For the subsequent entry in our New Workforce Sequence, we meet Vittoria Porro & Leonardo Pietrocola, intermediate novice ice dancers who symbolize Italy.
Leonardo: I began skating after I was very younger, and the ice immediately grew to become my absolute ardour.
In my junior profession, I’ve had the privilege of successful three Italian nationwide youth titles with my earlier accomplice—a reminiscence I maintain very near my coronary heart and one which retains me motivated to proceed pushing myself.
Vittoria: For me, skating began out simply as a pastime, however it rapidly become one thing a lot larger.
My favourite reminiscence thus far was assembly Leo a yr in the past; it was the beginning of a beautiful journey that has introduced me all the way in which so far.
What drew you to ice dance?
Ice dance has a really distinctive appeal. We have been each drawn to the power to categorical deep feelings by the music, mixed with the acute technical precision of couple skating. Feeling the velocity, the right concord along with your accomplice, and really dancing on the razor’s edge is one thing magical that you simply simply can’t discover in some other self-discipline.
Inform us how your partnership began?
Leonardo: A yr in the past, we have been each searching for the correct turning level in our careers. After we tried out collectively on the ice, we immediately knew the chemistry was precisely what we wanted. We’ve solely been skating collectively for a yr, however the connection felt pure proper from day one.
Vittoria: Sure, proper from our very first coaching classes, the whole lot clicked completely. Collectively, we discovered the correct stability of willpower and enjoyable, which allowed us to hit the ice as a real group from the get-go.
What’s it that you simply like most about dancing with new accomplice?
Leonardo: What I like most about Vittoria is her unbelievable lightness on the ice and her vibrant persona. She at all times brings such constructive power to the rink, each throughout our hardest coaching classes and in the midst of competitions.
Vittoria: What I respect most about Leo is the expertise and confidence he brings to the ice. He’s an extremely arduous employee; I do know I can belief him blindly with each single ingredient, and that evokes me to at all times give my very best.
What experiences do every of you convey to the partnership?
Leonardo: I convey the expertise of competing in main occasions and the mindset of somebody who has already received three nationwide youth titles. I do know what it takes to handle the stress of high-level competitions.
Vittoria: I convey a contemporary power, a robust willingness to be taught, and fierce willpower. Though we’ve been skating collectively for less than a yr, we’ve already received a gold medal and achieved two different podium finishes in each nationwide and worldwide competitions, proving that our partnership is already very strong.
What has been the largest adjustment for every of you thus far within the partnership?
Coming from totally different skating backgrounds, our largest problem in the beginning was aligning our method and kinds so we might transfer completely as one. Reaching flawless synchronization takes lots of time, however we work arduous each single day to good even the smallest particulars.
Inform us about your coaching website and training.
Our headquarters is the Pat Torino membership. That is the place we spend hours on daily basis, splitting our time between on-ice classes and off-ice athletic and inventive coaching to make sure each facet of our efficiency is meticulously cared for.
We’re additionally guided and supported by the sensible teaching employees at Pat Torino. They dedicate themselves to us day by day, serving to us develop each technically and artistically as we put together to face the thrilling new challenges forward.
Behind our journey, we’re additionally extremely fortunate to have Valter Rizzo and Brunilde Bianchi as our coaches. Having the chance to work with them is a privilege; they’re extraordinary coaches and mentors whom we belief utterly and blindly. They don’t simply train us method, they construct our confidence and information us each single day. They’re the strong basis of our development, and we imagine in them with all our hearts.
Who’s choreographing your packages.?
Our packages are choreographed and crafted in shut collaboration with our coaches. Selecting the music and constructing the step sequences is an attractive course of; we at all times search for items that spotlight our velocity and interpretive abilities on the ice, working tirelessly to verify each single notice matches a exact motion.
Our choreographies this yr have been created by Lukáš Csölley. Working with him is an absolute dream come true. As a former Olympian, Lukáš brings a stage of artistry, imaginative and prescient, and expertise that utterly transforms the way in which we transfer on the ice. We’re immensely grateful to him for sharing his unbelievable expertise with us and for serving to us discover our personal inventive voice.
Should you might have a lesson with any ice dancer previous/current, who wouldn’t it be? Why?
We might completely like to have a lesson with among the best ice dance {couples} on the earth, each previous and current. We continually look as much as world-class champions—particularly those that have made historical past for Italian ice dance—to be taught the secrets and techniques behind their easy movement and razor-sharp precision on their blades.
If we might select, we might positively decide Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri. We really had the honour of sharing the ice with them final yr in Mentana throughout summer time coaching. It was a singular alternative as a result of we received to look at them create this system they carried out on the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. However our largest thrill was attending to carry out proper after them through the ‘Una notte al Palavela’ present organized by Membership Silencio. For us younger skaters, seeing such nice champions up shut is extremely emotional. They share an power that makes you understand you’ll be able to hope, you’ll be able to battle, and you can also make it. They’re the rationale why we ice dance.
Our query for Charlène and Marco could be: how do you construct such a robust connection as a pair to turn out to be such nice champions?”
What’s every of you wanting ahead to most this skating season? What might be your largest problem(s)?
Leonardo: The upcoming 2026/2027 season goes to be extremely necessary for us as a result of it marks our official debut within the intermediate class. Confronting this new, greater stage will certainly be our largest problem, however we are able to’t wait to step out onto the aggressive ice.
Vittoria: I’m most wanting ahead to competing and at last showcasing the fruits of all our arduous work. The bar might be set a lot greater, however our aim is to construct on final yr’s successes—like our gold and podium finishes—and show our value within the intermediate subject.
Please share something you want to our readers to learn about you as a group?
We’re a group that dares to dream large. We’re totally conscious that the street forward is lengthy and that now we have to work extremely arduous on daily basis to make our goals a actuality. Our final aim is to honor our membership and do our very best to symbolize Italy proudly, and at all times skate with our hearts.
