updates on U.S. dance teams? [Archive]

Cerulean

06-23-2002, 11:27 AM

Okay, this is what I have heard, I cannot guarentee all of it, but lots of news / rumors have flown around.

According to the USFSA website the only new Dance Team that they have officially been notified about is meghan McCollough, who was 5th as a Novice at Nationals with her brother Michael, is now skating with Joel Dear who has skated at the Sectional level before, both were at the the USFSA training camp. She trained out of UDel, and he out of Indiana (I believe), and it seems most likely that they will train at U(niversity of)Del(aware). And of course Jamie Silverstein/ Brandon Forsyth.

Michael McCollough btw is on the USFSA partner search page, he is going to college at UPenn I believe, and is looking for a partner who can train there with him.

According to a pretty reliable source, before FSW became F$W, Intermediate 9th place Finisher Carly Donowick is now skating with 2001 Novice silver medalist Leo Ungar. Ungar had JGP assignments with his previous partner Tertia Cole, who has retired due to injuries.

Also, Kate Slattery, who was 11th with Patrick Connelly at Nationals as a Jr. is reportedly skating with Jon Harris, out of UDel.

The following Jr. Teams have reportedly split, Christina Zepeda / Nicholas Hart 8th Nats are said not to be practicing together anymore.One (I forget if both)of Anna Scheumann and Levi McDononough 12th Nats, was said to be at the Colorado Partner Search Camp. Laura and Andrew Smith 9th Nats have advertised on the uSFSA partner search page, she was too tall for him appparently. Lindsay Evans / Trevor Bird 10th Nats, have both been on the USFSa partner search page.

The following Novice Dance Teams have repportedly split, Laura Rosenberg / Benjaman Westenberger 7th Nats have advertised on the USFSA partner search page. Ashley Elliot of Elliot/ Paul Hurych 8th at Nats was reportedly at the USFSA partner Search camp. As was Kiel Leighton of Shannon Johnson/ Leighton 11th Nats. I heard somewhere that Shannon Johnson/ Jon Wright 12th Nats have split. Ashley Williams from Williams/ Jake Villanueva (5th novice Eastern Sectional) has advertised at the USFSA partner search page.

Fiona Donnegan / Ian Comee 4th Nats at Intermediate, and Lauren Hockel / Justin Thelen 5th Nats Int. did not recieve North American Challenge Skate assignments while teams behind them did, I take this as a posssible indicator of splits.

Crystal Beckerdite from Beckerdite / Raphael Kelling (10th, Nats, Sr.) is reportedly skating with Ian Ross-Frye of Lia Nitake/ Ross-Frye (9th Sr.). Kelling has advertised at the USFSA partner Search page. Annie Yang of Yang/ Walter Lang (wd as Srs. from Nats, 13th 1st 3 phases of the competition) has advertised as well. I also heard that Janna Napier and Peter Kimzey are moving up to Sr.

Most of this info I have heard at multiple places, or from good sources, so if I have posted anything incorrectly I really apologize. I hope this helps.

jenlyon60

06-23-2002, 03:15 PM

Slight correction... Meghan McCullough trains at Skatequest Reston with coach Scott Myers. She and Joel have a very nice line for only working together a short while.

Wind

06-23-2002, 03:46 PM

Any information about how Canadian dance teams are doing and predictions as to what teams will get JGP assignments?

Trillian

06-23-2002, 10:21 PM

[quote:89ab07ad06="Cerulean"]Crystal Beckerdite from Beckerdite / Raphael Kelling (10th, Nats, Sr.) is reportedly skating with Ian Ross-Frye of Lia Nitake/ Ross-Frye (9th Sr.).[/quote:89ab07ad06]

Based on what I've heard, that rumor, though persistent, was totally false. I'm not sure of the status of Nitake & Ross-Frye, but as far as I know he and Beckerdite may not even have tried out (they definitely haven't formed a partnership). I have heard that she may have a potential partnership in the works with someone who hasn't competed in a while, though. If that is going to work out, I'd imagine we'll hear something more definite soon.

There are also a few other senior teams to remember. Emilie Nussear and Mathew Gates started training together late last year and should be more than ready for competition in the upcoming season. I expect we may see them at Lake Placid. Justin Pekarek is also skating with former singles competitor Hillary Gibbons, although the status of that partnership when it comes to competition seems to be somewhat questionable, at least for next season (she still has tests to pass). The team of Moxley & Kirsanov, who did quite well at Lake Placid last year but weren't able to compete at nationals because of eligibility requirements, is reportedly still together and should be one to watch.

