On-ice Photograph by Melanie Heaney
On this Solo Q&A, study extra about James Koszuta, a former Crew USA ice dancer and 2023 European Championships competitor for Norway. He not too long ago completed fourth on the 2024 Washington Picken Worldwide, the primary worldwide solo dance occasion held within the U.S.
I began out enjoying hockey across the age of 5. My mother noticed the determine skaters on the ice earlier than my practices and had me join classes to make me a greater skater for hockey. After years of doing each, it turned out skating was my true calling. A particular reminiscence I’ve is the time my former companion and I received U.S. Nationals on the Novice stage. It had been our first season collectively and we had solely been skating for seven months as a crew, so it was a whirlwind however such an unforgettable season for me to expertise. It actually solidified my very own perception in myself as an ice dancer who was meant to be there among the many greatest within the nation.
When and why did you select to do solo dance?
I’ve been doing partnered dance for about 10 years. After my final companion and I cut up, the marketplace for eligible companions was slim and I ended up engaged on refining my solo abilities. As this season began and I used to be nonetheless with none luck within the partnered world, I figured solo can be a enjoyable new alternative for me that will additionally preserve me motivated and on the aggressive scene.
What do you want most about Solo Dance? What sort of music to you prefer to skate to one of the best? Why?
I really like that I can really make one thing of my very own in my packages. I can look at each nuance and really personalize this system to suit my character. I really like blues, rock and a few older hits from the 70s and 80s. This season was the right change to showcase my style in music that I additionally really feel fits my skating type.
Inform us about your coaching website. (Location, amenities, dance mates, lessons, coaches, and many others.)
I’m at the moment coaching in Nashville on the Ford Ice Heart with a world class crew of coaches. What I really like most is the expertise and variety among the many skaters and coaches that retains the environment within the enviornment not like something I’ve ever skilled. Day by day I come to coach it’s a optimistic and galvanizing atmosphere that cultivates success. Having the ability to see excessive stage ice dancers and freestyle skaters is really superb and I’m grateful to have the ability to prepare amongst them.
Who choreographed your packages? What do you want greatest about dancing them?
Wesley Campbell choreographed my free dance and Rob Peal did my rhythm dance. What I really like is the 2 very completely different kinds they delivered to the desk that labored completely with their given items. Rob helped me obtain that prime power rhythm dance that contrasts from the melting and extra informal really feel of my free dance with Wesley.
Solo Dance is now a world self-discipline this season? Share your ideas about this alteration.
I feel it’s unimaginable for the skating world. I really like that there’s one other avenue in skating for skaters to realize a excessive stage of success and promote extra competitors throughout the solo dance neighborhood. I’ve observed the surge in progress this previous 12 months with the change to worldwide, which additionally got here with nice timing personally for me to leap on board.
In skating, what are you most trying ahead to this season? What might be your greatest problem(s)?My greatest challenges will for certain be the brand new parts in solo dance that I actually by no means took the time to work on as a partnered skater. I really like that it’s pushing me outdoors my consolation zone and making me a greater skater. I’m trying ahead to seeing the expansion on the finish of the season in comparison with once I began.
What do you assume makes solo dance a particular self-discipline?
There aren’t a ton of conventional tips that you just see in pairs, ice dance and freestyle. You actually need to work the choreography to make one thing particular with out the spotlight of a cool elevate or bounce and it actually forces you to be in tune together with your skating, music, and total efficiency.
If you happen to may have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
There are such a lot of that will be unimaginable to work with and simply observe them of their aspect. One dancer I might like to have a lesson with is Zach Donohue. I really feel that he was such a robust skater like myself and I might like to get some perception on additional drawing from that power.
What are your favourite off-ice actions?
I really like our group lessons on the enviornment with Kori Ade. She at all times finds a method to make a conventional exercise attention-grabbing and interactive which retains you in your toes and at all times difficult completely different muscle mass. I additionally very a lot take pleasure in scorching yoga, it’s a big purpose I used to be in a position to increase my flexibility and power hand in hand the previous 10 years, in addition to hone in my thoughts and preserve me grounded. I do consider it’s probably the greatest issues in your physique no matter what you do and has helped preserve me wholesome and nimble.
Please share the rest you desire to our readers to learn about you as a skater.
One factor I really feel I carry to the desk is that I’ve by no means been the standard skater, which I really like about myself. My physique was something however pure to skating, and I’ve needed to work at remodeling myself right into a extra properly rounded skater. From enjoying hockey and skating collectively I’ve at all times drawn from my bodily power and had very highly effective packages. I began getting critical about ice dance on the late age of 15 once I met my coach Bianka. She turned me from a leisure freestyler/dancer to a full blown refined ice dancer. It’s been a sluggish and at instances tedious street to coach myself to that time, however I’m grateful I carry a distinct type and physique sort to the skating world.
