When U.S. ice dancers Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville look back at 2024, there’s clearly a lot to celebrate. The team achieved some of their biggest career triumphs to date last year.

First U.S. Nationals medal (bronze) at the 2024 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships? ☑️ Check.

First trip to the ISU World Championships in March 2024? ☑️  Check.

First Grand Prix medal at the 2024 Grand Prix of France? ☑️ Check.

But Bratti, 22, and Somerville, 24, also faced some legitimate challenges in 2024. It was thrilling to make the U.S. team for Montreal, but a fluke fall in the rhythm dance prematurely ended their Worlds, as they failed to qualify for the free dance. Then in late spring, Bratti suffered an Achilles injury that kept her off the ice for several months. When the duo returned to competition in October, another fall in the free dance at Skate Canada left them temporarily devastated. 

Moments like these can test a partnership. The injury, in particular, caused feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and anxiety. But Bratti and Somerville persevered. And they feel their unusual off-season yielded benefits.  

“Overall, I feel in a better position than I maybe even would have been if I wasn’t injured. Because we got to work on stuff that we had kind of overlooked for a while, and that was pretty important,” Bratti said.

Bratti and Somerville train at the Michigan Ice Dance Academy (MIDA) in Canton, MI, where they work with coaches Charlie White, Tanith White, and, especially, Greg Zuerlein (the 2009 World Junior ice dance champion). The duo are in their fourth season together. As they prepare to skate at this week’s 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, Bratti and Somerville are hoping for continued success–and smoother sailing–in 2025. 

At Skate Canada in October, we spoke with Bratti and Somerville about their highlights and low points last year, their decision to keep last season’s free dance, and their off-ice pursuits. The duo, who live together near the MIDA rink, have a low-key but lively and friendly demeanor off the ice. They share an easy rapport, riffing fluidly off each other’s remarks. Above all, Bratti and Somerville share a true passion for their on-ice work together.  

Injury problems during the off-season

Q:  Emily, we learned at Champs Camps that you had an injury during the offseason. And, since you were still healing, Ian skated your rhythm dance alone in the exhibition at Champs Camp. What happened with your injury?

Bratti:  I did have an injury during the offseason. Actually, I skated the free dance at Champs Camps. But Ian did his solo [in the exhibition].

Somerville:  Yes, I wanted to show the program, because why not? It was a good opportunity to show the judges some of the layout.

Q:  We don’t often get the chance to see ice dancers do something solo. What was it like? 

Somerville:  It was hard. I didn’t realize how stressful it would be by myself. I’m so used to having Emily as support. We just help each other.

Bratti:  When Ian was getting on the ice for the performance, I was with Greg as the coach. That was such a weird feeling, but it was cool. It was fun to watch.

Somerville:  I just wanted to pretend, for as long as possible … [To Bratti] You sat next to me while I tied my skates, and we got there together for the warm-up … and then I just went on by myself. But everything else was the same.

Bratti:  Some of the judges were like, “You need to do solo dance, because you’re really good.”

Somerville:  No, no. This is way more fun. It’s a lot more fun skating together than by myself.

Q:  Emily, what was your injury?

Bratti:  It was with my ankle. My Achilles. I didn’t tear anything, but it was one of those [injuries] where it just took a really long time to heal. It didn’t heal as fast as everyone thought it would. And I got PRP, which [meant] another [few] months in a boot. So it was pretty upsetting.

Q:  Is PRP [platelet-rich plasma] a non-surgical treatment? 

Bratti:  Yes. They take some of your blood out, and they take out your platelets, and then they inject it into the injury [site]. It helps it to heal properly and more quickly. But it was really painful. 

Q:  Did your injury start before or after Worlds? How long were you skating with it? 

Bratti:  It had been building up for a while, but it didn’t cause enough pain to really worry about it until after Worlds. I just hoped it would go away. I think it was June and July when I was [off ice]. Up until right before Champs Camp, I was not skating full out. It was pretty disappointing. But I did a lot of work in the off-season on things that, otherwise, I wouldn’t have. For example, I’ve always been not good with hair and makeup. And I spent a lot of time working on that.

Somerville:  Look at her ponytail. [Shows off Bratti’s hairstyle for their rhythm dance.]

Bratti:  I worked on everything I could, and a lot of mental health stuff. We worked on that together.

Somerville:  Emily did a lot of Pilates, too. She was working so hard.

