Photo of Amber Glenn by Melanie Heany/U.S. Figure Skating
The 2026 Winter Olympics may be over, but the excitement about the USA ice skating team is not. Fresh off the ice from dazzling audiences of all ages, Alysa Liu, Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Isabeau Levito, Ellie Kam, and Danny O’Shea are back with Stars On Ice.
Appearing at the Enterprise Center on May 7th, the members of Team USA will present a range of programs without the pressures of competition. Like the Olympic Gala event, Stars On Ice finds these talented skaters pulling out all the stops with solo performances and skating in group numbers with the entire cast, something fans would never see in the Olympics.
Filled with energy and excitement, Stars On Ice also serves as a showcase for the sport as these inspirational skaters encourage future generations to get involved in skating.
Among the performers coming to St. Louis for the show is Amber Glenn. A 2026 Olympic gold medalist in team competition, she is also a three-time U.S. National Champion, winning from 2024 to 2026, making her the first American woman to win three consecutive U.S. National titles.
She was also a Grand Prix Final championship in 2024 and 2025, as well as bronze medals at two International Skating Union competitions in 2013 and 2014. If this were not enough, Glenn is just the fifth woman to land a triple axel at the Winter Olympic Games.
Off the ice, she is an advocate for mental health awareness and LGBTQ causes. She also geeks out by watching anime, playing Pokémon, and playing Magic: The Gathering.
Amber Glenn discussed her career and Star On Ice with The Arts STL.
The Arts STL: How has Stars On Ice been going for you and the team?
Amber Glenn: It’s been excellent. It feels like experiencing the Olympics without the pressure. While that’s true, we still strive to perform our best for you all. We get to create engaging performances and interact more than during competitions, where we focus on ourselves, the results, and the scores. Here, we’re primarily entertainers, aiming to have fun.
What are some of the routines you will be performing at Stars On Ice?
One of my routines is the same one I skated at the Olympics. I might reduce the difficulty, since we’re on a smaller rink and working with spotlights, but it’s still the routine from Milan. My other solo is a gala program I’ve performed throughout the year, since competitions usually end with a gala show.
It’s almost like a taste of what you get at Stars On Ice. It’s all of us going out there and doing a program that isn’t judged. But a lot of times that’s at the very end of a competition.
So, both are programs are ones that I’ve had throughout the season. There are also group numbers that a lot of us just learned. They’re a lot of fun, and they’re fresh. They’re new. It’s nothing like what you’ve seen before. That’s what makes Stars On Ice special: all of us coming together to do this.
Does this tour allow you to spend more time with other skaters because of all the pressure of competitions and all the running around?
Definitely. I’m typically with the Blade Angels, which is Alysa (Liu) and Isabeau (Levito). We typically see each other a bit more because we’re in the same division, same competition, same schedules. We all try our best to gauge where we need to focus and where we can be social because we’re there to do a job, of course, but we’re also humans who need to have some sort of social connection.
But here, it’s all of us. It’s the ice dancers, the pairs, the men, the women. We’re all together as one family. It’s been cool because we all have different expertise, if that makes sense, and we all get to share.
For example, I got to ask Isabeau about some of the warm-up exercises she does because she’s a generation after me in skating, and what she got to learn versus what I didn’t when I was younger.
Where did the Blade Angels moniker come from?
It really took off around last year’s Worlds. Being together as almost a group, I was always close with Alysa when she was young, and then she left skating. I was happy for her, but she wasn’t involved in skating.
Then Isabeau came around, and I took her under my wing a bit.
For some reason, that’s just naturally how I am. I’m a very protective older sister because I went through a lot when I was younger. So, I instinctively want to look out for those who are coming after me.
Then Alysa came back, and then they became friends. It’s kind of like this thing connected the three of us. We just so happened to end up being the top three U.S. women skaters. So, then it was like, OK, let’s do the opposite. We all get along so well. This is like the opposite of Nancy and Tonya.
This is more encouraging. It is sisterhood. We also get along, and we all want to see each other succeed in our own ways. Plus, all of us are so different. But that’s what makes each one of us special.
You are each raising awareness of issues like mental health that are not normally brought up in the sports arena. Do you think that is bringing more people to skating?
For sure. I’ve been outspoken about my mental health for many years, and they’ve taken it to a whole other level. So, it’s not just me, it’s all of us. I think that’s really helped connect us to all sorts of people in all sorts of generations.
With Stars On Ice, you’re meeting lots of different people. How does it feel to connect with someone who’s not necessarily familiar with skating?
I think it’s more important to connect with them because we want to draw people into the sport, because it’s something I truly love, and I really think is special.
