by Matteo Morelli | On ice photograph by Yoriko Suzuki
This July, we visited the Ice Dance Summer season Camp 2024 in Česká Lípa, a small city about 1.5 hours away from Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. I used to be joined by our photographer Yoriko Suzuki, who took great pictures that you could find on our web site.
Led by Coach Matteo Zanni, Italy’s Younger Goose Academy returned to Česká Lípa for a second consecutive yr, nevertheless this time they partnered up with Maurizio Margaglio’s college in Finland and Luca Lanotte’s college in Italy to carry collectively a workforce of 14 coaches and specialists, together with Barbora Řezníčková, Katharina Muller and Michal Češka, to call just a few.
With such a workforce of pros in place, it’s no shock to listen to that the summer season camp was joined by an astonishing complete of 35 ice dance groups, in all probability making it one of many largest camps of this sort.
17 international locations had been represented: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Georgia, France, Finland, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sweden, Nice Britain, Hungary, Estonia, Germany, Austria, Spain.
The abilities degree on the campus was very combined: from junior skaters to very skilled ones which have competed on the worldwide circuit and at main competitions, but additionally solo ice dancers and new names which are coaching to turn out to be the following generations of skaters.
“It’s a new expertise for me, to be with among the finest {couples} on the earth,” Artem Koval of Ukraine stated.
“It’s fascinating to be with extra skilled {couples}, to have a look at their programmes, on the technique of how they work with their coaches,” Koval’s companion Iryna Pidgaina added.
The work on the summer season camp
Within the off season, we all know skaters proceed their coaching to ability up and deal with the number of the music and constructing of their new programmes. Summer season camps provide them the possibility to accentuate their coaching regime, thus benefitting from extra centered work with multi-disciplinary groups to help them.
“This season, we’re coaching to get higher, extra highly effective, to achieve higher skating expertise and add higher components,” Slovakia’s Aneta Vaclavikova (pictured, proper) shared.
She was there together with her companion Ivan Morozov. The 2 are preparing for his or her first ever Junior Grand Prix.
Daniel Mrázek and Kateřina Mrázková had been glad to be of their house nation to arrange for his or her second yr as senior ice dancers.
“We got here to the summer season camp with out our programmes, so we’re focussing on that with Matteo (Zanni), engaged on the choreography and sprucing the programmes,” Mrázek stated. “We’re focussing on completely different points, so as to add extra problem.”
The groups in Česká Lípa had been provided the possibility to affix your complete summer season camp over its 5 weeks of length. With a continuous Monday to Friday plan, the schedule was fairly intense: fairly often, lessons would begin within the early hours of the morning and proceed throughout till fairly late within the night.
Each day, they’d a number of on the ice and off the ice actions. On the ice, a number of work went into upskilling skaters, refining what they already know and including new expertise, while additionally engaged on the programmes for the brand new season, that are being refined for some, or created anew for others.
Off the ice, there was a number of work with completely different specialists, from dance lessons within the studio to focused bodily preparation with specialists on web site, and a few media coaching with our help and that of Daniel Linden from The Ice Seize.
“We do a number of hours on the ice and off the ice, our day is full from the morning to the night, we’re working towards loads,” Carlo Roethlisberger of Italy stated.
“It is extremely intense, however the coaching atmosphere is very nice,” Finland’s Juulia Turkkila shared.
Zimní Area in Česká Lípa allowed the organisers to offer the taking part groups entry to all they wanted for his or her coaching: on high of getting unique use of the ice for your complete day, skaters may gain advantage from utilizing a dance studio, a gymnasium, and the broader infrastructure that the sector provides.
“We even have a physiotherapist with us on a regular basis, it’s actually good which you can ebook an appointment on the identical day and repair one thing when you’ve got some points”, Matthias Versluis of Finland stated.
I already knew that these athletes put a number of work into what we solely get to understand in a couple of minutes at competitors, nevertheless witnessing in particular person the efforts that they put in and their unimaginable dedication to coaching was actually a watch opener.
The skaters I spoke with shared that they had been very glad to have an opportunity to work with such a big group of athletes.
“Through the winter we’re a lot in Finland, we’re 4 {couples} in our group,” Juho Pirinen (pictured, left) stated. “It’s a nice motivation to share the ice with another person and it is usually one thing new for us. In Finland, we will use the music on a regular basis, whereas right here we’ve got to let the others additionally do this. It is extremely constructive that we’ve got all these skaters with us”.
“We’re very glad to be right here, we’re working loads and it is vitally intense, however we find it irresistible,” France’s Natacha Lagouche shared. “It is extremely completely different for us, however it’s enjoyable. We’ve got some moments of trade, seeing what others are doing for the upcoming season. Typically it looks like we’re so many, so we’ve got to be very environment friendly. If we’ve got to be on the ice at 10:00, it must be 10:00, not 10:01!”
Mixing groups with completely different experiences introduced completely different studying alternatives to the ice.
“It’s fascinating for us to see how different {couples} are doing, to see how they method the brand new season,” Daniel Mrázek stated.
