Meet ice dancer Mina Esfandiari

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’ve gotten any particular reminiscences? 
After I was 7 years outdated, I used to be invited to a birthday celebration at an ice-skating rink in Virginia. At first, I used to be holding on to the board and couldn’t even arise. Then after I walked out of that occasion, 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 after I was little embrace my mother taking me to the rink after I first started and I’d simply skate across the boards, not caring about the rest on the planet. 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 may 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 yr 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 yr, 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 wish to skate to the most effective? Why?
Solo dance has matured me as a skater, whereas it additionally made me really feel snug in my physique. The Solo Dance group is such a beautiful group of individuals, and everybody assist one another it doesn’t matter what occurs.
 
My favourite fashion of music consists of Latin or hip-hop. Though, I like skating to the upbeat kinds of music, I get pleasure from studying all completely different sorts of packages. For instance, this yr I’m making an attempt one thing fully new that I’ve by no means achieved earlier than.

Inform us about your coaching web site. (Location, services, dance mates, lessons, coaches, and so on.)
My head coaches are Kristen Fraser-Lukanin and Igor Lukanin. I prepare at Montclair State College Ice Enviornment in Little Falls, New Jersey. The coaching facility is the campus of a school which incorporates tracks, tennis courts, and so on. To start out our morning, we now have a every day edge class and many sorts of off ice lessons daily. The off ice lessons embrace completely different types of dance, conditioning, and stretching.

Who choreographed your packages. What do you want greatest about dancing them? 
Igor Lukanin choreographed my packages for this season. What I like most about Igor is that the choreography comes pure to him. I be taught choreography fast which permits us to have extra time to good the packages. In my Rhythm Dance, I like how I’m ready present my ardour for tango. My favourite a part of my free dance is unquestionably my choreo step. I exploit quite a lot of physique motion that I’ve by no means achieved earlier than which permits me to point out everybody what I’m able to performing.  

Solo Dance will probably 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 grow to be a giant a part of my skating profession. This was a giant step ahead, because it reveals everybody that it is a group now. Solo dance has grown over time and has made so many modifications to match the dance workforce guidelines.

In skating, what are you most trying ahead to this season? What will probably be your largest problem(s)? 
This season, I’m trying ahead to stepping out onto competitors ice and performing the most effective packages doable. I’ve been coaching arduous to point out the completely different kinds and what I can do. My largest challenges and targets are qualifying for Nationals and putting.

When you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
If I may have a lesson with any ice dancer, it will be Caroline Inexperienced & Michael Parsons or Tessa Advantage & Scott Moir. Each of these groups have distinctive physique actions and expressions, in addition to unbelievable edges and method.

What are your favourite off-ice actions?
My favourite off-ice actions embrace hanging out with my household and buddies. It’s good to take my thoughts off of skating for a day and be round all of the folks that I like.

Please share the rest you want to our readers to find out about you as a skater?
I’m endlessly grateful I gave ice dance a attempt, as a result of it has introduced me superb individuals and the most effective skating household I’ve at all times wished. Thanks to Kristen, Igor, and my former coach Andrejs Sitiks who’ve made my dream come true. I’d by no means have been the place I’m now with none of them.