Anyone know who's likely to be competing at Lake Placid among the seniors? It should be a more interesting event than usual, with several spots in international events likely to be on the line. I'd expect to see Navarro & Shmalo, Nussear & Gates, Moxley & Kirsanov, maybe Goodwin & Obzansky and the Youngs.

Icesk8dance

06-24-2002, 12:40 AM

Can anyone confirm if Crystal has teamed up with Nick Traxler?

Leela

06-24-2002, 08:51 AM

New team, Silverstein and Forsyth, haven't been training because Brandon's been off the ice with an eye injury for the past 2 weeks. Should be back on soon.
Lydia Manon has been trying out in Maryland, and most likely will re-locate there to skate with a Russian fellow (Vitaly??)

Trillian

06-24-2002, 02:44 PM

[quote:02ea298ef9="Leela"]New team, Silverstein and Forsyth, haven't been training because Brandon's been off the ice with an eye injury for the past 2 weeks. Should be back on soon.[/quote:02ea298ef9]

I thought they'd only been out for about a week? At any rate, it sounds like at least another week and a half of recovery time will be necessary. Eye injuries are slow healing anyway, and I'm told Brandon's is pretty severe. That may take them out of Lake Placid, but hopefully everything heals okay and they'll be back in plenty of time to get things together for the rest of the season. I wish them the best of luck.

Interesting info about Lydia Manon--I'm hoping this partership works out for her! She's definitely been one of the best partnerless female dancers in the country over the last year, and it's unfortunate that she hasn't had better luck. If she does relocate to Maryland, though, that could work out pretty nicely to her--I bet she'd be happy to be close to her home state of Delaware again!

IdmaIjan

06-24-2002, 07:16 PM

Oh no! That's terrible about Brandon! Hope he recovers soon. I was wondering why there hadn't been any reports of how practices were going for Silverstein and Forsyth.

Good luck to Lydia Manon. I hope she finds the right partner and is able to reach her potential.

I've heard that Justin and Hillary won't be competing? Can anyone confirm that?

I'm looking forward to seeing all the new teams this year.

06-24-2002, 09:39 PM

Lydia Manon has been trying out in Maryland, and most likely will re-locate there to skate with a Russian fellow (Vitaly??)

Looks like she has relocated. They have been seen pacticing together. Their coaches are Genrikh Sretensi and Liz Coats.
Don't know much about Vitali. Other than that he is Ukranian/Russian(?) and had competed in France before. His last name is Shalin (?sp). Don't what his greatest achievements in skating are though.

Who was Lydia's former parter? Did she compete at Senior or Junior Level? Do you think Genrikh Sretenski would be a good coach for her?

legjumper

06-24-2002, 11:54 PM

Lydia has never competed in seniors at the national level.

Lydia skated with Jonathan Harris for about half of the 2001-02 season. He was just up from novice and was a few years younger than she. They didn't compete at Nationals. I believe they were coached by Igor Shpilband.

During the 2000-01 season, Lydia skated with Michel Klus, with whom she won the 2001 U.S. junior title. They placed...13th? 14th? (can't remember exactly) at Junior Worlds, shortly after which they split. They were coached by Igor Shpilband.

During the 1999-2000 season (and probably before, someone help me out beyond this), Lydia skated with Chris Obzansky (who has been with Kendra Goodwin for two seasons now) out of UDel. I want to say they were fifth in U.S. juniors that season, but I'm not positive.

I hope she's able to find a lasting partnership. I would enjoy having her back on the competitive scene.

NAdancefan

06-25-2002, 12:42 AM

[quote:2e8161124e="legjumper"]During the 2000-01 season, Lydia skated with Michel Klus, with whom she won the 2001 U.S. junior title. They placed...13th? 14th? (can't remember exactly) at Junior Worlds, shortly after which they split.[/quote:2e8161124e]

Manon & Klus were 14th at Junior Worlds in 2001. Good memory, leg! :)

Btw, an interesting note - if Lydia is really skating with Vitaly Shalin now, isn't he the same person that Jamie Silverstein tried out with a few months ago, when rumours were flying widely that she'd moved to Maryland and teamed up with him? I seem to remember a report in BOI mentioning it, etc... I suppose it was inevitable that these two girls would end up "competing" for the same partners, though, as they're both around the same age, have similar body types, etc.

Scott

06-25-2002, 07:52 AM

I am sorry to hear about Forsyth's eye injury! I was looking forward to seeing this team compete at Lake Placid. I suppose that this injury will keep them out of that event. My friends in Detroit tell me that S/F have not been on the ice at all and are not expected back for a while. What an unfortunate accident. I only hope that all is ok and wish a quick recovery so that we can all enjoy this team!

