Meet ice dancer Amanda City

On this Q&A, we introduce you to Amanda City, an ice dancer who competes within the junior solo mixed dance occasions. She trains with ,at Ashburn Ice Home and is coached by IKatrina Shalin, Vitaliy Shalin, and Ruslan Goncharov. 

Inform us about how your skating journey started. What drew you to the ice? Do you’ve any particular reminiscences?
My skating journey started in 2015 when my dad and mom signed me and my sister up for a study to skate summer time camp. I had no thought the best way to skate and had by no means actually tried it earlier than the camp. I bear in mind the primary time I stepped on the ice, it felt a lot totally different than how I anticipated it might be, however I beloved it. After the week-long camp, I actually needed to proceed studying the best way to skate so my dad and mom signed me up for study to skate courses and it just about took off from there.

When and why did you select to do solo dance?
I started my skating journey competing on a synchronized skating group. On my third season of synchro, my coach recommended that I attempt ice dance classes to assist with issues like my timing, posture, skating abilities, and so forth. I ended up taking classes and I beloved it! After only a few weeks of classes my coach, Vitaliy Shalin, requested if I needed to attempt competing within the solo dance collection. He defined that I may compete within the preliminary patterns, and that if I scored excessive sufficient I may qualify for nationals. In fact I mentioned sure, and in 2019 I competed in preliminary patterns, and I ended up qualifying and competing at nationals in Provo, Utah. I’ve competed yearly since, and I’m now competing Junior Mixed. Ever since my first season, I’ve completely beloved competing within the solo dance collection. 

What do you want most about Solo Dance? What sort of music to you prefer to skate to the most effective? Why?
I really like that solo dance provides dancers the chance to nonetheless compete with no associate. I like to compete and whereas I’m trying to find a associate, I’m so grateful I’m nonetheless in a position to carry out and keep aggressive. In solo dance, the junior and senior ranges have a rhythm dance and a free dance, similar to the ice dance groups. This season the junior rhythm dance theme was tango along with your selection of favor from the choices they gave. I selected to skate to a flamenco together with the tango, and I actually have loved it! I prefer to skate to all kinds of music however I feel the flamenco and tango kinds this yr have been one in all my favorites. After I hear my music I really feel I have to skate with a lot of energy, I should be quick and fierce, and I actually get pleasure from that. I additionally actually like skating to modern or lyrical items of music, I like to simply skate and really feel the music, it’s among the best issues about skating. 

Inform us about your coaching website. 
I’ve skated on the Ashburn Ice Home in Ashburn, Virginia because the first time I’ve ever stepped foot on the ice. This summer time, I’ve began coaching extra at SkateQuest in Reston, as we’ve dance solely ice time Monday by Thursday which has been tremendous useful because it will get fairly busy on summer time freestyle periods. My teaching group consists of Katrina Shalin, Vitaliy Shalin, and Ruslan Goncharov. I can’t think about a greater group of coaches, all of them contribute various things to my skating/packages and are simply so useful to me. They’re every extraordinarily devoted at what they do and spend a lot of their time perfecting my skating, and all of their different skaters as effectively.  It is extremely essential to me to not solely have coaches who can train effectively, however to have coaches who really care about their college students and wish the most effective for them. We’ve got a reasonably large group of solo dancers, skaters from the decrease ranges to the upper ranges, however all of us assist each other. This season we even have 5 junior dancers, together with myself. All of us are aggressive, after all, however we’re all pals and we cheer one another on. We’re all a group and really supportive of one another, it’s a terrific group!

Who choreographed your packages. What do you want finest about dancing to them?
Katrina Shalin and Ruslan Goncharov did my choreography this season. They’re very artistic and know precisely what every program wants. This yr I selected to skate to the “Avatar” film soundtrack for my free dance. Initially I selected a recent model of music, we choreographed rather less than half this system however then I made a decision it simply didn’t really feel proper. To be able to skate to music, it is advisable to have a reference to it, which I didn’t really feel to that piece of music. I informed my coaches and we instantly started trying to find new music. I used to be trying to find one thing with extra of a storyline.  I needed one thing distinctive and funky, one thing that will actually be fascinating to look at. I heard the “Avatar” soundtrack and I actually preferred the thought. I then informed my coach, Katrina, about this concept and he or she helped discover some extra songs and brainstorm new concepts. We received this program accomplished in a short time, simply in time for the 2023 Solo Dance Camp in Dallas, Texas. At solo dance camp I had the chance to work with Randi Robust who was additionally very useful in including issues to each of my packages.

Solo Dance might be a world self-discipline this season? Share your ideas about this variation.
I’m so excited to listen to about Solo Dance changing into a world self-discipline! I feel this actually helps open the door for a lot of dancers who’re struggling to discover a associate, or simply need to compete in ice dance with no associate. Since my first yr of solo dance, again in 2019, I’ve seen it develop.  I imagine since it will likely be on the worldwide stage, extra consideration might be delivered to it, and extra folks will need to attempt it. I feel it’s additionally nice to not solely compete in opposition to skaters out of your area or inside your nation, however to have the chance to compete in opposition to skaters from different international locations as effectively. I’m simply so completely satisfied to see that solo dance might be worldwide, and might’t look ahead to the alternatives that this can carry.

In skating, what are you most wanting ahead to this season? What might be your greatest problem(s)?
I’m most wanting ahead to competing at my final couple of qualifying competitions, and hopefully the Nationwide Solo Dance ultimate in Chicago, IL. I’m actually excited to compete in Lake Placid, New York. It’s a enjoyable competitors, and skating on the rink the Olympics passed off can be a nice expertise. I feel my greatest problem might be nationals.  I’ve been working tougher than I ever have in previous seasons and I actually do really feel it’s paying off. My purpose this season is to skate two skates that I’m pleased with and earn a medal at nationals; I’d like to win. To this point I’ve earned a gold medal from all six of my competitions, and I’m actually pleased with that. When you have been to inform me final season and even simply earlier than this season began, the place I’m at proper now, I’d not imagine you. I’ve actually shocked myself to date and I’m excited for what’s subsequent!

When you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
This can be a onerous resolution as there are such a lot of superb ice dancers I look as much as. However, If I have been to choose, I’d say both Maddison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue or Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. Each groups have such distinctive kinds of skating that actually encourage me. I really like their energy and easy kinds of skating. 

What are your favourite off-ice actions?
This can be a query I get requested usually and I by no means know what to reply as a result of I prefer to be on the ice just about all day on a regular basis. It’s one thing I don’t get bored with, but when I needed to choose I’d say procuring and touring. I journey so much for competitions and I’ve gone to essentially cool locations, a few of my favorites have been Provo, UT, Lake Placid, NY and Nashville, TN. All of them are actually fairly areas and I’ve actually loved visiting there. 

Please share anything you want to our readers to find out about you as a skater?
One thing I would like folks to see once they watch me skate is my ardour for skating. I don’t simply skate as a result of I’ve been doing it for some time or for every other motive. I skate as a result of I really adore it and revel in coming to follow each day. I feel that’s what actually could make a skater stand out.