Bratti:  I was really trying to do everything possible [to help heal]. I stopped eating added sugar, to get rid of inflammation.  Which was hard, because I was addicted to sugar. I don’t even eat chocolate any more. I was working on off-ice [training] for three hours a day. I posted about how I got through eight pull-ups. I was so proud of myself. 

Somerville:  It was the same with me. I did a lot of physical therapy that I otherwise would have been, like, “Oh, it’s fine, I can push through.” I think actually, we benefited in different ways. 

A special free dance

Q:  You decided to keep last season’s free dance to Celine Dion’s “Je Ne Me Quitte Pas.” Was that because of time lost due to injury?

Somerville:  We were going to keep the free dance either way. But it helped to solidify that decision.

Bratti:  The day we competed the rhythm dance at Worlds, when we first came back to Greg [at the arena], he was like: “All right. We’re going to do the same free dance next year. Because we didn’t get to do it at Worlds.” We only competed it four times, and we really, really love it.

Q:  What do you love about it?

Bratti:  It just feels really connected to us.

Somerville:  It’s a very passionate program. We get to use a lot more emotions for it, because it’s softer. There are pieces of softness and pieces that are dramatic in it. A lot of our programs in the past have been more showy. Like, out there [outwardly focused]. This program has connected us more.

Bratti:  It’s one of those songs that we just really feel it. And that doesn’t happen too often. We listened to a lot of other options. And everything we listened to, we’re like, ‘Ohh, but it’s not as good.’ Obviously, next year, we’re going to have to do a different program. But for this year, we’re just not ready to let it go yet.

Q:  Who choreographed it?

Bratti:  Greg Zuerlein. 

Q:  When Greg said he wanted you to keep the free dance this season, what was your immediate reaction?

Bratti:  It was surprising. But I was really excited, at first, to hear that.

Somerville:  I felt like it would be a great idea. But I was also like: “What are the judges going to think? Are they going to think we’re not challenging ourselves enough?”

Bratti:  That was the only concern we had.

Somerville:  Then we got to Champs Camp, and they were so happy we kept our free dance. I was really surprised. But I think that, honestly, the judges are just big fans of skating, and they want to see us doing our best. That’s something I didn’t realize until this season. I thought they would be like: “No, do something different and challenge yourselves.” But, that’s why there are these rhythm dances. We’re definitely pushing ourselves with rhythm dances.

Q:  Your rhythm dance is set to 1970s funk/disco songs, “Brick House” and “Daddy Cool.” Did Greg choreograph that as well?

Somerville:  The short program was kind of everyone–Greg, Charlie, Tanith, and a little bit of Jean-Luc [Baker]. Jean-Luc chose the music, at least the first piece. He did some of the choreography. But he mostly helped us with the style and expression and feeling of the program, which I think is more important. That was something we needed to learn, more than just the steps. The steps will come. It’s about feeling the disco/funk. 

Bratti:  The funk [style] is really new. It’s more of a challenge, at least for me. Ian’s more natural at that kind of feeling.

Q:  What’s challenging about it?

Bratti:  Ian is just naturally more quick than me. I feel like I’m a little bit longer, and not as quick. So it’s been a challenge to really get into the funk and get down into the ice, [with] quick motions. But it’s come a long way since we started.

Somerville:  Also, I’ve had a lot more practice. I did a lot of solo run-throughs before the season started [while Bratti was injured]. So definitely, I have done the program a lot more times.

Dealing with Worlds disappointment

Q:  Obviously last season, Worlds didn’t go the way you wanted. How much is that on your mind? 

Bratti:  Honestly, it’s been out of my mind for a while. Right after Worlds, the whole plane ride home, we were just so motivated for this season. No matter what had happened, we were still physically healthy and strong. And then, to have an injury, made me realize that it  doesn’t– well, obviously, it matters. But being injured was so much worse than what happened at Worlds, that I was just like, “That’s whatever.” Now that I’m able to skate again, it just feels irrelevant, honestly.

Somerville:  Worlds was interesting. It took a while for this learning experience to happen. Because for us, it felt like the best competition we had ever skated. Up until I fell.

Bratti:  It honestly felt really good.

Somerville:  It was really good. It was one of the best we’ve skated, and then– I think what happened is, putting so much energy into it, but then realizing that you have to continue focusing to the end, even though you think you’re home-free. I think we definitely learned a lot from it.

Bratti:  Obviously, it’s always a horrible fear that something like that will happen. But knowing that it happened to us at Worlds, yet we’re still here at a Grand Prix next year …. It almost makes us feel better about competing in general now, and knowing that we can get through anything together. No matter how horrible it was. 

