Tales from the 2023 Ice Dance Ultimate

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by Anne Calder

The 2022-2023 Ice Dance Ultimate was held on the Skating Membership of Boston from November 8-11 along with the Japanese Singles Sectional Competitors. On the occasion, 13 Junior and 5 Senior groups with out byes certified for the US Nationwide Championships in San Jose, California.

Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice ice dance groups had been chosen to the Nationwide Improvement Workforce. These  athletes can even be invited to take part within the Excessive Efficiency Nationwide Improvement Camp held in the course of the U.S. Championships.

The Ice Dance Ultimate had a lot of tales circulating contained in the partitions of the brand new facility. For a lot of dancers, it was their third Ultimate, which had its genesis again in 2019 in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Balancing Act
A number of athletes shared tales about mixing their skating careers with teachers and even attempting new genres that complement their ice dancing.  

Jenna Hauer & Benjamin Starr, 2022-2023 Ultimate Junior bronze medalists drive throughout state strains to coach whereas Starr attends Brandeis College in Waltham, MA.

“It’s robust to travel after which skate afterwards, so we’ve been attempting to separate it up,” Hauer stated. “He comes [to Connecticut] on the weekends, and I drive up in the course of the week.” 

Starr, who’s taking a full load of 5 lessons famous, “It’s robust, however I really like each second of it. I do know lots of people simply say that. I’m additionally doing a very good quantity of additional curricular via the college. I’m at the moment pushing to be a Analysis Assistant / Educating Assistant.”

The crew continues to work with long-time coach Svetlana Kulikova whereas in Connecticut, but in addition trains on the Colonial Skating Membership in Boxborough with Dmitri Boundoukin when in Massachusetts.

“We’re actually joyful we had been in a position to carry him on to the crew,” Starr stated. “He’s been an awesome addition.”  

Junior ice dancers, Kristina Bland and Matthew Sperry are college students on the College of Michigan. Bland is a freshman in LSA and selected Russian as her required language.

“Plenty of my coaches are Russian, and I do know numerous Russian skaters. I assumed it will be numerous enjoyable if I understood their language, and I might communicate it to them.” 

Sperry is learning Mechanical Engineering. As a sophomore, he’s enrolled in superior lessons, one that features group constructing of robots, which together with drones is a focus he could ultimately pursue.

TJ Carey, senior ice dancer with accomplice Caroline Depietri is finishing his closing semester on the Boston College Faculty of Journalism. He’s within the space of Sports activities Communication. Carey has posted articles on ice-dance.com.

Emilea Zingas, who companions with Vadym Kolesnik on the senior degree, is an undergraduate neuroscience main at Wayne State College in Detroit, Michigan.

“It’s going properly,” stated the St. Clair Shores skater. “It’s been difficult attempting to steadiness college and skating since ice dance is a extremely huge time dedication, however I like it. I really like being busy, and it’s going very well. I’m fortunate I’ve individuals round me to assist me examine.”

Tyler Vollmer and accomplice Riona Harris practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Sadly, the crew needed to withdraw in the course of the Senior Free Dance attributable to harm. Vollmer graduated from UCLA on the age of 19, with a double main in Geophysics and Math/Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. After being awarded the Presidential Fellowship at Georgia Tech he joined the PH.D Program in Ocean Science and Engineering. Whereas a pupil at UCLA, Vollmer did some collegiate crew skating.

Ethan Peal has a really hectic schedule to accommodate his skating and Aeronautical Engineering main. The Peal household lives in Nashville, TN and Ethan attends lessons Tuesday – Friday morning on the College of Alabama, Huntsville. Associate, Elliana and pop, Rob drive the 2 hours south to the campus and squeeze in a 2.5  coaching session on Wednesday. The siblings skate each day they’re collectively in Nashville.

“It’s been an adjustment, however I’ve gotten extra used to it,” Ethan stated. “It’s onerous. It’s been disturbing. It’s numerous math. Fortunately I’ve an awesome assist crew.”

