Pictures by Robin Ritoss | Maria Bagdasarova contributed to this text.
France’s Célina Fradji & Jean-Hans Fourneaux have been skating collectively for nearaly 10 years and are competing of their first season on the senior circuit. They’re coached by Karine Arribert and Mahil Chantelauze and prepare in Villard de Lans. Study extra about them in our Attending to Know collection Q & A.
Inform us about your particular person skating journeys, together with any early particular recollections. What drew you to ice dance?
Celina Fradji (CF): I began determine skating on the age of 4, following my sister who was already skating. I’ve all the time cherished leaping, as I used to be a really energetic little one. After I was seven, a skater who did each determine skating and ice dance requested me to skate with him after noticing me in a contest. My mother and father inspired me to do that new self-discipline, and I discovered it actually difficult. I continued each disciplines till I used to be 14, earlier than absolutely dedicating myself to my junior ice dance profession.
Jean-Hans Fourneaux (JF): I began skating once I was round seven. I first tried with the varsity, then I favored it, so I continued it. At first, I did singles for a couple of months, simply to study the fundamentals and have enjoyable on the ice. Then I bought supplied a free four-day ice dance camp in Rouen, the place I used to be already coaching. I believed, “why not?”, since I used to be doing okay on skates anyway. Humorous factor is, for the primary three days, I got here dwelling saying I didn’t prefer it in any respect and that ice dance wasn’t for me. However on the fourth day, one thing simply clicked, I abruptly actually loved it. After that, I spent a yr skating solo in ice dance, after which I began coaching with my first accomplice, with whom I skated for about 4 or 5 years.
One in every of my early recollections that basically stands out is our first worldwide competitors in Dortmund. In the course of the free dance, we each fell twice. It’s form of a “well-known” second now, however truthfully, it’s a part of the journey and I chortle about it nonetheless these days.
Inform us how your partnership began.
CF: We had additionally observed one another at competitions, as we every had our personal companions on the time and weren’t in the identical class. Jean Hans and his accomplice have been older. We knew one another from French competitions, however not personally. We didn’t actually take into account them as tryouts, it simply felt pure, and we instinctively knew we have been meant to skate collectively.
JF: Our partnership began again in 2016. On the French Championships in Le Havre that yr, we each had totally different companions, I used to be competing in superior novice, and Célina was in fundamental novice. Our mothers met there and bought alongside rather well. They even joked that if at some point we each stopped skating with our companions, they’d make us skate collectively. Just a few months later, that’s precisely what occurred. We each ended our earlier partnerships and determined to present it a strive collectively, doing our first take a look at skate in Bercy.
CF: We didn’t actually take into account them as tryouts, it simply felt pure, and we instinctively knew we have been meant to skate collectively.
JF: It went tremendous effectively, and we’ve been skating collectively ever since. I moved from Rouen to the Paris area to coach along with her, and it’s been nearly ten years now, form of loopy once we give it some thought!
That is your first senior season. What are the important thing variations with the junior circuit they’ve observed to this point?
CF: The principle distinction with juniors is the environment. Seniors appears way more calm due to their expertise. They’re prepared to start out a dialog and discuss their coaching, whether or not it was straightforward or troublesome, after which transfer on. It helped me keep extra chill throughout the challengers at first of the season.
JF: You’ll be able to actually really feel that almost all of them see it as a passion-driven profession, not nearly chasing outcomes. There’s additionally a transparent distinction in maturity on the ice, within the skating, within the types, in the best way packages are constructed and carried out. For me, it truthfully looks like the beginning of an entire new chapter in my profession, and that’s actually thrilling.
You’ve simply skilled your first senior Grand Prix. How did it really feel?
CF: This primary senior Grand Prix was a really priceless expertise. It was thrilling to have the possibility to study alongside the highest skaters, nevertheless it was additionally mentally difficult. We have been used to profitable medals on the Junior Grand Prix, so ending the competitors in tenth place was a change. However we all know it’s a part of the method and the way we’ll develop, similar to each different skater.
JF: Our first senior Grand Prix was the Grand Prix de France in Angers, and truthfully, it was considered one of our greatest competitions to this point. We had by no means been cheered for that a lot earlier than, the gang was wonderful. At first, we thought it’d make us nervous, however as a substitute it gave us a lot vitality and motivation. We actually cherished the entire expertise, each on and off the ice. After the competitors, we even bought to talk with a few of the supporters’ crew, which was tremendous good. It was undoubtedly a second we’ll keep in mind.
Sharing the ice with skilled skaters. For instance, for the rhythm dance you have been in the identical warm-up with Olympic Champion Guillaume Cizeron. How did it really feel?
CF: Sure, we have been within the warm-up with Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier-Beaudry for the Rhythm Dance. Considering again to once we have been youthful asking for autographs and photographs, it’s actually satisfying to now be competing in the identical occasions and having good conversations with them.
JF: In the course of the first trainings earlier than the competitors, it was form of humorous to skate on the identical ice as Guillaume Cizeron. However you get used to it shortly since you are concentrate on what you do, and since everybody right here is at such a excessive stage. Total, the entire expertise was actually spectacular.
