dance
2002–2003


by Johann Strauss II
  • Polka: Unter Donner und Blitz, op. 324

by Johann Strauss II
by Remo Giazotto, Tomaso Albinoni
performed by Sarah Brightman
2001–2002

by Theodore Shapiro

by Bob Fosse
by Michael Jackson
2000–2001

  • Quickstep: Jumpin' Jack
by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

performed by Shirley Bassey
  • Quickstep: Jumpin' Jack
by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
  • March With Me
by Vangelis
performed by Montserrat Caballe
1999-2000
by Diane Warren; performed by Chayanne & Vanessa Williams
by Desmond Child & Draco Rosa; performed by Ricky Martin
1998-1999
  • Waltz: Seachrán Charn Tsiail
    • by Clannad
    by Da Hool
    1997-1998

    1996-1997
  • Tango
  • Overture by Cole Porter
  • Willow Weep for Me by Ann Ronell
  • Opus No. 1 by Sy Oliver
    • 1995-1996
  • Paso Doble: España Cañí
  • Papa Was a Rollin' Stone by Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong covered by George Michael
  • Killer by Adamski & Seal covered by George Michael
  • Harlem Nocturne by Earle Hagen
  • War by Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong covered by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
  • Relax by Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash, & Mark O'Toole performed by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
    • 1994-1995
  • Quickstep: Goody Goody
  • Beautiful Girl by Günter Noris
  • Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima
    • 1993-1994
  • Rhumba: Johnny Guitar by Peggy Lee
  • * Raposchol
  • * Devotchka Nadya by traditional Kalinka
    • by Igor Tuhmanov

    Results

    GP: Part of Champions Series from 1995–96 season, renamed Grand Prix series in 1998–99