Welcome to IDC’s New Group Sequence! For this collection, we interview athletes who will enter the upcoming 2024-25 season in a brand new partnership, or debuted final season. In our fourth interview, we meet Sophia Feige & Wiles Middlekauff, novice ice dancers from the U.S. They debuted on the 2024 Dallas Traditional the place they completed third. Photographs by Melanie Heaney.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections.
Sophia Feige (SF): I began skating once I was round 5 or 6 years previous in Plymouth, England, with Clive Shorten. After a yr or so, my household moved again to the U.S. and I didn’t proceed skating. In December of 2021, I went to a public session with my mother and a few household pals, and located myself wanting to return and skate extra, which led to my mother ultimately signing me up for learn-to-skate courses in January of 2022. My mother was a singles skater, and helped me considerably with discovering coaches and coaching properly. In November 2022, I made a decision to attempt ice dance, and competed in solo dance within the following season whereas coaching with Steven Bellanger and Svetlana Serkeli in Palm Seashore, Florida.
Wiles Middlekauff (WM): My older brother and sister each skated, so I spent hours at rinks earlier than I may even stroll. One time they put me in a bucket and pushed me across the rink so I could possibly be on the ice with them. I began classes at age three as a result of I wished to do what they have been doing. Over time, although, my motivation modified. I prefer to carry out, and I loved with the ability to make audiences smile at ice exhibits. Once I was six, my household moved from Wisconsin to Canton, Michigan so my brother may prepare with Marina Zoueva. I began ice dance classes with Marina and actually loved it. When Marina moved to Florida, I educated for some time at Detroit Skating Membership earlier than transferring to Novi to work with Igor Shpilband. I love to do issues properly, and I discovered that with ice dance I can try for excellence and be a performer on the similar time. My brother and sister now not skate, however I’m extra critical about it than ever. I’m glad they acquired me began on one thing that has develop into such an essential a part of my life.
What drew you to ice dance?
SF: I used to be drawn to ice dance as a result of I beloved with the ability to dance to the music on the ice whereas skating with a companion. Since I began skating I’ve at all times loved engaged on my skating abilities. Studying and bettering varied turns, edges, and parts provides me a way of accomplishment which motivates me to maintain working tougher for extra.
WM: My brother started competing in ice dance once I was little, so I had numerous publicity to the game. For a very long time I used to be doing each freestyle and dance. Though I loved freestyle, I needed to focus most of my time on jumps and never as a lot time on performing. With ice dance, each second on the ice is a efficiency and I like that. I find it irresistible once I’m having enjoyable and the individuals watching me are having enjoyable too
SF: After the 2023 solo dance season ended, I had deliberate to not proceed solo dance for the following season as I wished to discover a companion. At the moment I used to be additionally on the lookout for a brand new place to coach with larger stage ice dancers to push me to enhance and with a extra organized coaching setting. When my mother and I contacted the coaches in Novi, MI, in the midst of March to go to, I used to be supplied to do a tryout with Wiles. The tryout went properly and after per week I used to be supplied to remain for an prolonged tryout. We formally started our partnership initially of April.
WM: Sophia was on the lookout for a brand new coaching middle and determined to take a look at Novi. Since I used to be on the lookout for a companion, we scheduled a tryout for when she was there. It may be intimidating for somebody to come back into a brand new setting and work with new coaches. I used to be impressed with how Sophia took on this problem and adjusted shortly. We stored on skating collectively after the tryout, after which we met with the coaches and I stated I wished Sophia to be my companion. Everybody agreed, so we’ve ended up skating collectively from the primary tryout all the best way to at this time.
What’s it that you just already like most about dancing along with your new companion?
SF: Wiles works exhausting whereas sustaining a optimistic outlook. We talk properly whereas coaching, and if I don’t perceive one thing he’ll take the time to elucidate it and assist me.
WM: Sophia has the nice mixture of a optimistic perspective and a robust work ethic. That makes it attainable for us to have enjoyable collectively whereas additionally working exhausting and quickly progressing. Sophia is supportive and inspiring, and I really feel like I may be myself together with her. She has a terrific creative sense, so we’re in a position to develop collectively each as performers and athletes.
What experiences do every of you carry to the partnership?
SF: I’ve performed a number of years of ballet once I was youthful, and I’m a tough employee who at all times strives for the most effective.
WM: I carry a lighthearted perspective, a robust work ethic, and a number of years of competitors expertise.
What has been the most important adjustment for every of you thus far within the partnership?
SF: I didn’t have many difficulties adjusting to the partnership. I’m new to partnered dance so there have been and nonetheless are many new parts and abilities to be taught, which was a problem however we work exhausting collectively to be taught.
WM: I’m discovering it straightforward to work with Sophia, so not a lot adjustment has been essential for me. It feels very pure. That’s most likely one purpose why we have been in a position to go straight from a tryout to an prolonged tryout to a partnership. We’ve simply had a pleasant compatibility that has enabled us to make progress shortly.
Inform us about your coaching website.
We prepare in Novi, Michigan, at Novi Ice Enviornment. Igor Shpilband has arrange a full ice dance program right here with plenty of on-ice and off-ice classes. A number of ice dance groups prepare there with us and it’s a very supportive setting. It is vitally inspiring to us to be on the ice every single day with so many nice groups.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each need to relocate? If that’s the case, inform us in regards to the transfer(s).
We prepare with a terrific group of coaches together with Igor Shpilband, Natalia Deller, Pasquale Camerlengo, and Adrienne Lenda on-ice, and Renee Perkovski (dance) and Oleg Ouchakov (lifts) off-ice. Sophia relocated from Boca Raton, Florida, to Novi, Michigan.
Who’s choreographing your packages?
Igor Shpilband did many of the choreography in addition to chopping the music for us. This can be a nice association since he can tweak the choreography and the music on the similar time every time there’s something we need to change. Additionally since Igor choreographed this system, he is ready to coach us every single day with the massive image of the efficiency at all times in thoughts.
In the event you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who would it not be? Why?
SF: I might take a lesson with Tessa Advantage, as a result of she is a really proficient and completed skater, who could be very inspiring. I might additionally take a lesson with Irina Khavronina. I like the best way she strikes with such fluidity and management, mixed together with her artistry and skating abilities, making her a really good skater to observe.
WM: To be sincere, I already really feel like I skate with the most effective coaches I do know of. Igor has had such a big impression on this sport and I really feel privileged to be a part of his legacy.
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What will probably be your greatest problem(s)?
SF: I’m wanting ahead to persevering with working and bettering varied features of our skating, alongside our upcoming competitions which embody the ice dance last and hopefully Nationals.
WM: I stay up for seeing simply how far we will go on this first yr. One problem will probably be taking the presents and abilities we’ve individually and bringing them collectively right into a unified entire.
Please share something you prefer to our readers to find out about you as a group?
WM: There are many tales about how tough the companion search course of may be. My expertise with Sophia is refreshing as a result of it exhibits that two individuals with related objectives and attitudes can discover one another and develop naturally right into a partnership. I believe our compatibility and customary objectives level to a shiny future for our group.
