Images by Yoriko Suzuki & Robin Ritoss
In a season formed by resilience and progress, Ukrainian ice dancers Iryna Pidgaina and Artem Koval have established themselves as one of the compelling younger groups on the worldwide stage. After capping their last junior season with a bronze medal on the World Junior Championships, the crew was interviewed by Crew IDC.
Inform us about your particular person determine skating journeys. What drew you to ice dance?
Iryna Pidgaina (IP): I began skating at 4 years previous. I by no means did singles. I began straight away with ice dance. At seven, I attempted ice dance with a companion in Odessa. I had three companions earlier than skating with Artem.
Artem Koval: (AK): It began once I was eight years previous. I’ve a sister. She was usually sick as a toddler, and docs suggested her to take up determine skating for her well being. On the day she was purported to go to observe, she fell sick, and to keep away from lacking out on a spot within the group, my mom advised I attempt it out. As quickly as I began skating, I spotted I actually cherished it and was good at it. After that observe, I approached my mom and informed her I wished to take up determine skating. And so started my fascinating journey into the world of determine skating.
What attracts me to determine skating and ice dance is the grace, the fantastic thing about execution, the strains, the individuality and fantastic thing about the costumes, the musical variability, the aggressive spirit, the aggressive expertise, the big variety of new acquaintances, and naturally, how I really feel on the ice—a sense that can’t be described in phrases.
How did the 2 of you first resolve to crew up?
IP: We have been skating in the identical faculty all our careers, simply with different companions. When Artem got here again from Kharkiv to Odessa, he and his companion determined to interrupt up. Our earlier coach determined to place us in a pair that’s it!
You began your partnership in your house nation of Ukraine, however needed to relocate to Austria due to the battle. Are you able to discuss the way you moved to Austria and the challenges of leaving your properties to coach there?
IP: Leaving all of your life behind and begin every thing over once more it’s all the time onerous
However skating helped to discover a means by this darkish and troublesome state of affairs. Every thing that occurs in our nation is coronary heart breaking. My dad continues to be in Ukraine so I actually miss him. Due to the season, I see him just one time in a 12 months.
AK: This transfer was fairly troublesome and daunting, as we didn’t know the place we have been going, why, or what awaited us. I took just a few issues with me, one bag with every thing I wanted: skates, garments, paperwork, and a pc. Ira and I first moved to Moldova, the place we stayed for a month, hoping that every thing would quickly be over and we may return to our earlier lives. However a month later, the state of affairs hadn’t improved in any respect, and it was solely getting worse, till our coach, Galina Churilova, contacted us and mentioned there was a possibility to maneuver to Vienna and proceed our shared story. After some consideration and weighing the professionals and cons, we determined to maneuver to Austria to proceed our life’s work and obtain our targets.
Are you able to inform us about your coaches and choreographers. and the position they play in your program growth?
IP: On a regular basis we work with our coach Galina Churilova. Her ardour and power evokes us to work and develop. She was there for us supporting and making this story collectively. We love her! She’s doing a implausible job. Additionally, Alexandra (Sasha) Nazarova and Maxim Nikitin, it’s such a pleasure to work with them. More often than not we now have plenty of enjoyable throughout choreographing applications.
AK: First, Ira and I merely share with your entire crew the music choices we’d like to make use of. Then we undergo what we name a “refining course of.” Our coach and choreographers get rid of choices that don’t align with Ira’s and my imaginative and prescient, after which choose essentially the most appropriate one. If no appropriate choices are discovered, they recommend their very own.
Subsequent, the choreographers and I start creating this system’s framework, arranging all the weather and transitions, and refine it barely, including arm actions and accents. Then, after working with Sasha and Maxim, us and our coach, Galina Churilova start engaged on refining this system, its look, the standard of execution, straightening the strains, and smoothing out any irregularities. After this, a couple of months later, we current the “product” on stage. After this, all through the season, refinements and changes are made, and in direction of the top of the season, as a rule, this system turns into totally accomplished and balanced.
Inform us about your applications this season. What impressed your music selections and general themes?
IP: Backstreet Boys was Alexandra’s provide. She mentioned it even earlier than we knew guidelines and all of us mentioned it’s your best option for us. We cherished to carry out it, additionally the costumes this season was our accent, we wished to have one thing distinctive and memorable.
AK: It’s additionally a brand new type for us—hip-hop. On this program, we determined to attempt to emphasize the dance half relatively than the gliding. Total, we’re pleased with what we put out.
For the free dance this season, we wished to attempt one thing new, one thing that wasn’t important to us. We selected the musical Moulin Rouge. Ira and I listened to all of the tracks from the musical collectively and actually loved them. Afterward, our whole crew authorized the tracks we might use within the manufacturing. As for the characters, we selected two major characters: I performed Harold Zidler, and Ira performed Satine. The thought of this system was to indicate the start of the musical, the start of the story, bringing the enjoyment, enjoyable, and insanity of the Moulin Rouge to the viewers.