Trillian

06-25-2002, 08:35 AM

[quote:d7a589400b="legjumper"]During the 1999-2000 season (and probably before, someone help me out beyond this), Lydia skated with Chris Obzansky (who has been with Kendra Goodwin for two seasons now) out of UDel. I want to say they were fifth in U.S. juniors that season, but I'm not positive.[/quote:d7a589400b]

Chris was Lydia's first partner. (I'm not sure if the reverse is true.) They were 6th in juniors in 2000, 2nd in novice in 1999, and also competed in novice in 1998 (they were maybe 6th?). I think they had the same coach Chris and Kendra do now.

I believe Vitaly Shalin is the same guy Jamie was working on forming a partnership with last summer--sounds like the same name, anyway. Having heard why he didn't pair with Jamie (financial issues), I'm a little surprised Lydia would be a potential partner for him. But I definitely hope it works out--she really deserves a successful partnership.

06-25-2002, 09:08 AM

I believe Vitaly Shalin is the same guy Jamie was working on forming a partnership with last summer--sounds like the same name, anyway. Having heard why he didn't pair with Jamie (financial issues)[/quote]

I am just wondering how these financial issues work in this field. I heard that one competitive dance/pair couple needs around $70k a year for training expenses.

I guess with an American/American couple, the parents pay 50/50. Is this true? Plus they pay their child's living expenses (?)

So if we bring in the picture a Russian/Ukranian partner whose parents obviously can't pay that kind of money, than the American ones are left with the whole bill. Is this correct? Plus the guy would need a place to stay, probably a car, medical, etc. The final amonut would be staggering.

Are those American girls who do ice dance with foreing partners just simly rich ones? Or how does it work? How about talented girls that don't have rich parents? Is it possible to get sponsors?

Just curious ...

Trillian

06-25-2002, 09:23 AM

[quote:b695753f57="JS"]Are those American girls who do ice dance with foreing partners just simly rich ones? Or how does it work? How about talented girls that don't have rich parents? Is it possible to get sponsors?[/quote:b695753f57]

There has definitely been a stereotype that only girls from wealthy backgrounds can afford a foreign partner. And it's true in some cases--there have been girls who were able to pair with someone simply because they could afford to do so, not because of particular talent on their part. That was how the term "Rent-A-Russian" became popular for a while.

But in the case of many teams who've been successful, that's simply not the case. Lang & Tchernyshev are a great example. Naomi doesn't come from a well-to-do background by any means--quite the opposite; she's almost had to give up skating in the past because of the high cost. But Peter wanted a good partner with whom he could be successful, not just a partner who could pay his bills--so he paired up with Naomi, and the two of them struggled together to pay their expenses.

Not all of the foreign guys have been willing to get into a situation like this. There are some who have been notoriously interested in their partner's bank account (or her parents'); I know of at least one recent case where the guy has demanded a "salary." But these cases seem to be in the minority, at least these days. Most of the guys are more interested in competing and winning, and they realize that to do that, they may need to pair up with someone who doesn't have any more money than they do. In a lot of cases the guys who don't have much financial support from home will do the same things the girls do to help pay the bills--coaching, working odd jobs, etc. Many of them are able to contribute more financially than people might realize. And yes, sponsorship is an option, although of course it's hard to find.

Leela

06-28-2002, 08:27 AM

Brandon and Jamie are back on the ice and they look good together.
Lydia moves to Maryland this weekend! Good luck to her and Vitaly. :)

Trillian

06-28-2002, 10:17 AM

So glad to hear things have worked out for Lydia with a new partner! I wish them the best of luck, she definitely deserves it. :)

Interesting to hear that Brandon and Jamie are already back on the ice--I hope he's wearing some kind of protective gear for his eye? It's earlier than I expected, but I'm truly glad his recovery is going that well. Good luck to them as well.

legjumper

06-28-2002, 10:28 AM

Congratulations to Lydia and Vitaly. I hope everything works out for them. Does anyone know if they are planning to compete at Nationals, and if so, as juniors or seniors?

Trillian

06-28-2002, 12:15 PM

[quote:3cb50df363="legjumper"]Does anyone know if they are planning to compete at Nationals, and if so, as juniors or seniors?[/quote:3cb50df363]

I don't know what Vitaly's experience level is, but I'd be surprised if Lydia were to compete in juniors in the upcoming year. She'll be 20 later this year, so she's no longer eligible for international junior events. Without that as a possiblity, I can't see any real reason for her to compete as a junior anymore. Anyone know how old he is, or what his past competitive experience includes?

