Renée Roca

Renée Roca(born May 18, 1963) is an Americanice dancerand choreographer. She is a three-time U.S. national champion with different partners. Competing with partnerDonald Adair,she is the1986 U.S. national champion.She later teamed up withRussianskaterGorsha Sur,with whom she is the1993and1995 U.S. national champion.

Renée Roca
Born	(1963-05-18)May 18, 1963 Rochester, New York,U.S.
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Retired	1996
Medal record Ice DanceFigure Skating RepresentingUnited States International 1995 Skate America Ice dance 1994 Skate Canada Ice dance 1993 Skate America Ice dance 1985 Skate America Ice dance 1985 Skate Canada Ice dance United States National Championships 1996 San Jose Ice dance 1995 Providence Ice dance 1993 Phoenix Ice dance 1987 Tacoma Ice dance 1986 Uniondale Ice dance 1985 Kansas City Ice dance

Career

Early in her career, Roca competed with Andrew Ouellette. She later teamed up withDonald Adair.Their most successful season was 1985–86, in which they won1985 Skate Canada International,1985 Skate Americaand the 1986 U.S. national title. She also achieved her highest World placement, 6th at the1986 World Championships.The following season, they won the U.S. silver medal. He decided to retire ten days before the1987 World Championships,stunning Roca who had hoped to qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

After that partnership ended,Judy BlumbergandBrian Boitanohelped pair Roca withJim Yorke.Roca and Yorke placed 4th at the1988 U.S. Championships.They withdrew from the 1989 event.

Roca left competition and began working as a skating choreographer.She choreographed the free programJill Trenaryused to win the1990 World Championships.

In early 1990, Russian skaterGorsha Sur,who had defected to the U.S. the previous month, was advised to contact Roca by Belgian skater, Jirina Ribbens.Ribbens noted, "Of all the U.S. ice dancers, Renee's style is the most European. She has a classically elegant and dramatic flair, more like a ballerina than a ballroom dancer."Roca and Sur worked together in Detroit for two weeks and were soon invited to audition for tour organizers and to compete at professional competitions.A year later, the International Skating Union changed its eligibility rules, allowing professional skaters to reinstate as amateurs to compete at the World Championships and Olympics; Sur convinced Roca to return to eligible competition.

The pair choreographed forElizabeth PunsalanandJerod Swallowthe free dance they used to win the1991 U.S. Championships.

Roca began competing with Sur in the 1992–93 season. They were coached bySandy HessinColorado Springs, Colorado.Roca and Sur won the1993 U.S. national title.

Roca and Sur hoped to win the United States' single berth to the ice dancing event at the1994 Winter Olympics.To do so, the couple had to not only win the 1994 U.S. national title but also receive accelerated citizenship for Sur due to the Olympics' citizenship requirements.A Republican Representative and Democratic Senator, both from Colorado, lent their support to speed up Sur's naturalization in Congress.It was argued that his case differed from other athletes because not speeding up the process would hurt an American citizen, Renee Roca.However, their efforts were stymied in late December 1993 when the United States Olympic Committee denied a request for a waiver to the requirement that athletes be citizens by the national championships.In addition, their main rivals for the Olympic spot, Punsalan and Swallow, were involved in a letter-writing campaign to Congress to prevent Sur from receiving expedited citizenship.

During a warm-up at the1994 U.S. Championships,Roca was skating backward and collided with the team ofGalit Chaitand Maksim Sevostyanov, fracturing a bone in her left arm.Two hours later, she returned from the hospital with her arm in a cast and decided to try to compete.They placed second to Punsalan and Swallow in the rhumba, however, Roca was unable to secure a firm grip with her left hand.The couple was ultimately forced to withdraw from the rest of the competition.

Roca and Sur returned to competition the following season and defeated Punsalan and Swallow at the1995 U.S. Championshipsto reclaim their national crown.

At the1996 U.S. Championships,their fortunes reversed again and Roca and Sur placed second to Punsalan and Swallow.Roca and Sur retired from eligible competition at the end of the season and toured withStars on Ice.

Roca also choreographed the short program thatNicole Bobekused when she placed first at the1995 Worldsin that segment and the programAlissa Czisnyused to become 2011 National Champion and 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final Champion. Roca was a choreographer on the television showSkating with Celebrities.

Programs

With Sur

Season	Original dance	Figure skating	Exhibition
			Beethoven Sonata No. 9 Maria Bach Adagio Somethin' Else byLittle Richard,Tanya Tucker Everything Must Change byNina Simone I'll Be Seeing You by Mel Tormé
1997–98			If You Go Away byNeil Diamond
1995–96
1994–95	Quickstep	House of the Rising Sun
1993–94		Fever Harlem Nocturne Red Blues
1992–93		Summertimes

Results

GP:Champions Series (Grand Prix)

With Sur

International
Event	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
World Champ.	11th		10th	14th
GPNations Cup				4th
GPSkate America				3rd
NHK Trophy			5th
Skate America		3rd
Skate Canada			3rd
National
U.S. Champ.	1st		1st	2nd

With Yorke

International
Event	1987–88	1988–89
Prague Skate	1st
Skate America		3rd
National
U.S. Championships	4th	WD
Eastern Sectionals	1st
WD = Withdrew

With Adair

International
Event	81-82	82–83	83–84	84–85	85–86	86–87
World Champ.				11th	6th
Skate America					1st
Skate Canada					1st
NHK Trophy				5th
National
U.S. Champ.	6th	4th	4th	2nd	1st	2nd

With Ouellette

International
Event	1979–80
World Junior Championships	3rd

External links

• Care to Ice Dance? - Roca & Sur