Photographs by Yoriko Suzuki
Welcome to IDC’s New Group Sequence! For this sequence, we interview athletes who entered the 2024-25 season in a brand new partnership, or debuted final season. On this interview, we meet Daniela Ivanitskiy & Matthew Sperry, senior ice dancers who symbolize Finland.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections.
Daniela Ivanitskiy (DI): I began skating at age 5, if I keep in mind accurately. My first self-discipline was single skating, and I switched to bop at round age 10. My mother and father advised I might give ballroom dancing a shot and I made a decision I wished ballroom dancing, however on the ice, in order that’s how I ended up in ice dance. I educated in my hometown of Helsinki and competed for Finland with my earlier companions. After COVID in spring of 2021 I got here to Novi for a tryout and simply ended up staying right here. I don’t assume my mother and father have been anticipating that the tryout would end in me transferring the world over, however I’m glad every thing labored out.
A few of my favourite recollections as a younger skater are from attending coaching seminars comparable to Oberstdorf. Travelling to those camps gave me the chance to satisfy new folks and make buddies that I’m nonetheless shut with to this present day.
Matthew Sperry (MS): My skating journey began after I was 5 and attended a pal’s ice skating party. On that first day I found the surprise of transferring on ice and adamantly refused to go away the rink till my mother and father signed me up for classes. I went on to play hockey for eight years and in the direction of the tip of that I additionally picked up freestyle and theatre on ice. Theatre is what actually drew me into determine skating after hockey. I liked the appearing and being a part of a crew. I carried out with Virginia Ice Theatre for eight years, serving to my crew to win 3 Nationwide medals, 1 Nationwide Championship, and compete on the World Championships. I started ice dance after I was 12 years previous. I educated in Maryland and Virginia for a few years after which moved to Novi, Michigan after highschool. I’ve been coaching in Michigan ever since and adore it right here!
What drew you to ice dance?
DI: I actually love how I can discover all completely different kinds of dancing and performing. That’s what initially drew me to ballroom dancing, however I didn’t need to solely be restricted to Latin or customary kinds. With ice dancing I can discover something from ballet, hip-hop and Latin to musical theater and disco dancing. My second favourite factor is working and interacting with a associate, I really feel that it opens so many extra prospects of interacting and storytelling in comparison with simply skating alone. (Additionally, I’m a yapper so this sport has a built-in individual to speak and joke round with)
MS: I used to be drawn to ice dance over freestyle by the emphasis on footwork and the technical element of the turns. I like determining the most effective approach for every flip or twizzle. I additionally actually preferred that ice dance has a theatrical element to it which lets me use the abilities I realized from theatre on ice. Ice dance can be a partnered sport that necessitates teamwork. This appeals to me as I’ve discovered skating by myself isn’t as a lot enjoyable.
Inform us how your partnership began. Describe the tryout.
DI: Funnily sufficient, Matthew was the individual I initially got here to Novi to have a tryout with three years in the past. My associate in Finland stop skating proper across the time of the primary COVID lockdown, so I used to be trying round on PartnerSearch for a brand new associate and I ended up getting contacted by Matthew. After our first tryout, we didn’t find yourself skating collectively and located completely different companions. Nonetheless, each of our companions finally determined to cease skating to pursue training and Igor advised we now have a tryout. I believe Novi tryouts are form of distinctive as Igor has skaters improvise with one another, and surprisingly it was actually good. From there issues moved fairly rapidly and we went from tryout to new crew throughout the span of every week. Issues have a humorous approach of figuring out and I suppose we actually got here full circle.
MS: We really first tried out three years in the past in Michigan with our coach Igor. We ended up skating with completely different companions after that for a couple of years however when our companions each stopped skating, we tried out once more and it clicked instantly. Having each been coached by Igor for 3 years earlier than we teamed up meant our strategies have been very related and we matched nicely. When skating with a brand new associate who’s a very good match, there’s a sure simple move that occurs which I actually take pleasure in.
DI: Matthew actually absolutely commits to performing no matter model or character he desires to painting, and I believe that openness and willingness to carry out stands out essentially the most to me. Seeing that makes me actually excited for all of the packages and kinds we might skate sooner or later. He’s additionally the extra level-headed and calm out of the 2 of us, so I believe he actually balances out my extra temperamental persona. Lastly (I believe this may come from his engineer aspect) Matthew is a tough employee and all the time has a plan or a step-by-step course of. I believe his approach of working and pondering is an effective way to continue to learn and progressing, and his calculated model of coaching has helped us put together for competitors.
MS: What I like most about dancing with Daniela is her power on the ice. It’s a contented contagious power that helps makes essentially the most grueling follow days pleasing. I additionally actually admire how pushed she is. She has a number of initiative and brings a way of objective to what she does. I’m trying ahead to the continued development of our connection as we maintain dancing collectively.
What experiences do every of you carry to the partnership?
DI: Since Finland doesn’t have plenty of groups, I’ve been competing internationally for fairly a while, together with at 4 JGP occasions. I believe I’ve realized about teamwork and communication from my previous partnerships, and I hope I can use these experiences to proceed to make us a stronger and extra environment friendly crew.