Whether they compete in the upcoming season probably depends at least partially on how far along Vitaly is in his USFSA testing. As long as he doesn't have to pass everything from the beginning, I'd imagine they could get him through his testing by September 1st. (Lydia may still need to test up to seniors as well.)

Josef

06-28-2002, 12:37 PM

After consulting a handy dandy search engine, I discovered that Vitali Shalin is 22 years old and used to skate on the junior level for France.

kara

06-28-2002, 03:36 PM

[quote:5cf617df5c="Leela"]Brandon and Jamie are back on the ice and they look good together.
[/quote:5cf617df5c]

Thanks for the good news!

Scott

06-29-2002, 11:32 AM

That is such good news to hear that Jamie and Brandon are now skating. Aparently his injury wasn't as bad as I heard. I wonder if they will do the competition at Lake Placid?

AlSk8s

06-30-2002, 09:06 PM

Any one else have any other updates on other skaters? There has to be more going on! Ahhh the silence, it's killing me!

travellingfan

07-03-2002, 11:44 AM

I second Alsk8s request... any more news on any ice dance teams in the U.S. :?:

travellingfan

07-10-2002, 02:16 PM

bump :lol:

travellingfan

07-11-2002, 10:09 AM

ok, if no one knows anything about current or new ice dance teams in the u.s., does anyone have info on who will be competing in the upcoming dance competition at lake placid?

Sylvia

07-11-2002, 12:15 PM

There will be an International Novice Dance Competition held concurrently in Lake Placid, NY, from July 31-August 3, 2002.

Word is that there will be 11 young teams representing 7 countries: USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Australia, Great Britain, Russia and ?.

USA:
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates (2002 Intermediate National Dance Champions)
Kristen Mendoza & Joshua Lea (2002 Intermediate National Dance Silver medalists)

Canada:
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (2002 Novice National Dance Bronze medalists)
Sarah Lenko & Michael Whitehead

Czech Republic (info courtesy of oubik):
Anezka Blahusova & Pavel Wertheimer (novice champions 02)
Kristina Vamberska & Jakub Vambersky (2nd in novice nationals 02)

So far, that's all the news I've seen online about the Lake Placid dance comp.

JKlink

07-11-2002, 12:20 PM

We probably won't know who is going until they come out with an actual schedule where they will have the skating/practice groups listed.

Does anyone know if the USFSA is going to use the LP competition to fill the rest of the JGP slots like they did last year? I was planning on being there Friday and Saturday, but I looked at the schedule and they are having the freedances on Thursday and the OD and 1st round of CDs on Friday for the juniors and seniors. I guees it's time to change my plans as I really want to see the FDs. JK

http://orda.org/skating/dance.html#sched

valleygirl

07-11-2002, 09:51 PM

:wink:

oubik

07-12-2002, 02:48 AM

[quote:701d5464f5="Sylvia"]There will be an International Novice Dance Competition held concurrently in Lake Placid, NY, from July 31-August 3, 2002.

Word is that there will be 11 young teams representing 7 countries: USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Australia, Great Britain, Russia and ?.

USA:
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates (2002 Intermediate National Dance Champions)
Kristen Mendoza & Joshua Lea (2002 Intermediate National Dance Silver medalists)

Canada:
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (2002 Novice National Dance Bronze medalists)
Sarah Lenko & Michael Whitehead

Czech Republic (info courtesy of oubik):
Anezka Blahusova & Pavel Wertheimer (novice champions 02)
Kristina Vamberska & Jakub Vambersky (2nd in novice nationals 02)

So far, that's all the news I've seen online about the Lake Placid dance comp.[/quote:701d5464f5]

I can add British entries (better says some of them):

According to a discussion on Skate UK site there will be two entries

Elizabeth SCHOFIELD & Jamie BURNS (2 nd at UK novice nationals this April)

The second pairing is Lucy & Lloyd but as I haven´t found anybody with these names on British results from last year it should be some new ice dancing team. Hope some British fans will help us to reveal them. :wink:

Scott

07-12-2002, 06:55 AM

Now that Silverstein & Forsyth are back on the ice can anyone report on how they look. i am curious if Brandon's injury has had any effect on them. I hope all is ok because this is the dance team that I have the highest hopes for success.

11yrskate

07-12-2002, 09:16 PM

Nick Traxler is definitely skating with Crystal Berkindite. They are in COS
working on programs with Christopher Dean. They are planning on competing at Lake Placid. They will training in Dallas.

