On-ice photograph by MKT Pictures
Mina Esfandiari & Shin Lei (Lei Lei) Case will compete at this week’s Nationwide Solo Dance Closing in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. Be taught extra about this shadow dance group and the logistics behind their unconventional, long-distance, on-ice partnership.
How did the partnership kind?
We met at solo dance camp in Dallas in 2020 and our friendship developed from there. Our dad and mom at all times stayed shut and can be the cheering squad for the each of us. We turned nearer pals throughout the 2024 season as a result of we have been competing towards one another in Worldwide Patterns — we stored buying and selling the primary place spot at every occasion. On the finish of the season, we approached one another to see if we have been involved in partnering for the subsequent season. We had a number of discussions attempting to determine it out as we knew it could be difficult logistically, however actually we simply wished to have enjoyable collectively. We’re like sisters and at all times have one thing to snicker about.
We’re coached by Igor Shpilband, Natalia Deller, Pasquale Camerlengo, Adrienne Lenda, Renee Petkovski, and Brooklee Han.
Our program was choreographed by Brooklee Han and Pasquale Camerlengo. We have been unable to coordinate a time once we may meet up, so Brooklee got here to TX for a number of days in the beginning of the yr to show Lei Lei the choreography. Mina was despatched LiveBarn movies of this system and he or she discovered it from her telephone.
We labored with Renee Petkovski on musicality, expressions, and fine-tuning this system. Pasquale Camerlengo labored on our arms, intros and endings. Whereas Natalia Deller labored deeply on edges, ankles, and particulars, and Igor Shpilband labored on particulars, skating expertise, and unison. Adrienne Lenda may be very technical with us and liked engaged on our expressions.
What music are you skating to? Who designed your costumes?
We’re skating to “Homicide on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Our costumes have been made by Mathieu Caron and Marc English (Iconic Skate).
How did your first competitors go as a newly shaped group?
Mina: Our first competitors went fairly nicely contemplating we had solely two weeks to arrange. We didn’t skate collectively that a lot earlier than the competitors and solely actually had time to apply collectively once more on apply ice on the occasion, so our essential targets have been to remain on our ft, carry out, and get by way of this system. As soon as we obtained the outcomes, we have been fairly shocked and comfortable to have positioned first with our restricted preparation.
Lei Lei: I believed our first competitors collectively at Southport went pretty nicely. We had no expectations placement-wise, so we have been fairly shocked once we noticed that we had completed first.
The place do you prepare?
Our coaching facility is Novi Ice Area in Novi, MI.
As a result of our partnership is long-distance, we often journey to the competitors one to 2 days beforehand to skate collectively and run as many packages as potential.
We really made Novi historical past as a result of this was the primary time that they ever coached a Shadow Dance group! It’s been superb coaching alongside such proficient ice dancers.
Mina: What I really like about shadow dance is skating with Lei Lei — she makes the whole lot so enjoyable. We’re like two peas in a pod, and we push one another in several methods. I additionally actually love monitoring and skating with somebody. It’s a lot totally different than partnered dance by being a no contact “partnered” skating, and it’s important to be sure that your actions look precisely the identical as your accomplice. I’m at present searching for an ice dance accomplice and I work on partnering expertise every day, so it’s enjoyable leaping from shadow dance to partnered dance.
Lei Lei: I actually benefit from the group facet of shadow dance. Skating with Mina makes the whole lot so pleasant, particularly having our 6:00 a.m. classes collectively! We each feed off one another’s vitality and hold each other going all through our coaching periods. Each step, motion, and expression must be seamlessly matched. One tiny change can throw off the whole program. Shadow dance is totally different from partnered in that the whole lot is executed side-by-side — it’s like one lengthy no-touch step sequence.
What do you each do for enjoyable outdoors of skating?
We take pleasure in taking random highway journeys, exploring new locations, going procuring, and doing Pilates. We by no means know our plan, we simply drive and no matter our temper is can be our vacation spot.
Closing Feedback?
We’re actually happy with what we now have completed this season, and we’re tremendous excited to indicate what we’ve been engaged on on the 2025 Nationwide Solo Dance Closing. A very powerful factor is that we now have had a lot enjoyable collectively, and we thank our teaching group for all the teachings and energy they put into us. Taking us on as a Shadow Staff for the primary time was such an honor. We’d additionally prefer to thank our coaching mates as nicely, as they’ve been so supportive and made the entire course of so enjoyable that they even discovered our choreography time beyond regulation!