It’s really cool to see it through their eyes. They tell me about their experience and what it’s like being introduced into the skating world. Because I’ve been in it for so long, it’s interesting to hear some new perspectives.
What do you love the most about doing Stars on Ice?
Of course, I really love being out there on the ice performing. I’d say the group numbers are probably my favorite thing to do because it’s just so much fun when we’re just out there. We’re doing the crowd screening, and we lock eyes with each other, and a lot of times we’ll giggle, no matter if it’s serious or not. We’ll just realize what we’re doing and how crazy and cool this is.
It’s been a dream of mine to be on Stars On Ice, and this is my second time doing it, which is incredible. It is also special to be out there with some of the people that I’ve gotten close with over the years and be able to share this experience.
Your success has given you access to people like Madonna that you admire. That’s got to be amazing.
Oh, it’s surreal. You know, at first, when I got messages from her online, I was like, “Oh, it’s not her, it’s like her agent or something.” But then she started sending more personalized messages.
Then I got that video, and I was like, “Oh my god, it’s actually her! She knows who I am!”
That has been cool. She’s been an absolute angel. I’m so excited to see her new album.
When visiting all these different cities, do you have much time to spend doing Pokémon?
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. What’s funny is I’m really excited to be back in St. Louis because there’s a specific spot I need to look up that I went to during Nationals last year. I need to go and find it again. Because at Nationals, I got some cool cards, and I was excited. I need to try and hit that place up before the show.
Do you think Stars On Ice helps expand interest in skating into the next generation?
It is vital. I remember going when I was younger, and it was popular. Now we’re in this resurgence. I just want to show people the love of figure skating that all of us have, and how it can be done in so many ways.
There’s not one way to do figure skating. It’s whatever you want it to be. I think that’s one of the best things about it: there’s that athletic aspect.
There’s a creative aspect that blends so perfectly. It can be done by anyone. Anyone can skate. I think these shows really embody that.
And of course, like, who doesn’t want to be an inspiration for the next generation? That is such a special feeling. I really hope that we can continue to be role models, both on and off the ice, and people can see the joy that we have in what we do.
So, what are you listening to right now, music-wise?
Oh, god. Whatever they’re playing on the bus.
It was cool to see you skate to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Oh, yes. That was a blast to skate to. I did that last year at Stars as well. I like them. Honestly, I’m listening for possible future programs. So, my playlist is all over the place.
What are you thinking about regarding competing in the next Olympics?
You know, it’s not up to me. It’s up to my body and how that works.
With the Olympics over and Star On Ice winding down soon, what do you want to do next?
This Stars On Ice is right after all the Olympic hype, so there are a lot of opportunities that we had to pass up to do this. But it’s so worth it because we’re doing what we love.
Hopefully, after we’re all done on tour, I’ll make some trips to L.A., New York, and all that stuff and do all the cool opportunities that working for so many years has earned me.
Maybe I can bring skating even further into the normal world, into pop culture.
For more information about Stars On Ice visit: starsonice.com. For tickets and meet-and-greet packages, visit enterprisecenter.com. | Rob Levy
Stars On Ice on tour
04.29.26: PROVIDENCE, RI @ AMICA MUTUAL PAVILION
05.01.26: NEWARK, NJ @ PRUDENTIAL CENTER
05.02.26: HERSHEY, PA @ GIANT CENTER
05.03.26: LONG ISLAND, NY @ UBS ARENA
05.05.26: ROCHESTER, NY @ BLUE CROSS ARENA
05.07.26: SAINT LOUIS, MO @ ENTERPRISE CENTER
05.08.26: CHICAGO, IL @ ALLSTATE ARENA
05.10.26: SAINT PAUL, MN @ GRAND CASINO ARENA
05.12.26: LOVELAND, CO @ BLUE FCU ARENA
05.14.26: WEST VALLEY CITY, UT @ MAVERIK CENTER
05.16.26: ANAHEIM, CA @ HONDA CENTER
05.17.26: SAN JOSE, CA @ SAP CENTER AT SAN JOSE
05.21.26: SPOKANE, WA @ NUMERICA VETERANS ARENA
05.22.26: WENATCHEE, WA @ TOWN TOYOTA CENTER
05.23.26: SEATTLE, WA @ CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA
05.24.26: PORTLAND, OR @ VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM
05.27.26: TEMPE, AZ @ MULLETT ARENA
05.29.26: ALLEN, TX @ CREDIT UNION OF TEXAS EVENT CENTER
05.30.26: ALLEN, TX @ CREDIT UNION OF TEXAS EVENT CENTER
05.31.26: SOUTHAVEN, MS @ LANDERS CENTER
