Welcome to IDC’s New Group Sequence! For this sequence, we interview athletes who will enter the upcoming 2023-24 season in a brand new partnership, or debuted final season. In our second interview, we verify in with Adrienne Carhart (21) and Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (21) who signify Azerbaijan on the senior degree. New articles on this sequence might be posted each Monday.
Adrienne (AC): I began skating at 7 years outdated, when a good friend of mine invited me to a skating lesson. From there, I continued on with my youthful sister Helena and I’ve beloved it since then.
Oleksandr (OK): I began skating once I was 7 years outdated as effectively, however in Odessa. There is just one rink in Odessa however I’ve a variety of nice reminiscences of that rink and studying find out how to skate there. I competed in singles skating lots all through Ukraine till I used to be about 15 years outdated. Then I moved to Kiev to start out ice dancing.
What drew you to ice dance?
AC: In all honesty, I keep in mind watching ice dance as a child and pondering there was no approach I could possibly be an ice dancer! After rising up in a family full of ladies and going to an all-girls highschool, the concept of skating with a boy didn’t attraction to me. It wasn’t till I had reconstructive hip surgical procedure once I was 15 years outdated and needed to take a yr off the ice that I even thought-about ice dancing. Nonetheless, after only a few weeks of making an attempt it out I knew this was what I needed to do. Now I really like skating with a accomplice and I really like engaged on all of the little particulars that go into ice dancing. There’s a lot precision and thought put into each step.
OK: My mother heard there was an awesome ice dance coach in Kiev that had a woman in search of a accomplice, so she thought it could be good for me to strive ice dancing. At first, I discovered it fairly uncommon to skate with one other individual in place, but it surely offered me with a brand new problem which I favored. I really like the technical features of ice dance, like turns and footwork, however I additionally actually take pleasure in lifts and the acrobatics concerned in partnered skating.
Inform us how your partnership began (Companion Search, coaching mate, and so forth.) Describe the tryout.
AC: Sasha and I really knew one another earlier than we began skating collectively. We each educated with Marina in 2019 with totally different companions and we had been good associates. I ended up transferring to France and Sasha was coaching with a brand new accomplice in Russia, so we misplaced contact for a number of years. After we noticed one another once more, it was like no time had handed – our friendship picked up proper the place we left off.
OK: Marina known as me proper after my earlier partnership ended. She was my coach once I was junior and we had stayed in touch, so I used to be comfortable to listen to from her. She instructed me Adrienne was additionally in search of a accomplice, and Adrienne and I had been associates for a very long time. So we had a tryout and we had been an awesome match.
What’s it that you just already like most about dancing together with your new accomplice?
AC: It doesn’t matter what type of day we’re having, Sasha all the time makes me snort. We steadiness one another out so effectively. Sasha could be very affected person – he’s so good at staying calm and relaxed below strain. Coaching is really easy and particular when you find yourself skating with a good friend.
OK: Adrienne and I are each very fortunate as a result of we’ve got had an awesome friendship off the ice for thus a few years. I’ve by no means seen anybody work as exhausting as Adrienne! Additionally, she is an incredible dancer and she or he could be very creative. She has an awesome imaginative and prescient for every of our applications and I belief her.
What experiences do every of you deliver to the partnership? (Worldwide competitions, coaching, and so forth.)
OK: I’ve competed internationally for a few years now, so I introduced a variety of expertise to the partnership.
AC: Sasha was very supportive of me this season, since this was my first season competing internationally.
What has been the most important adjustment for every of you to this point within the partnership?
AC: There are the traditional challenges of a brand new partnership, studying to skate collectively and attending to know the opposite individual. Sasha and I’ve nice communication, and we work so effectively collectively. I’ve by no means had a partnership the place we may talk as brazenly as we do.
OK: There hasn’t been a giant adjustment. We’re all the time trustworthy with one another about what’s working and what’s not, and Adrienne could be very sort.
