New Group Sequence: Adrienne Carhart & Oleksandr Kolosovskyi
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 test in with Adrienne Carhart (21) and Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (21) who signify Azerbaijan on the senior stage. New articles on this sequence shall 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Adrienne (AC): I began skating at 7 years outdated, when a good friend of mine invited me to a skating lesson.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 liked it since then.
Oleksandr (OK): I began skating after I was 7 years outdated as properly, however in Odessa. There is just one rink in Odessa however I’ve plenty of nice recollections of that rink and studying tips on how to skate there. I competed in singles skating quite a bit all through Ukraine till I used to be about 15 years outdated.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 bear in mind watching ice dance as a child and considering there was no approach I might 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 It wasn’t till I had reconstructive hip surgical procedure after I was 15 years outdated and needed to take a yr off the ice that I even thought-about ice dancing.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 like skating with a accomplice and I 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 amazing ice dance coach in Kiev that had a lady searching for a accomplice, so she thought it will be good for me to strive ice dancing. At first, I discovered it fairly uncommon to skate with one other individual in place, nevertheless it supplied me with a brand new problem which I appreciated. I like the technical elements 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 (Accomplice Search, coaching mate, and so on.) 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 have been good pals. I ended up transferring to France and Sasha was coaching with a brand new accomplice in Russia, so we misplaced contact for a couple of years. Once 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 referred to as me proper after my earlier partnership ended. She was my coach after I was junior and we had stayed in touch, so I used to be joyful to listen to from her. She advised me Adrienne was additionally searching for a accomplice, and Adrienne and I have been pals for a very long time. So we had a tryout and we have been an amazing match.
What’s it that you simply already like most about dancing together with your new accomplice?
AC: It doesn’t matter what sort of day we’re having, Sasha all the time makes me snigger. We stability one another out so properly. Sasha may be very affected person – he’s so good at staying calm and relaxed below strain. Coaching is really easy and particular when you’re skating with a good friend.
OK: Adrienne and I are each very fortunate as a result of we’ve got had an amazing friendship off the ice for thus a few years. I’ve by no means seen anybody work as laborious as Adrienne! Additionally, she is an incredible dancer and she or he may be very inventive. She has an amazing imaginative and prescient for every of our packages and I belief her.
What experiences do every of you convey to the partnership? (Worldwide competitions, coaching, and so on.)
OK: I’ve competed internationally for a few years now, so I introduced plenty 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 largest 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 properly collectively. I’ve by no means had a partnership the place we might talk as overtly as we do.
OK: There hasn’t been an enormous adjustment. We’re all the time trustworthy with one another about what’s working and what’s not, and Adrienne may be very variety.
OK: We practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Estero, FL. Coaching in Florida, the climate is heat and delightful. We do plenty of coaching outdoors within the contemporary air, and I am going to the seashore and soar 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 daily 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 amazing workforce to observe. We additionally practice with Pilipino workforce Isabella Gamez and Alexandr Korovin, and Ukrainian workforce Zoe Larson and Andrei Kapran. We’re so fortunate to coach with groups which can be additionally our good pals.
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 in all my closest pals and the rink just isn’t the identical with out them. We use Kana and Dais as our inspiration quite a bit.
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 Robust, Henry Byalikov, and Maksim Kozhevnikov. Sasha and I each educated in different nations 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 way more like house.
Who’s choreographing your packages. Is another person arranging your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
AC: Sasha and I have been very excited concerning the 80’s theme for the RD this yr. We started working with Henry, one in all 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 liked our Egyptian program from final season, so it took us some time to discover a piece of music that everybody appreciated for our FD. Nonetheless, as soon as Max began working with us this system actually got here collectively. Ilya is a superb choreographer as properly; he has been so concerned in our inventive course of this season, and due to that our packages are coming alongside properly.
When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
AC: Mmm there are such a lot of superb 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 variety 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 have been so revolutionary. They have been so fast on the ice and their lifts have been superb. I’ve all the time liked and admired their skating.
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What shall be your largest problem(s)?
AC: Final season was my first competing on the worldwide circuit, and since we have 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 quite a bit this season. Final season our objective was to place out stable performances each time. This season, we need to skate fearlessly and with confidence. Now’s the time to place our heads down and work so we will enhance over the following few years.
OK: I feel we’ve got a lot potential as a workforce. We’re tall and have lengthy lovely traces with plenty 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 workforce. It will likely be our second season collectively, so we’re nonetheless studying tips on how to transfer collectively and tips on 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 couple of native competitions first earlier than we head to our internationals.
Please share something you want to our readers to learn about you as a workforce?
OK: Now we have labored laborious within the off season to enhance our method and our pace throughout the ice. I’m very enthusiastic about our packages 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 dad and mom for his or her fixed love and help, and in addition to my sisters who I get to share this journey with. Now we have a lot extra to show and to indicate – that is only the start for us!