AlSk8s

07-13-2002, 09:46 PM

what?meworry?

07-14-2002, 11:37 PM

news out of colorado: gregory/petukhov haven't been seen training with sandy hess and/or jimmy young, even though the usfsa magazine article indicated they were there primarily and training only part time with oleg epstein. (?)
lindsey evens has partnered up with christian wilson. crystal bekerdite has teamed up with nick traxler. no one knows about raphael kelling. :wink:

what?meworry?

07-18-2002, 11:16 PM

Hmm, Interesting news. I'm actually a bit disappointed, that Nick didn't find a stronger partner for himself. But, I guess we will just have to wait and see. I will be looking forward to seeing them skate together at Lake Placid. And best of luck to the both of them.

you've got to be kidding about the "stronger partner" thing. crystal is by far stronger and more experienced than nick. he had just cought up with his former partner before he dumped her. based on what i saw the last time he competed at nationals, he has a long way to go to catch up with crystal---she's a powerful, if not that elegant, a skater.

what about crystal's long-time coach? is crystal dumping her? it would make much more sense if they were planning to share time. or, is her coach planning to move to dallas?

11yrskate

07-19-2002, 07:43 AM

For Crystal and Nick, from a direct source, the intent is to have their
programs done in COS. Then return to Dallas to train with Pierre
Panayii. Of course in dance and pairs in the US, it is like the weather,
it can change at any minute.

Leela

07-19-2002, 10:49 AM

travellingfan

07-19-2002, 11:41 AM

[quote:90ce4f5371="Leela"]I heard that Nick Hart split up with yet another partner. He seems to change partners every season---what's with that guy?![/quote:90ce4f5371]
the answer to your question is simple - dancing with someone is not easy and takes alot of ability to work together, on and off the ice. many times, it takes going through partners to find the right one.

valleygirl

07-19-2002, 12:26 PM

the answer to your question is simple - dancing with someone is not easy and takes alot of ability to work together, on and off the ice. many times, it takes going through partners to find the right one.[/quote:14ac9aa595]

You know, it's exactly that attitude that has hurt American ice dancers. Europeans tend to stay together and try to FIX the problems rather than just throw the partnership away. Look at the teams that have been successful in America, Naomi and Peter, Blumberg and Seifert, Punsulan and Swallow. Do you think that everything was always peachy and rosy for these couples? no way! They have all had unbelievable hardships, but they stuck together and worked through them.

American skaters just want fame, quick and now. That is one of the reasons we don't have a successful pair and dance program. People like Nick Hart just need to settle down and work! And what the heck happened to Christina Zepeda? she was a fantastic partner for him. There have been so many male dancers in this country that could have been great, but they jsut got lazy when the going got rough. (examples: John Lee, Noah Breen, Justin Pekerak) Suck it up and work through it! And that goes for the ladies too, but in my experience the girls are far more willing to work out problems than the guys are. MAle dancers and pair skaters see female skaters as a dime a dozen, and that just isn't the case. Yes, there's a lot of girls out there who are good, but very few who are GREAT.

and where's the USFSA in all this??? they can set up as many tryout camps as they want to, but it doens't matter one bit if they won't step in to help out struggling teams.

Ellyn

07-19-2002, 12:31 PM

[quote:d6b0d036e7]You know, it's exactly that attitude that has hurt American ice dancers. Europeans tend to stay together and try to FIX the problems rather than just throw the partnership away. Look at the teams that have been successful in America, Naomi and Peter, Blumberg and Seifert, Punsulan and Swallow. Do you think that everything was always peachy and rosy for these couples? no way! They have all had unbelievable hardships, but they stuck together and worked through them. [/quote:d6b0d036e7]

Ah, but how many of those teams skated together at junior level or below?

Mazurka Girl

07-19-2002, 12:47 PM

[quote:7a72071dde="Ellyn"]Ah, but how many of those teams skated together at junior level or below?[/quote:7a72071dde]
That was my first thought too (like none of them ever had other partners). It's an interesting characterization that the boys are lazy but not that any of the girls might be difficult or contribute to any problems in teams. Often it's a combination effort.

travellingfan

07-19-2002, 02:07 PM

and valley girl, this isnt meant to be taken as a sarcastic kind of comment but honestly, how many times have you been in that exact situation? further, ice dance is part of figure skating. figure skating is a sport. last time i checked, sports are supposed to be fun. putting up w/ a situation where you are unhappy is not fun.

valleygirl

07-19-2002, 03:05 PM

[quote:95dd3c53d8="Ellyn"]

Ah, but how many of those teams skated together at junior level or below?[/quote:95dd3c53d8]

You're missing the point, I don't care if they ever skated Junior or novice together. The point is that teams, from Juv. up to Senior don't give the partnerships enough time. As soon as it becomes a little rough, they call it quits. If the pair would just sit down and try to work through thier problems rather than just throwing in the towel, we'd have stronger and better teams. It's just unfortunate that the USFSA or SOMEbody isn't stepping into these situations to help save the team. Americans are just so obsessed with individual glory.

