Above: Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal compete at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series event in Wuxi, China, where they won the gold medal. Photo credit: Getty Images
By Kama Stigall
When junior ice dancers Elliana and Ethan Peal began thinking about their free dance concept for the 2024–25 season, they knew they would need the right music that would help them to build upon their momentum from the previous season.
“We went through a lot of ideas and iterations regarding music and themes, sometimes more than most teams due to the fact that Elliana and Ethan are siblings,” said their father, Robert Peal, who also serves as their coach. “This requires music that is appropriate for a brother and sister, and a theme or story that we're trying to portray that resonates with them as well as the audience.”
The pair, who train in Nashville, Tennessee, and represent the Scott Hamilton Skating Club, considered many themes before deciding on selections from the 2001 film Pearl Harbor. Academy Award-winning musician Hans Zimmer composed the music. The film was inspired by the 1941 surprise military strike on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Japanese Navy — an infamous moment in American history. Nearly 2,400 American service members and civilians died in the attack.
“We’ve always been fans of the composer Hans Zimmer, who has such a large and amazing repertoire,” Robert Peal said. “We actually bounced a lot of ideas around of many of his works at home and in the rink.”
The Peals needed a free dance that could highlight their maturity and growth as a team as well.
“We wanted a program that could bridge the gap between our junior and senior careers, and Pearl Harbor felt like the perfect vehicle for that,” Elliana Peal said.
Zimmer’s music for Pearl Harbor is powerful and poignant, making it a challenging piece of music to perform to.
“It took some convincing since the free dance is a long program that we have to connect with deeply for the entire year,” Ethan Peal said. “After talking it through, we both felt it was the right choice and got behind it in a big way.”
The team saw it as an opportunity to share their perspective of the tragic event.
“I thought it was creative to remind everyone of the impact that past events have on us and to show how skating can be a bridge between art, sport and education,” Karline Peal, Elliana and Ethan’s mother, said.
When a team has a personal connection to the music they are skating to, it can take the performance to a deeper level. For the Peals, Pearl Harbor is much more than an event in American history.
“Our grandfather served in the military during the aftermath of World War II, and he was stationed in Japan for quite some time,” Ethan Peal said. “He often shared stories about the remarkable connections he formed with the Japanese people, which were both refreshing and complex. His experiences inspired us to approach this story in a nuanced way — portraying not just the tragedy, but also the depth and complexity of war.”
Their free dance is full of intentional design and strikes a balance of heart, soul and athleticism.
“This program is as much about tragedy as it is about hope, and we try to convey that through our movements,” Elliana Peal said. “The program begins with intense, more violent choreography, leading to a lift that represents the climax. In the second half, it transitions into a reflective, hopeful style, and that is something we are working hard to portray to our audience.”
While the Peals hope audiences will take notice of their athletic prowess, they want audiences to connect emotionally to the overall story.
“While we are being scored based on technical elements, our primary goal is to tell a story to the audience,” Elliana Peal said. “What each person takes away will vary, but our aim as artists is to evoke emotion and empathy.”
Ethan Peal agreed.
“If we can create a connection that allows the audience to feel something meaningful, then we’ve succeeded,” he said.
The program has been well-received by both the audience and judges alike. The Peals won a bronze medal at their first Junior Grand Prix competition of the season in Bangkok, Thailand. At their second Junior Grand Prix event in Wuxi, China, they took home the gold medal.
Next up, they will compete at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, which will take place this week in Grenoble, France. In an interesting twist of fate, the free dance portion of the event will take place on Dec. 7 — the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. They will not only be skating for each other, but also for those who were impacted by the event.
“I know they are skating from their heart and truly want to do this program justice by portraying a glimpse of the tragedy and honor those that lost their lives,” Karline Peal said.