Coaches have the duty of serving to their college students navigate their potential, displaying them the way in which to grow to be the skaters they need to be and to work in the direction of their aims and ambitions. The athletes had been actually glad to have the possibility to entry the broad and diversified workforce of coaches accessible on the summer season camp.
“I really like working with the opposite coaches, as a result of there are at all times completely different methods and approaches and it’s so good, we will accumulate all of the items of recommendation and take them with us,” Finland’s Yuka Orihara stated.
Totally different coaches carry completely different instructing methods and types to the ice, nevertheless this has been welcomed by the groups on the camp.
“It’s so cool to see that each coach has some completely different viewpoint,” Filip Taschler stated. “Typically it’s good so as to add further issues that our coaches didn’t see, this collaboration is absolutely cool.”
“We take heed to our coach day-after-day, however when different coaches share suggestions it helps to look higher and get increased in our rankings”, Iryna Pidgaina stated.
“It’s a fairly good expertise for us working with different coaches,” Cyprus’ Ilia Karankevich shared. “Everybody has their very own strategy of teaching, I actually like that this camp is made like this.”
“I like working with many various coaches, we will take one thing completely different from every of them. It’s extra enjoyable! Even coaches can really feel that the ambiance is far more enjoyable,” Ilias’ companion Angelina Kudryavtseva added.
A really constructive ambiance
One factor that was instantly noticeable as quickly as I arrived was the constructive ambiance and good vibe between skaters and the teaching workforce. We’re used to see skaters at competitions, the place they’re beneath stress to carry out and are within the zone to verify they’re totally focussed on their aims. Regardless of of the onerous work occurring on the summer season camp, it was refreshing to see the skaters not having that rigidity from competitors on them. The ambiance felt fairly relaxed, with them having enjoyable and supporting one another while going by means of all of the onerous work they dedicated to do.
“All of us get a bit confused and drained over the season, so it helps to listen to completely different voices and opinions,” Italy’s Victoria Manni shared. “Skaters speak to one another, coaches speak to one another, so all of us really feel very a lot as we’re not alone.”
“We’ve got a number of enjoyable day-after-day, sharing the struggles, the tiredness collectively,” Natálie Taschlerová stated. “It’s a new expertise for all of us.”
On the ice, there was a number of help occurring when groups had been having run ideas of their new programmes, with a number of clapping and cheering.
“Everybody helps on the run by means of, they scream, ‘let’s go guys, you are able to do this’, and it’s actually useful,” Pidgaina stated. “The blokes are actually supporting us.”
Off the ice, the vibe was equally good, with skaters spending time collectively chatting, laughing, bonding. Inside such a big group, previous associates might reunite and spend a while collectively, and new friendships had been made.
“We met new folks, some that we noticed on massive competitions,” Angelina Kudryavtseva stated. “It’s very nice to see how they’re working, to be associates with them. We’re having fun with this and getting one thing from them.”
The brand new rhythm dance theme
I additionally had an opportunity to ask in regards to the new rhythm dance theme: social dances and types of the Nineteen Fifties, Nineteen Sixties and Seventies. Total, plainly skaters had been fairly enthusiastic about it and you may positively get a way of enjoyable from the entire groups.
With such a variety, a number of analysis went into discovering the suitable music, however most appear to have loved the method of exploring these a long time.
“It took some time to seek out the suitable music, however we obtained one of the best music ever!” Aneta Vaclavikova stated. “Our new RD is filled with power, very disco.”
“I did a number of analysis to see the fashion, the dances, the vibe, the costumes and even the make-up,” Filip Taschler shared. “I actually prefer to analysis every part, to get as a lot as attainable into the character.”
“It’s actually enjoyable that the theme has such a protracted vary, we will select from completely different types,” Mariia Pinchuk stated. “It is going to be actually fascinating to observe competitions and completely different {couples} will present one thing completely different.”
Upon reflection and after having seen among the rhythm dances on the camp, I feel we will anticipate a enjoyable season forward of us!
The Summer season Gala present
Effectively into the second half of the camp, a Summer season Gala present allowed the viewers that got here to Zimní Area to benefit from the skaters performing a special number of programmes: from the sweetness and class of Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis and the depth of Natacha Lagouche and Arnaud Caffa, to some entertaining classics just like the Natálie Taschlerová and Filip Taschler’s Madonna routine, Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen’s flight themed gala programme, and the power of Daniel Mrázek and Kateřina Mrázková’s tango.
It was a extremely enjoyable night, with skaters watching and cheering for his or her associates and with a finale with all of them on the ice ending the present on the well-known tune from the Soiled Dancing film closing scene. Yoriko Suzuki’s pictures can be found in our gallery.
Closing reflections
You may positively see that these summer season camps are giving skaters what they should prepare for the brand new season and hold bettering themselves. Nonetheless, in addition they provide them an opportunity to bond, help one another, share experiences and create some good reminiscences. This isn’t solely nice for his or her skilled improvement, but additionally for his or her private improvement.
Congratulations to Matteo Zanni and everybody within the administration workforce for all of the unimaginable work that went into organising and operating such a complete summer season camp.