Marriage isn't always "fun", but if you want it to work, then it's something you fight for.

Artistic Skaters

07-19-2002, 09:01 PM

[quote:cc37d154c6="valleygirl"]Like Brandon Forsythe and Emilie Nusseur, (granted they had some uncomfortable circumstances that led to thier breakup, so perhaps they are not the best example), but there was a team that really could have gone somewhere. But now what? Brandon is a should-have-been skating with a has-been and Emilie is with one of the seven dwarfs. :roll: [/quote:cc37d154c6]
Not very bitter, huh?

valleygirl

07-19-2002, 09:27 PM

[quote:1797af774c="Artistic Skaters"]
Not very bitter, huh?[/quote:1797af774c]

How did you get bitter out of that? I thought it was rather funny.

11yrskate

07-19-2002, 09:33 PM

As far as frequent breakups. I think the coach should take more
responsiblity in keeping a team together. I think many coaches
get frustrated with the dynamics that come from troubles in a
team and think it is not worth it, besides if they split I can make
4 teams out of 2 people. The psychology of maintaining a good
dance/pair team (on the coaches part) is just as important as
technique. I am also in agreement that some of the boys
thing that girls are a time a dozen. But a good girl is just as
hard to find as a good guy. I once witnessed Tamara Moskavina
telling Yuko and Sasha to go upstairs and work your problems
out, when you are ready to work then come back. Since then they
have broken up and gotten back together. I think more American
teams, should not think that the grass is always greener, and I think
the coaches should do everything to keep the team together, even if
that means giving up a team if necessary.

what?meworry?

07-19-2002, 10:11 PM

I'm glad to hear that Nick Traxler will be back in competition again. I think he's a good dancer and I was sorry when he and Katie Hill split up. Any word about Katie finding another partner? What about Crystal's former partner, Raphael Kelling---is he still skating and looking to compete with a new partner?
I heard that Nick Hart split up with yet another partner. He seems to change partners every season---what's with that guy?!

it isn't nick, it's his coach. nick and elizabeth philpot were partners for years. at junior level, somehow someway the apparently "official" word was that they needed a higher level coach if they hoped to progress. i don't know what hold this guy has on nick (i speculate it's financial and i wish usfsa could protect nick and get him out of this apparent indentured slave situation) but he's a fine skater and deserves a real chance before it really is too late. partner after partner has gone there and left. nice kids, who realized the limitations of the coaching sooner or later.

as to the current rumor, i've heard it too, but i don't have sufficient corroboration to know for sure. :x

regarding katie hill, she is listed on the usfsa partner search and the le pat partner search. she lists her height on le pat as 5'10" it's a long shot for her to find a new, senior level partner. she is a very strong and talented skater though, and could do well if someone came along.

raphael was also listed on the usfsa partner search but no rumors of tryouts have surfaced.

what?meworry?

07-19-2002, 10:22 PM

Are those American girls who do ice dance with foreing partners just simly rich ones? Or how does it work? How about talented girls that don't have rich parents? Is it possible to get sponsors?

There has definitely been a stereotype that only girls from wealthy backgrounds can afford a foreign partner. And it's true in some cases--there have been girls who were able to pair with someone simply because they could afford to do so, not because of particular talent on their part. That was how the term "Rent-A-Russian" became popular for a while.

But in the case of many teams who've been successful, that's simply not the case. Lang & Tchernyshev are a great example. Naomi doesn't come from a well-to-do background by any means--quite the opposite; she's almost had to give up skating in the past because of the high cost. But Peter wanted a good partner with whom he could be successful, not just a partner who could pay his bills--so he paired up with Naomi, and the two of them struggled together to pay their expenses.

