L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R
Coaches sing praises of Solo Dance Series, Final I caught up with 2006 Olympic silver medalist Ben Agosto at the 2014 National Solo Dance Series
Final in Colorado Springs, Colo. Ben was in town with two of his students for the late-September competition at the Broadmoor
World Arena. He recently took a position at the Coyotes Ice Den in Scottsdale, Ariz., as director of the rink’s new ice dance program. He had spent recent years since competitive retirement coaching in the cool and rainy Seattle
area. “I’m really enjoying it,” Ben said. “I thought I would be melting, but words that I never thought
would come out of my mouth are coming out of my mouth like, ‘It’s only 102 today.’” Although he’s only been on the job for two months, Ben loves the rink’s environment and is ex-
cited to build a fi rst-class dance program in the desert. He’s also the new power skating coach for the rink’s junior Coyotes travel hockey program. “I put on my hockey skates and have my whistle,” Ben said. “I kind of do the drill sergeant thing.
It’s such a diff erent energy, a diff erent dynamic, but it’s a lot of fun and a good workout.” Sitting in the stands at the World Arena, the 32-year-old native of Illinois could only smile when
watching the skaters embrace his craft. “It’s absolutely a joy to come and watch everyone enjoying ice dance, because one of the reasons
I’ve always enjoyed ice dance is that it’s so much fun,” he said. “I love skating, love performing. To see all the kids out here and see the work that they’ve put in is really rewarding. There have been a couple of kids who have come up to me and said they started dancing because they watched Tanith [Belbin] and me skate. That’s the highest compliment and makes me so happy.” The 2014 Solo Dance Series included 504 skaters and 80 events nationwide. For the Series Final,
248 skaters earned the right to compete, with 232 accepting invitations to come to Colorado Springs. “It’s a great way for people to keep working and excelling and pushing their level, with an oppor-
tunity to compete,” he said. “At the end of the day, most people really want to compete and there’s an excitement factor that you just can’t get from testing.” Fellow ice dance coach Russ Witherby, who competed in the 1992 Olympics, was also at the
boards for the Series Final, with two of his students from California. Like Ben, Russ can’t say enough good things about the opportunities that the Solo Dance Series
and Final provide skaters. “These kids have such a passion for the sport, and as ice dancers they spend so much time learn-
ing the skills and working their way through their base, and then to actually be able to perform in a championship like this is just incredible,” he said. The Solo Series and Final also off er the chance for skaters to fi nd a dance partner, without the
stress of a formal tryout. “In past years, you’d see kids going to events and they would go out on the ice and they’d try out
to be [partners],” Russ said. “Here, they are actually performing and just having a great time, showing off their personalities, showing off their strengths, enjoying the aspect of performing.” Thirteen boys participated in the Series, with eight advancing to the Series Final. Taryn Jurgensen, a three-time winner of the Series Final, is the ideal ambassador for solo dance because of what it has meant to her and many other skaters. “It’s so great for fi gure skating in general, because it’s hard for a lot of girls to fi nd partners,” the
22-year-old recent college grad said. “So even if you loved to do dance and jumping wasn’t your thing and dancing was the main thing, you couldn’t really go anywhere. Solo dance is the perfect way for girls to keep ice dancing. “I also think it helps a lot of freestylers with their secondary skills, with their expressions and their
edge work.” One person who has had a front-row seat for solo dance’s explosive growth is Broadmoor Skating
Club Local Organizing Committee Competition Chair, Janna Blanter. Without a doubt, she’s witnessed signifi cant improvement by the skaters since the event’s inception four years ago. “They are learning to understand that in dance you actually put your blade to the beat of the
music, you express the entire body, and music selection is lovely,” Blanter said. “The joy of skating is really coming through in these kids.” “Every year the skating at the Final gets better and better, but what has been even more wonder-
ful to watch is that the amount of dance at nonquals gets bigger and bigger each year,” Program De- velopment Committee Chair Mary-Elizabeth Wightman said. “It’s so awesome to see so many skaters dancing.”
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4 NOVEMBER 2014
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