by Matteo Morelli | On ice photograph by Yoriko Suzuki
This July, we visited the Ice Dance Summer time 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 fantastic photographs 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 deliver collectively a crew of 14 coaches and specialists, together with Barbora Řezníčková, Katharina Muller and Michal Češka, to call a couple of.
With such a crew of execs in place, it’s no shock to listen to that the summer season camp was joined by an astonishing whole of 35 ice dance groups, most likely making it one of many largest camps of this type.
17 nations had been represented: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Georgia, France, Finland, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sweden, Nice Britain, Hungary, Estonia, Germany, Austria, Spain.
The abilities stage 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 subsequent generations of skaters.
“It’s a new expertise for me, to be with a number of the greatest {couples} on the planet,” Artem Koval of Ukraine stated.
“It’s attention-grabbing to be with extra skilled {couples}, to take a look at their programmes, on the technique of how they work with their coaches,” Koval’s accomplice Iryna Pidgaina added.
The work on the summer season camp
Within the off season, we all know skaters proceed their coaching to talent up and deal with the choice of the music and constructing of their new programmes. Summer time camps supply them the possibility to accentuate their coaching regime, thus benefitting from extra targeted work with multi-disciplinary groups to help them.
“This season, we’re coaching to get higher, extra highly effective, to realize higher skating abilities and add higher parts,” Slovakia’s Aneta Vaclavikova (pictured, proper) shared.
She was there along with her accomplice Ivan Morozov. The 2 are preparing for his or her first ever Junior Grand Prix.
Daniel Mrázek and Kateřina Mrázková had been completely happy to be of their residence 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 features, so as to add extra issue.”
The groups in Česká Lípa had been provided the possibility to hitch all the summer season camp over its 5 weeks of period. With a continuous Monday to Friday plan, the schedule was fairly intense: fairly often, courses would begin within the early hours of the morning and proceed all over till fairly late within the night.
On daily basis, they’d a whole lot of on the ice and off the ice actions. On the ice, a whole lot of work went into upskilling skaters, refining what they already know and including new abilities, 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 whole lot of work with completely different specialists, from dance courses within the studio to focused bodily preparation with specialists on website, and a few media coaching with our help and that of Daniel Linden from The Ice Seize.
“We do a whole lot of hours on the ice and off the ice, our day is full from the morning to the night, we’re training quite a bit,” Carlo Roethlisberger of Italy stated.
“It is vitally intense, however the coaching surroundings is very nice,” Finland’s Juulia Turkkila shared.
Zimní Enviornment in Česká Lípa allowed the organisers to supply the taking part groups entry to all they wanted for his or her coaching: on high of getting unique use of the ice for all the day, skaters may benefit from utilizing a dance studio, a gymnasium, and the broader infrastructure that the world presents.
“We even have a physiotherapist with us on a regular basis, it’s actually good which you could ebook an appointment on the identical day and repair one thing in case you have some points”, Matthias Versluis of Finland stated.
I already knew that these athletes put a whole lot 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 definitely an eye fixed opener.
The skaters I spoke with shared that they had been very completely happy to have an opportunity to work with such a big group of athletes.
“In the course of 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 now have to let the others additionally try this. It is vitally optimistic that we now have all these skaters with us”.
“We’re very completely happy to be right here, we’re working quite a bit and it is rather intense, however we like it,” France’s Natacha Lagouche shared. “It is vitally completely different for us, however it’s enjoyable. We have now some moments of alternate, seeing what others are doing for the upcoming season. Generally it looks like we’re so many, so we now have to be very environment friendly. If we now have 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 attention-grabbing for us to see how different {couples} are doing, to see how they strategy the brand new season,” Daniel Mrázek stated.
Coaches have the duty of serving to their college students navigate their potential, exhibiting them the way in which to grow to be the skaters they need to be and to work in the direction of their goals and ambitions. The athletes had been actually completely happy to have the possibility to entry the extensive and assorted crew of coaches out there on the summer season camp.
“I like working with the opposite coaches, as a result of there are all the time completely different strategies and approaches and it’s so good, we will acquire all of the items of recommendation and take them with us,” Finland’s Yuka Orihara stated.
Totally different coaches deliver completely different instructing strategies and kinds 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. “Generally 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 by 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 alternative 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’ accomplice Angelina Kudryavtseva added.
A really optimistic ambiance
One factor that was instantly noticeable as quickly as I arrived was the optimistic ambiance and good vibe between skaters and the teaching crew. We’re used to see skaters at competitions, the place they’re underneath stress to carry out and are within the zone to verify they’re totally focussed on their goals. Regardless of of the exhausting work occurring on the summer season camp, it was refreshing to see the skaters not having that pressure from competitors on them. The ambiance felt fairly relaxed, with them having enjoyable and supporting one another while going by all of the exhausting work they dedicated to do.
“All of us get a bit pressured and drained over the season, so it helps to listen to completely different voices and opinions,” Italy’s Victoria Manni shared. “Skaters discuss to one another, coaches discuss to one another, so all of us really feel very a lot as we’re not alone.”
“We have now a whole lot of enjoyable day by 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 whole lot of help occurring when groups had been having run ideas of their new programmes, with a whole lot of clapping and cheering.
“Everybody helps on the run by, 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, outdated mates might reunite and spend a while collectively, and new friendships had been made.
“We met new folks, some that we noticed on large competitions,” Angelina Kudryavtseva stated. “It’s very nice to see how they’re working, to be mates 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 concerning the new rhythm dance theme: social dances and kinds of the Fifties, Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies. Total, it appears that evidently skaters had been fairly enthusiastic about it and you may positively get a way of enjoyable from all the groups.
With such a variety, a whole lot of analysis went into discovering the appropriate music, however most appear to have loved the method of exploring these many years.
“It took some time to seek out the appropriate music, however we obtained the most effective music ever!” Aneta Vaclavikova stated. “Our new RD is stuffed with vitality, very disco.”
“I did a whole lot of analysis to see the type, the dances, the vibe, the costumes and even the make-up,” Filip Taschler shared. “I actually wish to analysis every little thing, to get as a lot as potential into the character.”
“It’s actually enjoyable that the theme has such a protracted vary, we will select from completely different kinds,” Mariia Pinchuk stated. “It is going to be actually attention-grabbing to look at competitions and completely different {couples} will present one thing completely different.”
Upon reflection and after having seen a number of the rhythm dances on the camp, I feel we will anticipate a enjoyable season forward of us!
The Summer time Gala present
Nicely into the second half of the camp, a Summer time Gala present allowed the viewers that got here to Zimní Enviornment to benefit from the skaters performing a unique 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 vitality of Daniel Mrázek and Kateřina Mrázková’s tango.
It was a extremely enjoyable night, with skaters watching and cheering for his or her mates and with a finale with all of them on the ice ending the present on the well-known music from the Soiled Dancing film closing scene. Yoriko Suzuki’s photographs can be found in our gallery.
Last reflections
You may positively see that these summer season camps are giving skaters what they should prepare for the brand new season and maintain enhancing themselves. Nevertheless, in addition they supply them an opportunity to bond, help one another, share experiences and create some good recollections. This isn’t solely nice for his or her skilled growth, but additionally for his or her private growth.
Congratulations to Matteo Zanni and everybody within the administration crew for all of the unimaginable work that went into organising and working such a complete summer season camp.