Not all of the foreign guys have been willing to get into a situation like this. There are some who have been notoriously interested in their partner's bank account (or her parents'); I know of at least one recent case where the guy has demanded a "salary." But these cases seem to be in the minority, at least these days. Most of the guys are more interested in competing and winning, and they realize that to do that, they may need to pair up with someone who doesn't have any more money than they do. In a lot of cases the guys who don't have much financial support from home will do the same things the girls do to help pay the bills--coaching, working odd jobs, etc. Many of them are able to contribute more financially than people might realize. And yes, sponsorship is an option, although of course it's hard to find.

please name other russian male dancers who are NOT supported by his partner's family. i'm not being nasty, i just can't think of any others. and, i suspect that jamie silverstein didn't stay with the russian she skated with (vitaly, the same who may now skate with lydia?) because she is unable to support a partner.

11yrskate

07-19-2002, 10:39 PM

Nick and Elizabeth are a good example about what I was talking about. A coach not willing to let a skater go. Nick and Elizabeth were great together, I don't think his other partnerships were as well matched. It really limits a skater when a coach discourages them from moving to another city to find the right partner, or talks negative about another training facility. A coach that is that controlling is no longer looking out for the best interest of the skater. In the case of Nick Hart, if the coach is coaching him free, isn't there enough girls out there willing to pick up the coaching bill, if he was willing to move.

AlSk8s

07-19-2002, 11:18 PM

Brandon Jellison is another example, he skated with both Brie Tiebolt and Jesi Valentine. Donny Adair and Kelly Morris refused to let him go. They duped his parents who had no money, coached him for free and hoped he would be their meal ticket. All they did was give him mismatched partners when he could have been a champion. Then when he decide to leave, they treated him horribly.

travellingfan

07-19-2002, 11:21 PM

what?meworry?

07-19-2002, 11:47 PM

i still think valley girl is way off, as i don't think she has been in that situation and doesn't know what it is like. how, for example, do you know that they didn't TRY to work things out and that that just didn't work? were you there watching their everymove as they discussed their partnership? i doubt it... thats just my opinion. i think keeping a team together is harder than it looks and can be imagined. as is, there are so many other things that must match up. also, i wouldn't just say it's an american problem, just that you can see it more in america.

so here's my formula for keeping teams together: every morning you wake up and decide how you are going to behave. attitude is a choice. you can choose to be positive. to work hard. to work on you personal development and respect your partners strengths and weaknesses.

yes, it can be done. i've seen it. you choose your attitude.

sadly too many skaters are more concerned with being right than successfully working with his/her partner :wink: ; too many team members are more concerned with competing with their partners than with other teams; you can't make anything (especially a team) if you can't make mistakes.

11yrskate

07-20-2002, 07:43 AM

[quote]; too many team members are more concerned with competing with their partners than with other teams; you can't make anything (especially a team) if you can't make mistakes.

Not doing this is a key to a successful team. But, I have seen many coaches do this to a team. Pitting one team member against the other. The coach that will not let competition between team members and disappointment in each other fester between the two partners will have a a longer successful partnership. The coach has a lot of control over whether a team stays together or not.
I also think there is the decendency to jump into a partnership too soon, so no one will miss a season (This is why you see so many mismatched body types) But then they quickly find out this was not the right partner , coach, or location for them to train in.

Trillian

07-20-2002, 08:48 AM

[quote:285184b6d8="what?meworry?"]please name other russian male dancers who are NOT supported by his partner's family. i'm not being nasty, i just can't think of any others.[/quote:285184b6d8]

Well, I don't know all that many of these skaters, so I don't know any situations well enough to name names. I do know of at least one case where a guy was receiving a lot of support from his partner's family but was also working hard to contribute himself, so it wasn't all placed on her (even though her family could afford it). And if you don't want to limit this just to Russians, I know of cases involving Americans in which the guy is actually paying some of their partner's expenses in order to hang onto a very talented, but not particularly wealthy, partner.

[quote:285184b6d8]and, i suspect that jamie silverstein didn't stay with the russian she skated with (vitaly, the same who may now skate with lydia?) because she is unable to support a partner.[/quote:285184b6d8]

If that is the same guy, I don't know how much money could have been a factor. Lydia wasn't in a position to support a partner last I heard, so something else must have come through involving either sponsorship or a change of heart on the guy's part.

valleygirl

07-20-2002, 09:00 AM

[quote:c8f0b88799="AlSk8s"]Brandon Jellison is another example, he skated with both Brie Tiebolt and Jesi Valentine. Donny Adair and Kelly Morris refused to let him go. They duped his parents who had no money, coached him for free and hoped he would be their meal ticket. All they did was give him mismatched partners when he could have been a champion. Then when he decide to leave, they treated him horribly.[/quote:c8f0b88799]