MS: I competed for Group USA for 2 years on the JGP circuit which has given me some worldwide competitors expertise. My theatre expertise provides one other stage to our dancing. Dani has had extra worldwide publicity by way of coaching and competitions which I admire lots since she is aware of what to anticipate. She additionally speaks a number of languages and infrequently might help translate after we go to new locations.
What has been the largest adjustment for every of you to this point within the partnership?
DI: I believe the largest adjustment when forming a brand new crew is studying an entire new individual. Seeing how the opposite individual trains, what sort of teaching strategies they reply to, what sort of communication works the most effective, how a lot bodily contact they’re okay with, and many others. It’s all a studying course of and it takes time. Fortunately, we now have each been on the similar coaching location for a while, so not less than the approach and magnificence are usually not too completely different.
MS: I might say the largest adjustment for me has been altering international locations from the USA to Finland. It’s meant much more touring to locations I by no means thought I’d go, which has been superb!
Inform us about your coaching web site.
DI: We practice in Novi, Michigan on the Novi Ice Area. Along with classes on the ice we now have lifts, ballet, dance, pilates and exercise. We often even have appearing/expression classes.
Theres fairly a couple of groups right here, however I believe the environment is de facto good. All of us get alongside and cheer for one another (particularly throughout doubles week) Throughout off season we now have fairly a couple of skaters visiting for coaching and choreography which is good for motivation and to see how different groups are coaching.
MS: We’ve acquired an enormous group of fantastic coaching mates right here. I’m typically impressed by the extra skilled groups we skate with and am continuously pushed to enhance by my friends. We’re all a close-knit group in Novi and help one another on and off the ice.
Who’re your coaches? Did both or each must relocate? In that case, inform us concerning the transfer(s).
DI: Our essential teaching crew consists of Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Adrienne Lenda, Natalia Deller and Renee Petkovski.
I relocated from Helsinki to Novi about three and a half years in the past. As I discussed earlier, I got here to Novi for our first tryout. Attributable to journey restrictions organising our tryout took a while, throughout which Matthew relocated to Novi. I acquired an e mail from Natalia Deller (shoutout bestie Natalia!) asking if I used to be nonetheless to attempt, however at a brand new coaching facility. I didn’t acknowledge the sender and forwarded the message to Maurizio Margaglio to ask for recommendation. His reply was: Are you loopy? Are you aware what teaching crew that’s, in fact it’s important to go. and that’s how I ended up right here.
MS: After I moved from Virginia to Michigan over three years in the past, I selected to relocate to Michigan for each college and skating. After I was searching for schools, I utilized to College of Michigan as a result of it was close to a top-notch ice dance teaching group and had a really sturdy mechanical engineering division. After I acquired accepted, I selected to maneuver to Michigan because it had the most effective mixture of skating alternatives and teachers.
Who’s choreographing your packages. Is another person arranging your music? In that case, please share these experiences.
DI: Our rhythm dance is choreographed by Igor Shpilband and our free dance is choreographed by Pasquale Camerlengo. For RD Igor reduce the music, however we despatched it out for finalization. As for FD Pasquale had the music already pre-cut because it was created years in the past for certainly one of his groups by Maxim Rodriguez.
MS: Our choreographers are Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo. Our rhythm dance music was reduce by Igor and finalized by Hugo. Our free dance was a chunk Pasquale had from a few years in the past.
When you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
DI: There are too many selections, however I believe it could be a lesson from Guillaume Cizeron. He has such a lovely approach of transferring and flowing on the ice, and that effortlessness is de facto one thing I might love to include into my very own skating.
MS: I wish to have a lesson with Jean-Luc Baker. His capability to create such a strong presence on the ice and develop a singular character and stylization to his skating is phenomenal. I actually admire the grace and energy with which he skates.
What’s every of you trying ahead to most this skating season? What might be your greatest problem(s)?
DI: I’m trying ahead to getting again to competing, as I didn’t compete final season. It’s additionally our first senior season so I’m excited for that. Our aim is to make a very good impression, and I believe our greatest problem might be to make ourselves memorable and to determine ourselves.
MS: I’m most trying ahead to with the ability to present who we’re as senior skaters on the worldwide stage. Additionally I’m actually trying ahead to persevering with to gel additional as a brand new crew and enhancing our connection on the ice. I assume the largest challenges would be the struggles most new groups face like integrating skating kinds and establishing unison.
What’s your debut competitors this season?
DI: Our first occasion of the season was Denis Ten Memorial in Astana, Kazakhstan.
MS: Our subsequent competitors would be the Egna Ice Dance Trophy in February.
Please share something you desire to our readers to find out about you as a crew?
DI: We’re excited to get on the market and begin making a reputation for ourselves. We additionally love exhibits and hopefully getting onto the worldwide scene will give us extra alternatives to take part in them.
MS: We’re actually trying ahead to rising collectively as a crew and sharing our love of skating with our audiences via performances that make them need to dance too!
