Biography
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier started their partnership in the summer of 2011. Over the last eight years, it has lead them to seven Canadian National Medals, multiple Grand Prix medals, seven visits to the World Figure Skating Championships and last season, to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, with an eighth place finish. This team is known for their creative programs, innovative elements and people pleasing presence on the ice.
Their list of many signature programs includes Pure Imagination/Sweet Dreams, Hitchcock, and James Bond 007. Their most recent collaboration with British buskers, Govardo, is a memorable free dance that has been a crowd favourite at many competitions all around the world. Vincent, or Starry Starry Night, will be remembered for drawing audiences into another world created through music, movement and visual art.
In 2016, Piper and Paul’s Pattern Dance from their Beatles short dance was selected by the International Skating Union to be developed into an official compulsory dance. The dance is now known as The Maple Leaf March and will be competed for the first time by junior skaters in this Olympic quadrennial.
The duo has their eyes set on a medal at the next Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022.
Piper and Paul live in the Toronto area, and train under Olympic Coaches, Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Jon Lane.
Follow Piper and Paul on Social Media
Facebook: /PiperandPaul
Twitter: @PiperGilles @PaulDPoirier
Instagram: @PiperGilles @PaulDPoirier