In the meantime, Elliana has her personal unbelievable schedule. She skates each morning, attends digital highschool in the course of the day and dances each night and weekends on the DC Dance Manufacturing facility in Franklin, TN. Her dance routines are between 8-10 minutes of straight dancing, and he or she has 6-8 of them memorized.

“Dance is my very own factor,” Elliana stated. “I like to have the ability to do dance with out the involvement of household. I’m ready to make use of my dance expertise on and off the ice. Dance makes me much more fluid on the ice.”

Angela Ling & Caleb Wein

Caleb Wein is a fourth 12 months pupil on the College of Maryland majoring in Aeronautical Engineering.  

“Some time again, I took a digital dance class as a Basic-Schooling sort of factor. I obtained very concerned with the    Division of Theatre, Dance, and Efficiency Research. Final Spring I obtained into a chunk by one of many Graduate college students, so I carried out of their Spring Dance Live performance. Over the summer season, I used to be requested if I might be curious about performing in two items for the Fall. One was by an undergraduate and the opposite by a graduate pupil named Carlo. I stated “Sure” to each.”

November 17-20 three of the Division’s M.F.A. dance candidates offered their thesis work. One was   “Final Dance, Misplaced Dance” by Carlo Antonio Villanueva. The piece featured eight undergraduates (together with Caleb Wein), and graduate college students dancing with various pursuits and ranges of expertise plus Villanueva.

It’s been numerous enjoyable and really informative in numerous methods. All of the choreographers there have totally different types and various things they’re in search of,” defined Wein. “I can take issues from there and take them on the ice. All of them transfer in numerous methods, so there’s various kinds of motion I can usher in to our applications. There’s additionally totally different approaches whereas we’re skating. It’s been good.” 

“They don’t have boundaries of their heads, in order that they suppose very exterior the field,” added ice dance accomplice Angela Ling, who’s taking a “hole” 12 months between highschool commencement and school.

Boston Bits

Juliette and Lucas Shadid had been Novice bronze medalists on the first Ice Dance Ultimate in 2019 in Hyannis, MA. Accidents saved the siblings off-ice for over two and a half years. After two disappointing competitions this previous summer season, the crew has returned and certified to take part on the U.S. Nationals in San Jose, CA.

Volodymyr Horovyi (Junior)  and younger Denis Bledsoe (Juvenile) have developed a beautiful relationship throughout competitions. Vova is Ukrainian and Denis is Russian. They each practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Estero, FL. “He’s like a small brother,” Vova stated with a smile.

Along with the Ice Dance Ultimate podium groups, Sectional winners had been additionally awarded medals for his or her achievements. “I like getting medals,” stated Juvenile gold medalist Marian Carhart. “In ice dance, you often get one medal, however we obtained two. That was thrilling. I actually preferred the ceremony once they placed on the medal.”

After Hurricane Ian decimated southwest Florida, Herz Area, dwelling to the Everblades FSC was used as a mega shelter to deal with a number of hundred storm refugees. For over three weeks, skaters traveled two hours to different rinks to coach.

Luke Witkowski competed and certified in each Novice Males and Novice Ice dance. Ryedin Rudedenman competed in each Intermediate Ice Dance and Novice Males.

Heard it By means of the Grapevine

Ice dancer YuanShi Jin, who’s partnered with Leah Krauskopf in Seniors, visited his dwelling in China in January 2020, then opted to increase his journey via Chinese language New 12 months. As a result of Covid border closings, he was unable to depart for 2 years.

A number of of the ice dance groups are utilizing the experience of pairs coaches to help within the improvement and strengthening of their components. Simon Shnapir works together with his former singles pupil, Caroline Depietri and accomplice TJ Carey with their lifts, spins and what they’re doing for the Choreographed Jumps. “Simon has made me personally a way more assured lifter and competitor,” stated Carey.  “He’s helped me really feel extra assured after we’re on the market on the ice.” 

Breelie Taylor, former accomplice with Tyler Vollmer at the moment performs with Disney on Ice.

Anabelle Larson additionally travels forwards and backwards from the Florida east coast to the west coast to coach with accomplice Jonathan Younger on the Everblades FSC in Estero, Florida.