OK: We practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Estero, FL. Coaching in Florida, the climate is heat and exquisite. We do a variety of coaching outdoors within the recent air, and I’m going to the seaside and bounce within the water after an extended day of skating.
AC: I’m the oldest of 4 women, all of whom skate, and so they all practice with Marina in Florida. Attending to see them day by day and share all these experiences with them is one thing I’m extraordinarily grateful for. My sister Helena and her accomplice Vova are the reigning US Junior Silver Medalists, and they’re an awesome staff to observe. We additionally practice with Pilipino staff Isabella Gamez and Alexandr Korovin, and Ukrainian staff Zoe Larson and Andrei Kapran. We’re so fortunate to coach with groups which might be additionally our good associates.
Final season we educated with Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi earlier than they introduced their retirement this yr. It was very unhappy for me, since Kana is one among my closest associates and the rink is just not the identical with out them. We use Kana and Dais as our inspiration lots.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each need to relocate? If that’s the case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
AC: We’re coached by Marina Zoueva, Ilya Tkachenko, Nora Hoffmann, Johnny Johns, and Yelena Sokolova. We additionally work with ballroom dancers Randi Sturdy, Henry Byalikov, and Maksim Kozhevnikov. Sasha and I each educated in different international locations earlier than we got here again to Marina.
OK: I relocated from Austria to Florida. Nonetheless, since I had already educated right here earlier than, it already felt far more like house.
Who’s choreographing your applications. Is another person arranging your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
AC: Sasha and I had been very excited concerning the 80’s theme for the RD this yr. We started working with Henry, one among our ballroom coaches, on choreography off the ice. Our coach Ilya Tkachenko then took that and helped us adapt all of the dancing for the ice.
OK: Max Kozhevnikov helped us with the idea for our free dance. We beloved our Egyptian program from final season, so it took us some time to discover a piece of music that everybody favored for our FD. Nonetheless, as soon as Max began working with us this system actually got here collectively. Ilya is a superb choreographer as effectively; he has been so concerned in our artistic course of this season, and due to that our applications are coming alongside properly.
Should you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
AC: Mmm there are such a lot of wonderful groups…I must say Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. I noticed their Evita FD at worlds final season and it introduced me to tears. They’re so dedicated to the story they’re telling – as quickly as they step on the ice they’re in character! They’re each so sort and I actually look as much as them as athletes and as individuals.
OK: I might say Meryl Davis and Charlie White, as a result of they had been so progressive. They had been so fast on the ice and their lifts had been wonderful. I’ve all the time beloved and admired their skating.
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What might be your greatest problem(s)?
AC: Final season was my first competing on the worldwide circuit, and since we had been a brand new partnership we didn’t begin till the top of October. I like to compete, so I’m wanting ahead to performing lots this season. Final season our aim was to place out stable performances each time. This season, we need to skate fearlessly and with confidence. Now could be the time to place our heads down and work so we are able to enhance over the subsequent few years.
OK: I believe we’ve got a lot potential as a staff. We’re tall and have lengthy stunning strains with a variety of pace. In fact we need to enhance our outcomes and world standing from final season, however greater than that we need to solidify our skating and look as a staff. It will likely be our second season collectively, so we’re nonetheless studying find out how to transfer collectively and find out how to compete collectively.
What’s your debut competitors this season?
AC: Our first competitors would be the Dallas Traditional in July, after which we’ll head to Lake Placid as our first worldwide for the season.
OK: We’ll do a number of native competitions first earlier than we head to our internationals.
Please share something you desire to our readers to learn about you as a staff?
OK: We’ve got labored exhausting within the off season to enhance our method and our pace throughout the ice. I’m very enthusiastic about our applications for this season, and I hope the judges and skating viewers will take pleasure in them too!
AC: I owe a lot to my household, to my mother and father for his or her fixed love and assist, and in addition to my sisters who I get to share this journey with. We’ve got a lot extra to show and to indicate – that is only the start for us!