New Workforce Sequence: Adrienne Carhart & Oleksandr Kolosovskyi

Welcome 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 test in with Adrienne Carhart (21) and Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (21) who signify Azerbaijan on the senior degree.  New articles on this sequence can be posted each Monday.

Tell us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular reminiscences.
Adrienne (AC): I began skating at 7 years previous, when a buddy of mine invited me to a skating lesson. From there, I continued on with my youthful sister Helena and I’ve cherished 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 lots of nice reminiscences of that rink and studying how you can skate there. I competed in singles skating rather a lot 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 bear in mind watching ice dance as a child and pondering there was no manner 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 previous and needed to take a yr off the ice that I even thought of 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 associate 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 ideal ice dance coach in Kiev that had a lady searching for a associate, 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, but it surely 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 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 skilled with Marina in 2019 with completely different companions and we had been good buddies. I ended up transferring to France and Sasha was coaching with a brand new associate 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 known as me proper after my earlier partnership ended. She was my coach once I was junior and we had stayed involved, so I used to be joyful to listen to from her. She advised me Adrienne was additionally searching for a associate, and Adrienne and I had been buddies for a very long time. So we had a tryout and we had been an ideal match. 

What’s it that you simply already like most about dancing along with your new associate?
AC: It doesn’t matter what type of day we’re having, Sasha all the time makes me giggle. We steadiness one another out so effectively. Sasha may be very affected person  – he’s so good at staying calm and relaxed below stress. Coaching is very easy and  particular when you find yourself skating with a buddy.    

OK: Adrienne and I are each very fortunate as a result of we have now had an ideal friendship off the ice for thus a few years. I’ve by no means seen anybody work as arduous as Adrienne! Additionally, she is a tremendous dancer and she or he may be very inventive. She has an ideal 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 on.)
OK: I’ve competed internationally for a few years now, so I introduced lots 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 thus far 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 might talk as overtly as we do. 

OK: There hasn’t been a giant adjustment. We’re all the time sincere with one another about what’s working and what’s not, and Adrienne may be very sort. 

Inform us about your coaching website. (Location, amenities, dance mates, lessons, and so on.)
OK: We practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Estero, FL. Coaching in Florida, the climate is heat and exquisite. We do lots of coaching exterior within the contemporary air, and I am going to the seashore and leap within the water after an extended day of skating. 

AC: I’m the oldest of 4 ladies, 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 associate Vova are the reigning US Junior Silver Medalists, and they’re an ideal group to observe. We additionally practice with Pilipino group Isabella Gamez and Alexandr Korovin, and Ukrainian group Zoe Larson and Andrei Kapran. We’re so fortunate to coach with groups which are additionally our good buddies. 

Final season we skilled with Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi earlier than they introduced their retirement this yr. It was very unhappy for me, since Kana is considered one of my closest buddies and the rink shouldn’t be the identical with out them. We use Kana and Dais as our inspiration rather a lot. 

Who’re your coaches?  Did both or each need to relocate? If that’s the 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 international locations 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 applications. Is another person arranging your music? If that’s the case, please share these experiences.
AC: Sasha and I had been very excited in regards to the 80’s theme for the RD this yr. 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 cherished 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 inventive course of this season, and due to that our applications are coming alongside properly. 

When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not 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 sort and I actually look as much as them as athletes and as individuals. 

OK: I’d say Meryl Davis and Charlie White, as a result of they had been so modern. They had been so fast on the ice and their lifts had been superb. I’ve all the time cherished and admired their skating. 

What’s every of you trying ahead to most this skating season? What can be your largest 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 tip of October. I like to compete, so I’m trying ahead to performing rather a lot this season. Final season our objective was to place out strong 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 are able to enhance over the following few years. 

OK: I believe we have now a lot potential as a group. We’re tall and have lengthy stunning strains with lots of pace. After all 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 group. Will probably be our second season collectively, so we’re nonetheless studying how you can transfer collectively and how you can compete collectively. 

What’s your debut competitors this season?
AC: Our first competitors would be the Dallas Basic in July, after which we’ll head to Lake Placid as our first worldwide for the season. 

OK: We are going to 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 group?
OK: We’ve got labored arduous 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 help, and likewise to my sisters who I get to share this journey with. We’ve got a lot extra to show and to point out – that is just the start for us!