On this Q&A, we introduce you to Mina Esfandiari, an ice dancer who competes within the junior solo mixed dance occasions. She completed eighth on the 2022 U.S. Nationwide Solo Dance Finals. She trains with Krigor Studio at Montclair State College and is coached by Igor Lukanin and Kristin Fraser.
Inform us about how your skating journey started. What drew you to the ice? Do you may have any particular reminiscences?
After I was 7 years previous, I used to be invited to a party at an ice-skating rink in Virginia. At first, I used to be holding on to the board and couldn’t even get up. Then once I walked out of that celebration, I began telling my mother that I cherished it and wished to start classes. Ever since then, my love for ice skating has solely grown!
The particular reminiscences from once I was little embody my mother taking me to the rink once I first started and I might simply skate across the boards, not caring about the rest on the earth. I had simply began and all I wished to do was skate, as a result of the sensation made me really feel so free in these moments.
When and why did you select to do solo dance?
At age 8, I used to be competing as a freestyler and after my third season, I requested my mother if I might take ice dance classes to enhance my edges and step sequences inside my program. From there, I began taking classes in January 2019 with my first coach and he thought I had potential, so he enrolled me into the solo dance collection. That 12 months I started competing Pre-Bronze Patterns, whereas I used to be nonetheless competing as a Juvenile freestyler. My love for ice dance grew with every competitors I entered. That 12 months, I certified for Solo Nationals and received Bronze. From that day on, I knew that I belonged as an ice dancer, and I made the swap.
What do you want most about Solo Dance? What sort of music to you prefer to skate to the most effective? Why?
Solo dance has matured me as a skater, whereas it additionally made me really feel comfy in my physique. The Solo Dance group is such a beautiful group of individuals, and everybody help one another it doesn’t matter what occurs.
My favourite fashion of music contains Latin or hip-hop. Though, I like skating to the upbeat types of music, I take pleasure in studying all totally different sorts of applications. For instance, this 12 months I’m making an attempt one thing solely new that I’ve by no means carried out earlier than.
Inform us about your coaching web site. (Location, services, dance mates, courses, coaches, and many others.)
My head coaches are Kristen Fraser-Lukanin and Igor Lukanin. I practice at Montclair State College Ice Area in Little Falls, New Jersey. The coaching facility is the campus of a school which incorporates tracks, tennis courts, and many others. To begin our morning, we’ve a day by day edge class and many sorts of off ice courses each day. The off ice courses embody totally different types of dance, conditioning, and stretching.
Who choreographed your applications. What do you want finest about dancing them?
Igor Lukanin choreographed my applications for this season. What I like most about Igor is that the choreography comes pure to him. I study choreography fast which permits us to have extra time to good the applications. In my Rhythm Dance, I like how I’m ready present my ardour for tango. My favourite a part of my free dance is certainly my choreo step. I exploit plenty of physique motion that I’ve by no means carried out earlier than which permits me to point out everybody what I’m able to performing.
Solo Dance will likely be a global self-discipline this season? Share your ideas about this modification.
I’m so excited solo dance is a global self-discipline this season. All my life, I’ve been ready for at the present time as solo dance has develop into an enormous a part of my skating profession. This was an enormous step ahead, because it reveals everybody that this can be a group now. Solo dance has grown over time and has made so many modifications to match the dance staff guidelines.
In skating, what are you most trying ahead to this season? What will likely be your greatest problem(s)?
This season, I’m trying ahead to stepping out onto competitors ice and performing the most effective applications doable. I’ve been coaching laborious to point out the totally different types and what I can do. My greatest challenges and targets are qualifying for Nationals and inserting.
When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
If I might have a lesson with any ice dancer, it might be Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parsons or Tessa Advantage & Scott Moir. Each of these groups have distinctive physique actions and expressions, in addition to unimaginable edges and approach.
What are your favourite off-ice actions?
My favourite off-ice actions embody hanging out with my household and associates. It’s good to take my thoughts off of skating for a day and be round all of the those who I like.
Please share the rest you prefer to our readers to find out about you as a skater?
I’m ceaselessly grateful I gave ice dance a strive, as a result of it has introduced me wonderful folks and the most effective skating household I’ve all the time wished. Thanks to Kristen, Igor, and my former coach Andrejs Sitiks who’ve made my dream come true. I might by no means have been the place I’m now with none of them.