Natasha Kuchiki

Natasha Kuchiki
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	October 28, 1976
Former partner	Todd Sand Rocky Marval
Former coach	John Nicks Roger Bass Wendy Halber Olson Sashi Kuchiki Denise Kuchiki
Former choreographer	Cindy Stuart Jamie Isley
Skating club	LAFSC
Retired	1994
Medal record Competitor for the  United States Pairs' Figure skating World Championships 1991 Munich Pairs

Natasha Kuchiki (born October 28, 1976 in Burbank, California) is an American pair skater. She is the 1991 World bronze medalist with Todd Sand.

Personal life

Kuchiki was born in Burbank, California. Her parents, Denise and Sashi, were competitive figure skaters who met in the Ice Capades.^[1] She grew up with her parents traveling with Ice Capades until the age of five. Her parents retired from the ice shows in 1981 and settled in Los Angeles, California.

Her sister Tamara was also a competitive figure skater.

Career

Kuchiki's parents taught her figure skating until the age of 8 and then asked Wendy Halber Olson to coach her in singles. Her parents initially opposed her wish to skate pairs, preferring she stay in singles, but once she showed them what she could do, they saw potential and let her continue in the discipline.

In 1986, Kuchiki teamed up with Richard Alexander. Training only two days a week, one session a day, the pair reached the 1987 U.S. Championships in Tacoma, Washington. Competing in junior pairs, they placed 11th in 1987, won the bronze medal in 1988 and silver in 1989. In March 1989, Kuchiki and Alexander ended their partnership. Kuchiki also finished 4th in novice ladies' at the 1988 U.S. Championships and competed in the junior ladies' event at the 1989 U.S. Championships.

In spring 1989, Kuchiki teamed up with Todd Sand.^[2] They won three senior pairs medals at the U.S. Championships, including gold in 1991, and competed at three World Championships, winning bronze in 1991. They also competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics, where they placed 6th. Kuchiki and Sand announced the end of their partnership in April 1992.^[2]

Kuchiki returned the following year to compete in the ladies' singles event at the 1993 U.S. Nationals, finishing 12th. In late 1993, she teamed up with Rocky Marval, with whom she finished fourth at the 1994 U.S. Championships, missing the 1994 Olympic team.^[3] Kuchiki retired from competitive skating in 1994.

Professional career

In 1994, Kuchiki joined Dorothy Hamill's Ice Capades "Hansel & Gretel" production. She continued on with Ice Capades until it closed in 1997. After joining "Gershwin On Ice" for a few cities she went on to work for FELD Entertainment, Inc. in 1998 "Grease On Ice" as Frenchie till 2000. In 2000 through 2004 she played "Jane" in "Tarzan" in the Disney On Ice "Jungle Adventures". She learned the acrobatics aerial act called the Spanish Web, learning the aerial acrobatics with her "Tarzan" professional ice skater Jamie Loper. With partner Jamie Loper, Kuchiki performed tandem aerial acrobatics with skates on.

In 2004, Kuchiki joined Disney on Ice's "Beauty & the Beast" where she portrayed the role of "Belle". Still with the company FELD Entertainment- Disney On Ice, she is currently on tour with Disney on Ice as a principal skater, Mulan and Jasmine in the "100 Years of Magic" show (since 2005).

In 2010 she married Jamie Loper, who is also still performing in Disney On Ice Shows, portraying the roles of "Aladdin & Shang" on "100 Years of Magic". Jamie Loper is an American figure skater who competed at the U.S. National Championships and internationally.

Competitive highlights

Ladies' singles

Event	1993
U.S. Championships	12th

Pairs

(with Sand)

International
Event	1989–1990	1990–1991	1991–1992
Olympics			6th
World Championships	11th	3rd	8th
Skate America		4th	6th
NHK Trophy		5th
Skate Canada	5th
National
U.S. Championships	2nd	1st	3rd

(with Marval)

Event	1994
U.S. Championships	4th

Professional ice shows

1994 - 1995 Dorothy Hamills Ice Capades "Hansel & Gretel"

1995 - 1996 Ice Capades "Cinderella"

1996 - 1997 Ice Capades "The Magic of MGM"

1997 On Ice "Gershwin On Ice"

1998 - 2000 Feld Entertainments "Grease On Ice" portrayed the role of "Frenchie"

2000 - 2004 Disney On Ice "Jungle Adventures" portrayed the role of "Jane" in Tarzan

2004 - 2005 Disney On Ice "Beauty and the Beast" portrayed the role of "Belle"

2007 Disney's "High School Musical" portrayed the role of "Gabriella"

2005–2015 Disney On Ice "100 Years of Magic" portrays the role of "Mulan" and "Jasmine"

References

1. Skating Magazine, October 1990
2. Harvey, Randy (April 9, 1992). "Skaters Kuchiki and Sand Go Their Own Way". Los Angeles Times.
3. Harvey, Randy (January 9, 1994). "Awarding of Final Pairs Berth Creates Furor". Los Angeles Times.

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