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 could have any particular recollections?
My skating journey started in 2015 when my dad and mom signed me and my sister up for a be taught to skate summer season camp. I had no concept find out how to skate and had by no means actually tried it earlier than the camp. I keep in mind the primary time I stepped on the ice, it felt a lot totally different than how I anticipated it will be, however I liked it. After the week-long camp, I actually wished to proceed studying find out how to skate so my dad and mom signed me up for be taught to skate lessons 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 crew. On my third season of synchro, my coach advised that I strive ice dance classes to assist with issues like my timing, posture, skating abilities, and so on. I ended up taking classes and I liked it! After only a few weeks of classes my coach, Vitaliy Shalin, requested if I wished to strive 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 liked competing within the solo dance collection.
What do you want most about Solo Dance? What sort of music to you wish to skate to one of the best? 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, identical to the ice dance groups. This season the junior rhythm dance theme was tango together with your selection of fashion from the choices they gave. I selected to skate to a flamenco together with the tango, and I actually have loved it! I wish to skate to all kinds of music however I feel the flamenco and tango kinds this yr have been considered one of my favorites. After I hear my music I really feel I have to skate with a lot of energy, I must be quick and fierce, and I actually take pleasure in 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 web site.
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 season, I’ve began coaching extra at SkateQuest in Reston, as we’ve dance solely ice time Monday via Thursday which has been tremendous useful because it will get fairly busy on summer season freestyle periods. My teaching crew consists of Katrina Shalin, Vitaliy Shalin, and Ruslan Goncharov. I can’t think about a greater crew of coaches, all of them contribute various things to my skating/applications 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 properly. It is vitally vital to me to not solely have coaches who can train properly, however to have coaches who actually care about their college students and wish one of the best for them. We’ve got a fairly large group of solo dancers, skaters from the decrease ranges to the upper ranges, however all of us help each other. This season we even have 5 junior dancers, together with myself. All of us are aggressive, after all, however we’re all buddies and we cheer one another on. We’re all a crew and really supportive of one another, it’s an ideal group!
Who choreographed your applications. What do you want greatest about dancing to them?
Katrina Shalin and Ruslan Goncharov did my choreography this season. They’re very inventive 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 type of music, we choreographed rather less than half this system however then I made a decision it simply didn’t really feel proper. In an effort to skate to music, it is advisable 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 wished one thing distinctive and funky, one thing that might actually be fascinating to observe. I heard the “Avatar” soundtrack and I actually preferred the concept. I then informed my coach, Katrina, about this concept and he or she helped discover some extra songs and brainstorm new concepts. We bought 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 applications.
Solo Dance will probably be a global self-discipline this season? Share your ideas about this alteration.
I’m so excited to listen to about Solo Dance changing into a global self-discipline! I feel this actually helps open the door for a lot of dancers who’re struggling to discover a associate, or simply wish 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 is going to be on the worldwide stage, extra consideration will probably be dropped at it, and extra folks will wish to strive 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 properly. I’m simply so joyful to see that solo dance will probably be worldwide, and might’t anticipate the alternatives that it will convey.
In skating, what are you most trying ahead to this season? What will probably be your greatest problem(s)?
I’m most trying ahead to competing at my final couple of qualifying competitions, and hopefully the Nationwide Solo Dance remaining 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 befell is mostly a nice expertise. I feel my greatest problem will probably 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. Thus far 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 stunned myself up to now and I’m excited for what’s subsequent!
When you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
This can be a exhausting determination as there are such a lot of wonderful 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 typically and I by no means know what to reply as a result of I wish 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 decide I’d say procuring and touring. I journey quite a bit for competitions and I’ve gone to actually 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 the rest you want to our readers to find out about you as a skater?
One thing I need 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 purpose. I skate as a result of I actually like it and revel in coming to observe every single day. I feel that’s what actually could make a skater stand out.