On this Solo Q&A, study extra about Marina Nikolova, a junior ice dancer who represents Bulgaria. Marina trains with Pavel Savinov and Marina Barova and splits her coaching time between Kranj, Slovenia and Claut, Italy. In January, she gained the gold medal on the Eva un Horst Faber Tyrlean Open and the bronze medal on the 2026 Copenhagen Solo Ice Dance Worldwide.
My skating journey started in March 2012 at a public skating session in my house city Sofia (Bulgaria). My mother drew me to the ice since my grandfather was a hockey participant and she or he herself used to skate. My particular recollections since that yr and first interactions with the game are: The very first time being on the ice and going beneath a skater’s leg and skate whereas they had been doing a camel spin and my first workplace follow with the opposite children and the way our coach thought us methods to fall and stand up proper after we now have fallen down.
When and why did you select to do solo dance?
I selected to do solo ice dance March 2023 due to the swish efficiency the ice dance {couples} had and the sample dance they carried out. I used to be very passionate and all the time cared concerning the total efficiency of my program, not simply the technical elements with all of the jumps and spins.
What do you want most about Solo Dance? What sort of music to you wish to skate to one of the best? Why?
I like the sensation of freedom and with the ability to get extra artistic with the choreography, getting my sense of skating and motion expended. I wish to skate to film soundtracks and songs referred to motion pictures. It offers the efficiency a way of reference to the skater and higher concepts for interpretation.
Inform us about your coaching website.
Kranj is a metropolis positioned on the foot of the mountains. The centre of town is a effectively preserved medieval outdated city, constructed on the confluence of the Kokra and Sava rivers. Kranj is close to the capital of Slovenia-Ljubljana and in addition close to the well-known lake Bled, due to this fact we’re capable of be a part of periods of pleasant fellow skating golf equipment as a collaboration. We have now an ice rink geared up with a gymnasium. My fellow dance mates and skating associates are pretty and make the exhausting follow ps go by faster. My each day lessons are one hour of skating approach for placing consideration to musicality, one hour for applications, and one hour of off-ice follow the place it may be a energy coaching or a cardio session. We have now dance lessons 3 times per week with a contemporary ballet instructor and jazz instructor. My head coach is a former pairs skater and singles skater. We began getting concerned in ice dance after working with a former ice dancer (Marina Barova) who now has joined our staff.
Who choreographed your applications. What do you want greatest about dancing them?
My coach and choreographer Marina Barova choreographed each of my applications. I just like the small catchy particulars we’ve put within the applications and the musics themselves. Each applications are enjoyable they usually get you to wish to sing and dance and have enjoyable which is the explanation why we’ve picked them.
Solo Dance is now a world self-discipline. Share your ideas about this.
I’m extraordinarily comfortable that the self-discipline is worldwide and extra younger athletes are capable of take part and discover the sector of the aggressive aspect of the game and meet interactions with different skaters. The self-discipline prolongs the profession of many determine skaters which will have suffered extreme accidents and may not be as aggressive as they used to.
I’m trying ahead to attaining higher outcomes whereas progressing and increasing my information for the self-discipline. I’d wish to develop higher musicality and reference to the viewers. This season’s problem shall be delivering my applications with the right emotional connection whereas nonetheless getting my parts performed.
What do you suppose makes solo dance a particular self-discipline?
The liberty of creativity whereas studying cultural expertise and exploring completely different kinds of dances carried out on ice. The eye to the element and the sense of feeling we ice dancers depart within the viewers.
When you may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
I’d like to have a lesson with Scott Moir. By his profession with Tessa they achieved many outstanding issues however had a reference to one another that they transferred on the ice and handed to the viewers like nobody else. The work on each element of their program was excellent, footwork by no means upset and the velocity by no means left unnoticed. After they skated, they left the viewers speechless. They didn’t want an introduction with phrases, their presence on the ice spoke for them.
What are your favourite off-ice actions?
My favorite off-ice actions throughout the coaching program are dance, pilates, and cardio periods. My favorite off-ice (free time) actions are strolling with associates, purchasing and digital drawing.
Please share the rest you want to our readers to learn about you as a skater?
Earlier than I was a single skater and competed internationally in additional than 100 competitions. I used to be twice a European Criterium champion for classes Primary Novice and Advance Novice.