Olivia Flores, sister of Senior ice dancer, Isabella Flores, certified in Junior Pairs  with accomplice Luke Wang for US Nationals. The Novice singles skater completed second on the Midwestern Sectionals and certified to additionally compete on the U.S. Nationals within the Ladies’s division. 

Each morning on the Nice Park Ice Area in Irvine, CA when Coach Christine Fowler-Binder or Coach Chris Knierim leads a stroking session, Juliette and Lucas Shadid are the lone ice dance crew within the group of pairs. “Everybody must skate properly. Everybody must bend their knees and do nice edges, in order that half is all the identical. It’s about 15 – half-hour of stroking with all their buddies collectively. It’s superior.” 

13 units of sibling partnerships competed within the Ice Dance Ultimate.

On Prime of the Podium

Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik

Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik used a Philip Glass medley, which incorporates “Metamorphosis”, Violin Concerto No 1, “Truman Sleeps (The Truman Present) and “Escape” (The Hours) to assert Senior gold and in addition qualify for the 2023 US Nationals in San Jose, CA. The crew trains in Michigan with Igor Shpilband’s group.

Leah Neset & Artem Markelov received gold for his or her highly effective efficiency to music from Pirates of the Caribbean. The Colorado Springs primarily based athletes are the defending Junior US Nationwide Champions and are coached by Elena Dostatni.

Sylvia Li & Rowan Le Coq’s danced to West Facet Story, which included a fast costume flip from shorts to decorate for the track Maria”. The three-time Ultimate medalists added a Novice gold to their assortment. Kristin Fraser Lukanin and Igor Lukanin coach the athletes.

Grace & Luke Fischer danced a fast-moving Intermediate gold medal efficiency to “I Can’t Contact This” by MC Hammer, “Waterfalls” by TLC and “Gonna Make You Sweat” (Everyone Dance Now). The crew is coached by Katherine Hill and Ben Agosto in Colorado Springs, CO.

Marian Carhart & Denis Bledsoe received gold within the Juvenile Division with a swish ethereal efficiency to the music of Italian Composer, Ennio Morricone from the movie Cinema Paradiso. Their coaches embrace Marina Zoueva and Ilya Tkachenko.

Senior Podium:
1. Emilea Zingas (St. Clair Shores FSC) & Vadym Kolesnik (SC of New York)
2. Isabella Flores & Ivan Desyatov (Thunderbirds FSC)
3. Angela Ling (Peninsula SC) & Caleb Wein (Washington FSC)
4. Raffaella Koncius (Los Angeles FSC) & Alexey Shchepetov (Florida Everblades FSC)

Junior Podium:
1. Leah Neset & Artem Markelov (Magic Metropolis FSC)
2. Helena Carhart & Volodymyr Horovyi (Florida Everblades FSC)
3. Jenna Hauer (All 12 months FSC) & Benjamin Starr (Constitution Oak FSC)
4. Vanessa Pham (SC of Houston) & Jonathan Rogers (Texas Gulf Coast FSC)

Novice Podium:
1. Sylvia Li (N. Jersey FSC) & Rowan Le Coq (SC of New York)
2. Octavia Herai (All 12 months FSC) Michael Boutsan (Particular person Member)
3. Emily Renzi (SC of New York) William Lissauer (All 12 months FSC)
4. Annelise Stapert  & Maxim Korotcov (ION FSC)

Intermediate Podium:
1. Grace Fischer & Luke Fischer (Broadmoor SC)
2. Molli Taylorson & Kejin Peng (Carolinas FSC)
3. Sarah Yoo & Nicholas Ying (SC of Boston)
4. Celine Chen & Nathan Chen (All 12 months FSC)

Juvenile Podium:
1. Marian Carhart & Denis Bledsoe (Florida Everglades FSC) 
2. Rylen Lukanin (All 12 months FSC) & Patrick O’Brien (North Jersey FSC)
3. Natalie Leitan & Nathan Leitan (Washington FSC)
4. Marina Li & Justin Liao (North Jersey FSC)

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