Inform us about your packages this season. How did you provide you with the ideas and choose the music?
CF: For the Rhythm Dance, we wished to skate to music from the ’90s that we knew, and that’s precisely what we selected. I imply, even as we speak, I nonetheless take heed to Future’s Little one whereas cleansing my residence, it’s a lot enjoyable! For the Free Dance, it was totally Karine’s concept and association, and we cherished it instantly. We’re followers of the softness of Chopin, and we linked with it from the very first hear. We don’t get bored with it, so it’s vital for us to skate to music that we actually take pleasure in.
JF: We instantly linked with the ideas, particularly as a result of we love skating to music that individuals can actually relate to, like in our rhythm dance. It’s simply actually enjoyable to carry out on music like that and really feel the viewers join with it.
Share your opinions of the 1990’s Rhythm Dance.
CF: Personally, I used to be a bit upset when the theme was introduced. It feels just like what we’ve been doing for a number of years, and I used to be anticipating one thing totally different. However after all, I’m not taking part within the Olympics, so my perspective is from the surface, it may need one thing to do with the Olympic Video games.
JF: I benefit from the 1990’s Rhythm Dance this season. It’s enjoyable and energetic, and I like that it offers us an opportunity to discover a special model on the ice. The music and rhythm make it playful, however you continue to want precision, which makes it difficult in a extremely thrilling means.
What do you hope subsequent yr’s Rhythm Dance theme shall be?
CF: For subsequent season, I hope there received’t be a Sample Dance. I actually love this system with the Choreo Step as a result of it offers us the chance to develop our abilities as dancers, in comparison with the Free Dance, which could be very technical. I hope we proceed in that path. If it have been as much as me, I actually take pleasure in Latin dances, and I’d be comfortable to have enjoyable with that.
JF: I’m excited to see what subsequent yr’s Rhythm Dance shall be! Personally, I’d love to return to some fundamentals, like ballroom or Latin dances. It’s all the time enjoyable to discover these types and see how we are able to interpret them on the ice.
What do you want most about skating with one another?
CF: What I like most about our partnership is our pure connection. We’ve been skating collectively for 10 years, we all know one another inside out, and it makes every thing a lot simpler. We actually expertise every thing collectively and by no means really feel alone.
JF: What I really like most about skating with Célina is our fixed help for one another. Irrespective of the state of affairs, good or unhealthy, hahaha… we’re all the time there for each other, and folks even acknowledge us for that. With so many worries and pressures in skating, it’s wonderful to have that belief and reassurance proper from the beginning.
You’re employed additionally with Tiffany Zahorski. What sort of recommendation does she give you as a current competitor?
CF: Sure, we love working with Tiffany. She’s very open and prepared to share her high-level profession expertise. She was an athlete who all the time gave her greatest, regardless of the circumstances, and she or he helps me push my limits whereas explaining why. Even again in juniors, throughout smaller competitions to arrange for larger occasions just like the Grand Prix Last, she would emphasize the significance of each competitors and make us give our greatest, which actually helped me quite a bit.
JF: Working with Tiffany Zahorski is actually priceless for us. She shares quite a bit about how her profession unfolded, the errors she made, and her joyful moments. It offers us a transparent reference level for our personal journey, which is actually vital, particularly as we navigate the beginning of our senior careers.
What have your largest challenges been this season?
CF: The transition from junior to senior has been simply as difficult as I anticipated. After we take a look at our technical parts, it’s clear that the necessities are very totally different. We used to get stage 4 parts simply in juniors, however in seniors the execution requirements are a lot increased. We’ve numerous work to do to earn good technical scores and enhance our execution.
JF: Competing in two senior Grand Prix occasions and three challengers, it’s actually vital for us to indicate that we’ve earned our place and make a robust impression in our first season. Setting that basis is vital for the seasons to come back.
What future competitions do you’ve for this season?
CF & JF: We’ve a second Grand Prix, Skate America, then the Challenger in Zagreb, and the French Elite Championships in mid-December.. After Christmas, we’ll do a couple of worldwide competitions to complete the season.
What’s one phrase that describes your partnership?
CF: One phrase to explain our partnership: laughter. We’re all the time laughing, on and off the ice. It’s my favourite a part of our profession!
JF: Snigger
Please share something you prefer to our readers to learn about you as a crew.
CF: It’s crucial for us to say that we’ve created a fundraiser to assist us progress in our senior profession. It is going to permit us to speculate extra in our improvement, work with choreographers and deepen our program ideas. Ice dance is an costly sport, which isn’t all the time straightforward to handle. So, in case you imagine in us like we do, please take into account sharing our fundraiser and making a donation in case you can. We’d additionally prefer to thank our teaching crew, our mother and father, our associates, and our followers who often ship us messages and items.
JF: As a crew, we simply need folks to know that we’re all the time there for one another, via every thing, the ups, the downs, and every thing in between. That’s form of our factor, and it makes skating collectively actually particular and enjoyable, and we’ve got a crew Instagram the place we share our coaching, competitions, and little behind-the-scenes moments @celina_and_jeanhans.
CF: Thanks for the interview, it was a pleasure!
