by Anne Calder
“I actually loved the skating side of singles, much less so the jumps and spins,” Carhart defined. “Ice dance was a final hope for skating.”
In 2019 at age 14, Carhart left New York Metropolis and joined her sister to coach with Marina Zoueva on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Florida. After ice dancing for under three months, she partnered with Volodymyr Horovyi.
“I, too, skated freestyle within the Ukraine earlier than ice dance,” Horovyi mentioned. “My dad took my brother to determine skating, and I wished to go too. I did singles for six years, then I fell on my knee and had a foul damage, so I couldn’t soar any extra. I took a one yr break, then began lacking it, so I started ice dance and have been doing it ever since.”
“I had a protracted, good relationship with my associate Anna Cherniavska. [They were 2018 Ukrainian Junior National bronze medalists]. In the long run, it wasn’t the perfect, so we broke up,” Horovyi defined. “I used to be looking for a associate in Israel, Poland and Germany. I wished to see the USA, and what it appears to be like like.”
Horovyi selected Canton, Michigan the place he educated with Coach Marina Zoueva earlier than she relocated to Estero, Florida in early 2019. The younger Ukrainian finally adopted.
One summer season day on the Worldwide Skating Academy in Hertz Area, he noticed Carhart skating and requested Marina Zoueva for a tryout.
“The second we skated collectively, I knew she was going to be my associate,” Horovyi mentioned. “It was only a feeling. We have now now been companions for 3 years.”
The duo skated on the novice degree ending second in November on the 2019 first U.S. Ice Dance Remaining in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The next season COVID invaded the world and the skating group confronted closed ice rinks and canceled competitions.
In 2021, they competed at Chesapeake, Lake Placid and the Novice & Junior Problem the place they took dwelling the gold medal. On the U.S. Championship Collection in Alpharetta, Georgia, the workforce certified for its first U.S. Nationwide Championships.
The workforce started the present season profitable a gold medal on the Chesapeake Open, adopted by bronze on the Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide after which one other golden win on the Onyx Problem.
Working with Internationally famend Coach Marina Zoueva has been thrilling for the teammates.
“It’s good,” Horovyi mentioned. “She has a lot expertise, you by no means know what she is going to say to you. I’m very grateful that I’m skating together with her as a result of I do know I’m in good fingers.”
Carhart added, “I agree. She has a lot expertise that she’ll simply pull issues out. She had us put on ankle weights one time to assist elevate our legs somewhat increased. Whether or not it’s skating or life, she has some good phrases of knowledge and recommendation. It’s actually fantastic working together with her.”
“She’s actually good at speaking to us about issues. She doesn’t get overly emotional. She’s capable of join with us on a deeper degree. She’s not solely our coach, she’s additionally a job mannequin.”
Many individuals help in choreographing their packages.
“Marina helps, however Ilya does lots of the choreography,” defined Carhart. “Typically we get outdoors individuals to return, too. We have now a ballroom dancer, a Broadway star. Yelena Sokolova is our superb ballet trainer.”
“We have now totally different specialists in determine skating and different areas,” added Horovyi.
Carhart and Horovyi mentioned their rhythm and free dances starting together with her enthusiasm for the Argentine Tango sample dance.
“I adore it,” Carhart mentioned. “We did it in novice our first yr collectively. I’m not naturally a dancy individual. It doesn’t come pure to me. It’s very pure to Vova. This was my yr to redeem myself from novice, to essentially deliver out the Tango, the face, the expression, in order that’s why I’m joyful to do it.”
“I’ve a lot of expertise with Tango as a result of at first with my skating I began with the Tango,” Horovyi defined. “I’m skating ice dance possibly 9 or 10 years, and I keep in mind my first program was Tango. I do know what to do for the judges. I like this dance.”
“The music is from Pirates of the Caribbean,” Carhart mentioned. “When Vova first performed it for me, he didn’t inform me what it was. We actually prefer it as a result of it’s totally different. Not everybody is aware of what it’s.”
The songs are “Angelica” and “Offended and Useless Once more” by Hans Zimmer, Rodrigo y Gabriela.
“Ilya did lots of the choreography and, after all, Marina. We additionally had assist from former skilled ballroom dancer, Maxim Kozhevnikov, who focuses on Worldwide Fashion Latin ballroom dancing.”
“The free dance is a up to date piece – sort of modernish – “Lengthy Manner Down” and “One other Love” by Tom Odell,” Carhart mentioned. “Randi Robust [So You Think You Can Dance ] helped with the choreography together with Ilya and Marina.”
Carhart defined their course of of constructing season targets. “We take a look at our program in layers, so lots of our quick time period targets embody including extra emotion and even although we’re drained within the second half of this system, making it sharper than the primary. We like so as to add layers to this system by connecting extra with the judges, the viewers and one another.”
“We have now lots of targets, and we’re making an attempt to do our greatest to have them come true,” Horovyi mentioned. “Hopefully we are going to get to go to the JGP Remaining and Junior Worlds.”
There are 4 Carhart feminine siblings, and all are concerned in determine skating: Adrienne, Helena and Marian are ice dancers. Veronica competes in singles. Lately on the Onyx Problem, Helena and Marian with their companions every gained the gold medal within the junior and juvenile ice dance divisions.
Helena Carhart & Volodymyr Horovyi will compete on the Junior Grand Prix Collection Solidarity Cup September 28-October 1 and Baltic Cup October 5-8. Each occasions will probably be held in Gdansk, Poland.
“I’m very excited to carry out our packages on these worldwide arenas as a result of I haven’t travelled internationally for Workforce USA,” Carhart mentioned. “We have now been working very arduous on our packages and are excited to take the following step in our profession collectively and see the way it propels us ahead.”
“After we heard [about the assignments], we had been excited and actually joyful,” Horovyi added. “We’re wanting ahead to having the chance to go Worldwide and likewise to signify the USA.”
All Junior Grand Prix occasions are streamed on the ISU Youtube Channel.