We have been tremendous excited as a result of it was one thing new. We did quite a lot of new lifts and new components, plus the music was wonderful and also you wished to take heed to it on a regular basis, there have been quite a lot of humorous moments, and we put collectively this system itself in a short time. Total, we’re pleased with what we put out.
Is there a contest efficiency that stands out as a breakthrough second for you as a crew (to this point)?
AK: The good and most wonderful efficiency of your entire season was our final efficiency on the Junior World Championships, which everybody, together with ourselves, was thrilled about. In it, we achieved every thing we’d labored on all season and, for my part, evoked the feelings we wished. If we discuss all of the years collectively, then it’s positively gold medal on the Junior Grand Prix in Budapest in 2023.
This season, Iryna was sick with a critical sickness and also you weren’t positive you have been going to have the ability to compete. How did your relationship develop throughout this time as you (Artem) have been supporting Iryna?
AK: It was a shock for us. Ira stayed within the hospital for about two weeks. Throughout that whole time, I visited her usually and was all the time there and helped in any means I may. Generally, I even spent the evening within the hospital. My precedence was to assist Ira recuperate shortly and recuperate each bodily and mentally. I attempted to assist her as a lot as doable, speaking to her steadily about numerous matters.
Congratulations on successful the bronze medal on the 2026 World Junior Championships! What have been your feelings whenever you noticed your last rating and realized you have been on the rostrum?
IP: It was an incredible feeling. I began to cry. I couldn’t think about how far I may go trigger a 12 months in the past nearly precisely in the identical days a obtained into the hospital with a extremely critical illness which may cease my skating profession, so my feelings have been simply on a excessive stage.
AK: Our first emotion was pure delight. We labored so onerous to realize this medal, we’d been by a lot. For us, this was pure happiness and delight—for us, for our crew, which supported us by thick and skinny, and our crew’s result’s our collective end result. And it was much more particular to comprehend that 11 years in the past, on this enviornment, our choreographers additionally gained bronze.
Wanting again on the occasion, what moments from the competitors stand out essentially the most to every of you?
IP: All of this occasion we loved a lot. Our final JWC have been so memorable.
AK: For me, this competitors was unforgettable from begin to end, because it was our final Junior World Championships. I loved day by day, each minute. This competitors was a significant occasion in my life.
This was the ultimate competitors and the shut of your junior ice dance profession. What is going to you are taking from this season as you put together on your first senior season?
IP: This season was onerous, completely, however we realized how necessary we’re to one another, how necessary our crew is for us and solely by holding collectively we will develop and construct our senior profession.
AK: In fact, all our useful expertise, as a result of over the previous 4 years we’ve collected a wealth of information that will likely be helpful to us sooner or later. And all of the nice recollections that can heat us and encourage us.
As seniors subsequent 12 months, what do you assume would be the greatest problem?
IP: Being seniors it’s all the time about enhancing and getting higher, what was sufficient in juniors will likely be much less in seniors, so we wish to present on a robust senior skating
AK: The principle problem will likely be to not lose face, skate an excellent season and make debut.
How has your partnership advanced because you first teamed up?
Our relationship has advanced tremendously; we’ve grown collectively as people, grow to be extra empathetic and gentler in direction of one another. We’ve gone from being simply companions to greatest pals, all the time prepared to assist one another.
What does it imply to you to symbolize Ukraine on the worldwide stage?
IP: We’re proud to symbolize our nation and present how sturdy our nation is. Our folks, troopers, each particular person which went and going by this robust occasions for our stunning nation are the strongest folks on the planet.
AK: It’s a terrific honor for us to symbolize Ukraine on the worldwide stage, to have the Ukrainian anthem performed on the worldwide stage. It’s necessary for us, particularly in occasions like these, to indicate that Ukraine and its individuals are very sturdy, that we now have fantastic and succesful athletes who shouldn’t be underestimated, and that we’re a voice for our nation, a voice that will likely be heard and by no means forgotten. Slava Ukraini!
Should you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be?
IP: I’d take a lesson with Tessa Advantage.
AK: I would really like this lesson to happen with a determine skating grasp, with GOAT, with Guillaume Cizeron, I wish to be taught from him every thing he can do. As a result of for me this man is God, he can do every thing, his skating abilities are mesmerizing, his actions, tenderness, high quality, all the essential standards of determine skating he has multiplied all of them a hundredfold, when he skates, it’s not possible to take your eyes off him.
What’s one phrase that greatest describes your partnership?
IP: Feelings. We’re each actually emotional in some ways – we [are] arguing, crying, laughing.
AK: Loopy!!!!
You’ll be able to comply with Iryna and Artem on their crew Instagram account. The crew additionally has a GoFundMe marketing campaign to help them with coaching bills.
