New Workforce Sequence: Adrienne Carhart & Oleksandr Kolosovskyi
8 min readWelcome to IDC’s New Workforce 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 examine in with Adrienne Carhart (21) and Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (21) who characterize Azerbaijan on the senior stage. New articles on this sequence will likely be posted each Monday.
Adrienne (AC): I began skating at 7 years previous, 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 previous as effectively, however in Odessa. There is just one rink in Odessa however I’ve plenty of nice recollections of that rink and studying the right way to skate there. I competed in singles skating so much all through Ukraine till I used to be about 15 years previous. 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 might be an ice dancer! After rising up in a family full of girls 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 previous and needed to take a 12 months off the ice that I even thought-about ice dancing. Nonetheless, after only a few weeks of attempting it out I knew this was what I needed to do. Now I really like skating with a companion and I really like engaged on all of the little particulars that go into ice dancing. There may be a lot precision and thought put into each step.
OK: My mother heard there was an important ice dance coach in Kiev that had a woman in search of a companion, so she thought it might be good for me to attempt ice dancing. At first, I discovered it fairly uncommon to skate with one other particular person in place, nevertheless it offered me with a brand new problem which I appreciated. I really like the technical points of ice dance, like turns and footwork, however I additionally actually get pleasure from lifts and the acrobatics concerned in partnered skating.
Inform us how your partnership began (Associate Search, coaching mate, and many others.) Describe the tryout.
AC: Sasha and I really knew one another earlier than we began skating collectively. We each skilled with Marina in 2019 with totally different companions and we have been good associates. I ended up transferring to France and Sasha was coaching with a brand new companion in Russia, so we misplaced contact for a couple 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 referred to 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 informed me Adrienne was additionally in search of a companion, and Adrienne and I have been associates for a very long time. So we had a tryout and we have been an important match.
What’s it that you simply already like most about dancing along with your new companion?
AC: It doesn’t matter what type of day we’re having, Sasha at all times makes me snort. We stability one another out so effectively. Sasha may be very affected person – he’s so good at staying calm and relaxed below strain. Coaching is very 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 have now had an important 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 may be very inventive. She has an important 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 many others.)
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 up to now within the partnership?
AC: There are the traditional challenges of a brand new partnership, studying to skate collectively and attending to know the opposite particular person. 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 an enormous adjustment. We’re at all times sincere with one another about what’s working and what’s not, and Adrienne may be very type.
OK: We practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Estero, FL. Coaching in Florida, the climate is heat and exquisite. We do plenty of coaching exterior within the recent air, and I’m going to the seaside and soar within the water after a protracted 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 companion Vova are the reigning US Junior Silver Medalists, and they’re an important staff to look at. 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 can be additionally our good associates.
Final season we skilled with Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi earlier than they introduced their retirement this 12 months. It was very unhappy for me, since Kana is considered one of my closest associates and the rink is just not the identical with out them. We use Kana and Dais as our inspiration so much.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each should relocate? In that case, inform us in regards to 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 skilled in different nations earlier than we got here again to Marina.
OK: I relocated from Austria to Florida. Nonetheless, since I had already skilled right here earlier than, it already felt rather more like house.
Who’s choreographing your packages. Is another person arranging your music? In that case, please share these experiences.
AC: Sasha and I have been very excited in regards to the 80’s theme for the RD this 12 months. We set to work with Henry, considered one of 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 appreciated for our FD. Nonetheless, as soon as Max began working with us this system actually got here collectively. Ilya is a good choreographer as effectively; he has been so concerned in our artistic course of this season, and due to that our packages are coming alongside properly.
For those who may 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 type and I actually look as much as them as athletes and as folks.
OK: I might say Meryl Davis and Charlie White, as a result of they have been so progressive. They have been so fast on the ice and their lifts have been superb. I’ve at all times beloved and admired their skating.
What’s every of you trying ahead to most this skating season? What will likely be your greatest 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 tip of October. I like to compete, so I’m trying ahead to performing so much this season. Final season our purpose was to place out stable performances each time. This season, we wish 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 following few years.
OK: I believe we have now a lot potential as a staff. We’re tall and have lengthy lovely strains with plenty of pace. After all we wish to enhance our outcomes and world standing from final season, however greater than that we wish to solidify our skating and look as a staff. It will likely be our second season collectively, so we’re nonetheless studying the right way to transfer collectively and the right way to compete collectively.
What’s your debut competitors this season?
AC: Our first competitors would be the Dallas Traditional in July, after which we are going to 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 desire to our readers to find out about you as a staff?
OK: We now have labored exhausting within the off season to enhance our approach 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 get pleasure from them too!
AC: I owe a lot to my household, to my mother and father for his or her fixed love and help, and likewise to my sisters who I get to share this journey with. We now have a lot extra to show and to indicate – that is just the start for us!
