by Anne Calder
Veronica Carhart, a novice solo dancer, has three sisters who have competed in ice dancing. However, she started practicing freestyle when she was very young and persisted for nearly 12 years.
“i was adopted [from China] I came to the United States when I was two and a half years old. It was Adrienne, Helena and me, and a few months later Marianne was born.
“I had seen them skate, but the day I actually decided I wanted to skate on the ice was when we went to a skateboard warehouse store in New York or New Jersey. I don’t remember which one it was. “My only memory is walking around the store and looking at all the cool stuff. However, my mom said when the girls got the skates, I said, ‘I skate too.’
“In my last season as a singles player [freestyle] Skater, my mom would gravitate me toward ice dancing. I’ve been hesitant because I didn’t know if I would like it since I’ve been doing singles for so long.
“I never really thought about ice dancing. It was even more melancholy that my sisters turned to ice dancing because I was the only one left. Before Marianne went to ice dancing, I was okay with that. When When she left, I thought, “I’m the weirdo again. “I guess in my mind, as the only adopted child, I felt neglected.
Veronica has previously stated that she feels very connected to them and her family when she is on the ice with them.
“Two serious injuries kept me out of the ice for eight months, and due to the injuries and pain I decided I couldn’t continue dancing. I decided it would be easier if I just did ice dancing. So around February 2024, I switched. We decided I should try for the solo season, but I signed up for NQS a little too late. “We chose to enter some competitions and try dancing solo. So far, I’m really enjoying it.
“The Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida, where I trained, was more of an ice dance-based rink, and a few of us soloists trained with Marina Zoeva and Ilya Tkachenko. It really helped to have them there and I was able to observe and understand what was unique about their skating.
After six months of training in her new discipline, Veronica shares her thoughts on its advantages. “What I like most, at least for me, is that dancing solo is less stressful.”
“In the jump [freestyle] I always focus on jumping. If I didn’t land successfully, people would be like, ‘Oh my God, you did such a bad job. Also, some little girls could do tons of triple axels, so I always felt like I was falling behind. Sometimes jumping also depends on your size and physical abilities. You need to be small to jump high and also very strong.
“When I turned to ice dance, I realized it wasn’t just focused on one part of skating; it was focused on one part of skating. It’s very diverse. You have to focus on speed, you have to focus on extension, you have to focus on spin. All these elements are very important.
Veronica points out the pros and cons of her performance in the pairs ice dance competition.
“Sometimes I think it might be nice to have a partner— To not feel alone. I often look at my sister and she is with her partner. They have someone they can talk to and confide in.
“Sometimes I don’t want a partner. I like to be in control. Relying on another person to take me somewhere sometimes scares me.
At the recent Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships, Veronica placed second with her novice solo Starlight Waltz Pattern dance Coppelia, Six points behind the leaders. She jumped to first place in the free dance and won the gold medal. Lorenzo, Disney shorts she watched as a child.
“To be honest, I really didn’t think I could win because the lead was so big. It was no problem for me because I just started ice dancing,” Veronica said.
“However, since I was too late for the NQS, which would be my last loss of the season, I got out on the ice and skated. I wasn’t too nervous, which I think really helped. When I skated, I Very dedicated. I made sure to smile at the judges and execute and complete everything the coach said and it finally worked out.
“Then, While I was very confident in my performance, I was also almost sad that this was my last skate. All the rush and tension of the season is over. I’m very happy with my skateboard”
