In this Solo Q&A, learn more about Bella Danic, a U.S. ice dancer who competes in the novice solo combined event. Photos by Melanie Heaney.
Tell us about how your skating journey began. What drew you to the ice? Do you have any special memories?
My skating journey began when I was eight years old. I started in learn to skate and fell in love with the sport. When I was 9, I started driving down to Arctic Edge for freestyle lessons with Lisa Kirby and Ann Barr. I was a freestyler before I became an ice dancer. One thing that drew me to the ice was getting to express myself on the ice and performing for people. When I step on the ice I feel at home. One special memory I have is when I made it to Solo Dance Finals for the first time. I was in Utah competing and won my first dance competition! I made it to Nationals that day.
When and why did you choose to do solo dance?
I chose to do solo dance in 2021, but I really started to compete in 2023. I chose to do solo dance because I fell in love with ice dance and I didn’t feel ready for a partner but I still wanted to compete. Solo Dance was a perfect opportunity to show my love for ice dance and to compete in it.
What do you like most about Solo Dance? What kind of music to you like to skate to the best? Why?
One thing I love about Solo Dance is that you get to do a free dance where you get to decide your own music and your own genre of skating. My favorite type of music to skate to is upbeat jazzy music. This year I’m skating to Lady Gaga and Madonna so it’s really fun to express myself and dance!
Tell us about your training site.
I train at Arctic Edge Training Center in Canton, Michigan and also at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube. My head coaches are Greg Zuerlein and Dean Copely. I am a part of the Solo Dance Advantage and I also train with Michigan Ice Dance Academy. I also work with Charlotte Maxwell for choreography.
Who choreographed your programs. What do you like best about dancing them?
Charlotte Maxwell choreographed my free dance this year. She is a great choreographer and she really helps me to tell a story when I skate. Most importantly she helps me to enjoy my programs. My favorite thing about my program is my Choreo Step because I really get to use a lot of expression and I get to dance.
Solo Dance is now an international discipline this season. Share your thoughts about this change.
I think it’s really exciting that solo dance is going international! I think it’s a great way to expand the sport and this discipline of skating to a whole new area. I hope that it will continue to grow and more and more people get into it.
In skating, what are you most looking forward to this season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?
One thing that I am really excited for this season is going to Solo Dance Finals and to perform my programs at the biggest competition of the season! One of my biggest challenges this year was working on my mindset. I’m a perfectionist. Being in the sport of figure skating it’s very hard to be perfect, pretty much impossible, so I’m learning how to control that and to just have fun when I skate.
What do you think makes solo dance a special discipline?
I think what makes solo dance super special is that you get to compete by yourself and you don’t have to have a partner to compete. You still get to show your love for ice dance by yourself.
If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
If I could have an ice dance lesson with any ice dancer I would choose Tessa Virtue. She is such a great performer and she has very clean turns and deep edges while still performing. I am also so lucky that I get to take lessons with the MIDA coaches. They have helped me improve my dance skills so much. They are all such talented ice dancers!
What are your favorite off-ice activities?
My favorite off ice activities are spending time with my family and going to Northern Michigan. I also enjoy writing and reading.
Please share anything else you would like our readers to know about you as a skater?
I took a chance and tried out for the Hockettes Junior Synchronized Skating Team and I made it! I am loving being a part of a high level synchronized skating team and my teammates and coaches are amazing! I am looking forward to competing this season.
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