I'd forgotten all about Brandon Jellison, he was fantastic. I htought that he and Brie could have been amazing. They were just so dang cute together. I'll never forget her whipping off double axels during dance practices though, such a talent. Last I heard Brandon was coaching in Green Bay(?),

Leela

07-22-2002, 08:53 AM

:?: Does anyone know if it's really true that Naomi and Peter have left Zhulin to work with Tarasova? I've heard rumors, but nothing official. Can anyone say for sure?? Have they moved from Hackensack? What's the scoop? :?:

CanAmSk8ter

07-22-2002, 09:31 AM

[quote:93afb153b7="Leela"]:?: Does anyone know if it's really true that Naomi and Peter have left Zhulin to work with Tarasova? I've heard rumors, but nothing official. Can anyone say for sure?? Have they moved from Hackensack? What's the scoop? :?:[/quote:93afb153b7]

I train in Newington and they've been there twice now, I assume on days off from COI. I don't know if it's permanant or not, but yes they have been at the rink.

KJD

07-22-2002, 12:24 PM

I skate in Dallas, and to the best of my knowledge (regarding one of the posts above), Nick Hart and Christina are still skating together.

11yrskate

07-23-2002, 11:55 PM

I have also hard that Nick and Christina are still together.

valleygirl

07-24-2002, 07:42 AM

[quote:d87ef0e307="11yrskate"]I have also hard that Nick and Christina are still together.[/quote:d87ef0e307]

:D :D :D Yea!!

IdmaIjan

07-24-2002, 08:40 PM

Based on what I've seen, I was a little surprised to hear that Christina and Nick had split. In other words, I believe they are still together.

Josef

07-24-2002, 09:22 PM

what?meworry?

07-26-2002, 12:40 AM

Christina and Nick are on the competitors' list for Lake Placid on the senior level. Check out this thread at SkateForum:

http://skatinginc.com/SkateForum/viewthread.asp?forum=AMB_AP573198265&id=1590

yes! despite the fact the i'm not a fan of the coach, both nick and cristina are good kids and i'm glad to see confirmation that they are still together. however, i still believe they would be better served by a different coach.
NICK'S MOM!!! WAKE UP AN SMELL THE COFFEE!!!

valleygirl

07-26-2002, 06:06 PM

:roll:

AlSk8s

07-26-2002, 10:05 PM

[quote:65b427758b="what?meworry?"]NICK'S MOM!!! WAKE UP AN SMELL THE COFFEE!!![/quote:65b427758b]

:roll: Am I the only one who doesn't really care? Nick Hart isn't exactly a mover or a shaker in the dance world. He hasn't done anything since he was with Liz Philpot. Now if they were to get back together.......I might get excited.

travellingfan

07-27-2002, 10:25 AM

I second that, AlSk8s. Not to be mean, but what happened to Christina during their straightline in the OD at nationals?

11yrskate

07-27-2002, 12:40 PM

Who is Liz skating with? I also would like to see Nick and Liz together again. They really did match, physically, and in style.

Trillian

07-27-2002, 01:00 PM

[quote:4bd7495087="11yrskate"]Who is Liz skating with?[/quote:4bd7495087]

Is she even skating anymore? Last time I remember hearing her name was at the 1999 nationals when she competed with Dirk Peterson. I remember being pretty impressed with them, though IIRC they had a couple of mistakes that kept them from placing higher than they did. At any rate, I don't think I've heard anything about her since then, so I'd be surprised if she was still looking for a partner.

what?meworry?

07-28-2002, 12:10 AM

Who is Liz skating with?

Is she even skating anymore? Last time I remember hearing her name was at the 1999 nationals when she competed with Dirk Peterson. I remember being pretty impressed with them, though IIRC they had a couple of mistakes that kept them from placing higher than they did. At any rate, I don't think I've heard anything about her since then, so I'd be surprised if she was still looking for a partner.

last conversation i had with her mom was that if that team didn't work, she was going to college and not planning to attempt another partnership. i wish nick and liz had stayed together and sought coaching elsewhere. they were a fine team.

what?meworry?

07-28-2002, 12:19 AM

NICK'S MOM!!! WAKE UP AN SMELL THE COFFEE!!!

:roll: Am I the only one who doesn't really care? Nick Hart isn't exactly a mover or a shaker in the dance world. He hasn't done anything since he was with Liz Philpot. Now if they were to get back together.......I might get excited.

but he could! that's what's so sad about the situation!!! nick hart could have been so far along. he's had numerous opportunities to partner and move---but according to the various moms and coaches his coach doesn't even return the phone calls from coaches and partners who might wish to share time.