Q:  The first time I talked with you two, you said one thing that brought you together was that you both really love to practice and skate every day together. Was it hard to lose that for a time?

Bratti:  Nothing has been harder than that. Especially because I was expecting it to be a quick heal–and it wasn’t. It made me–and Ian, too–really have even more appreciation for every moment we could spend on the ice together. It’s kind of easy to lose that sometimes. We started out because we love skating together so much. But, day in and day out, with hard training and hard work, it’s easy to lose sight of why you’re doing it. Going through something like that really made us realize how much we just love to skate together.

Somerville:  Yes. Definitely. During the off-season, I was skating so much by myself, to try to maintain my own skating abilities. But it was all in solitude. I ended up teaching a lot more lessons and helping a lot of solo dancers, and that felt really good. I was helping to inspire other people, which was a good distraction. Because I was like, “I don’t know when Emily’s going to get back on the ice.” I would think, “Okay, she’s going to get back next week.” And then she’d get on, and it would still be hurting a lot. So it was more time. That was a little bit hard. [Bratti to Somerville: “You missed me.” Somerville: “Yes.”] When she first got back on [the ice], it was only 15 minutes a day, and then it was 30 minutes a day, and then it was like an hour. 

Bratti:   Ian was so helpful with me, even mentally. Because, obviously, a fear you always have when you’re injured is all the time you’re missing out …. It’s easy to get caught in self-doubt. But Ian was always just there for me, literally no matter what. And I really appreciated that. I couldn’t really walk very well, so Ian cooked everything that I ate, which was nice.

Q:  Was cooking a new thing for you, Ian?

Somerville:  Oh, no, I cook a lot.

Bratti:  But usually just dinner. Now, it was everything.

Off-ice interests & pursuits

Q:  When you’re off the ice, what do you like to do together? What are your hobbies?

Bratti:  Fortnite. [Smiles.]

Somerville:  I’d never played video games in my whole life, which is kind of weird, because most kids my generation are really into Xbox and all that. I never was into it; I think my mom didn’t want me to be into video games. But my sister got me a Nintendo Switch, and we got Fortnite, and now it’s pretty fun to do.

Bratti:  We play with Valentina Plazas and Max Fernandez. And Vadym Kolesnik.

Somerville:  Yes. Vadym is very good.

Bratti:  We can’t get Emilea [Zingas] to play yet.

Somerville:  I’m also super-big into fishing. I go fishing every weekend, minus during the winter, because it’s impossible to catch anything [then]. Cooking is my other favorite thing to do.

Q:  Do you have any chefs or cooks who inspire you?

Somerville:  Joshua Weissman is one of the YouTubers who first got me into it. But I’ve probably watched 50 other cooking YouTubers. 

Bratti:  I don’t know what else we do; we just talk and watch Netflix. Also, I’m in school now at the University of Michigan. I’m doing an astronomy class, because my passion has always been physics and outer space. I was really into that before I started skating with Ian. With travel, it’s hard, because I don’t like to work [i.e., study] at competitions, I just want to focus.

Q:  What sparked your interest in astronomy and outer space? 

Bratti:  I’ve just always been [into it], since I was young. I used to do science fairs for physics. In my junior year [of high school], I won an award from NASA for a science project about nuclear decay. 

Q:  So you’re good at physics and math? Do you plan to go back to studying that, once your skating career is over?

Bratti:  Yes. It comes pretty naturally to me. Whereas not everything does, but that does.

Q:  Do you ever apply your physics knowledge to skating?

Bratti:  It helps with coaching more than my own skating. Like for spins, or turns, or edges, it’s a lot of center of balance, and people are falling. You [could] try to describe it in terms of vectors. I actually did try to talk in physics terms at first, when we taught Learn to Skate classes, but it was ridiculous. [Laughs]

Q:  What are your goals for the next few months? Where do you want to be by the end of the season? 

Somerville:  I want to be in the top condition possible, athletically and physically. I think we’re already in such a good place right now. But we’ll add on to that, in terms of doing all of the energy and athleticism that we need to, with the refinement of detail. In the month and a half before Nationals, our goal is to train as hard as possible. 

Bratti:  We want to improve upon our scores and placements from last year at every competition, and just try to keep the upward momentum. It feels so good to be able to just push and train [again]. I’m really excited for these competitions coming up. I feel like we’re getting even better than we were last season–by a lot. We just feel really good.