“I understood that if I didn’t at least try to take advantage of the opportunity to jump on the last car of the train, I would deeply regret it later.” Interview with Annabelle Morozov and Igor Eremenko
Interview with Annabelle Morozov and Igor Eremenko. The figure skaters shared insights into the process of becoming a pair on the ice, the differences between training in the United States and Russia, and their motivations for working with Anjelika Krylova’s group.
source: RT dd. 21st August 2023 by Elena Vaitsekhovskaya
We had a big conversation with Annabelle Morozov in December, following the news of break up of their duo with David Narizhny and her pursuit of continuing her career in ice dance. Therefore, most of the questions in this current interview were directed towards Igor Eremenko, with whom Annabelle returned to Moscow from the United States last week and began training in Anjelika Krylova’s group.
Igor, after you and Sofia Shevchenko stopped skating together in the fall of 2021 and embarked on a completely different path, it seemed like you were actually enjoying it.
Igor Eremenko: That’s true, it was interesting. After Sonia and I stopped competing, we continued to skate together for a while in shows. I had the opportunity to work as a coach at training camps in our country. And then, Elena Stanislavovna Maslennikova called me and offered me the opportunity to assist her in working with athletes.
Are you referring to Ilia Averbukh’s ice project?
Igor Eremenko: No, I’m referring to the sports school where Maslennikova works and which is supervised by Averbukh.
When an athlete is given the opportunity to step out of their familiar boundaries into a different life, they usually don’t return.
Igor Eremenko: I thought the same way. On one hand, it was tough to end my career. There was a sense that I might still be able to accomplish something in figure skating, but gradually that feeling faded. Ilia invited me to his projects, which was very interesting, and most importantly, through this work, I gained a sense of purpose in my life: there was a project, there were deadlines, and there were results. I enjoyed all of this a lot.
In other words, you had the chance to experience what it’s like to be a coach?
Igor Eremenko: I always approached the prospect of purely coaching work with some skepticism. In my understanding, it’s not so much a profession as it is a calling. That is, in my view, being a “good athlete” and being a “good coach” aren’t necessarily equivalent. Yes, I was interested in working with the guys, coming up with ideas, and choreographing, but in the long term, I never wanted to fully take on a coaching profession. And then I received a call with an offer to skate with Annabelle.
I honestly didn’t believe you’d agree.
Igor Eremenko: I was taken aback. I asked for a week to think it over. I realized that returning to the world of sports would be very, very challenging.
Nevertheless, the arguments in favor for this decision has prevailed?
Igor Eremenko: I understood that if I didn’t at least try to take advantage of the opportunity to jump on the last car of the train, I would deeply regret it later. Besides, it’s invaluable experience that will always be a positive.
Annabelle, how did you view the situation?
Annabelle Morozov: At first, I was not at all sure that Igor would agree. We spoke in December when I was still in Moscow. We met, talked, and I felt that he was mentally ready to make a comeback.
Igor, were you not concerned about the need to go to America with Annabelle for an indefinite period?
Igor Eremenko: There were no issues at all with that. I feel good where I’m not wasting myself in vain. Where work is enjoyable, where there’s a favorite occupation, where there are people I like to interact with, and there’s a perspective.
Did you have to make many sacrifices to return to sports?
Igor Eremenko: I wouldn’t say these were huge sacrifices, but I did have to give up on everything I had accomplished in the past year and a half while working in Moscow with Maslennikova and Averbukh.
How did these specialists react to your decision, by the way?
Igor Eremenko: I was quite worried when I approached Elena Stanislavovna with this conversation. I was afraid that I would disappoint her greatly, which I really didn’t want. Unexpectedly, she supported me. She said that in terms of her work, this wasn’t very good news, but if I genuinely felt capable, I should definitely try to come back and accomplish everything I had in mind.
Did anyone try to dissuade you?
Igor Eremenko: Surprisingly, no. Even my mom said, “Pack your bags and don’t waste any time.”
You and Sofia Shevchenko trained for many years with Irina Zhuk and Alexander Svinin. Here, you ended up in the hands of Nikolai Morozov, and I assume it’s a completely different coaching style. Did you adapt quickly?
Igor Eremenko: Besides Zhuk and Svinin, I had other coaches. I started skating with Eva Khachaturyan in Olga Nikolaevna Ryabina’s group in Rostov-on-Don, and we skated together for about nine years. Then, Sofia Shevchenko and I spent the next six or seven years in Zhuk and Svinin’s group. But here, it’s not just a transition from one coaching environment to another. There was a kind of buffer zone through my own coaching work with Maslennikova. While that period wasn’t very long, the experience allowed me to look at the training process a bit differently. It was also very interesting to see what other specialists could offer me and what they could teach.
How does Coach Morozov differ from the specialists you worked with before?
Igor Eremenko: In every way. I wouldn’t say that training under his guidance required a lengthy adaptation; we quickly found common ground. But initially, it was unusual.
It’s an entirely different approach to training. In America, we had a lot of ice time. When your training time is strictly limited, you always know exactly what you’ll be working on and in what order. I, at least, got used to this. Here, we would step onto the ice, and you could never predict which direction the process might go or which detail might have an impact. Nikolai is incredibly creative in this regard.
Annabelle, you should have long been accustomed to your father’s coaching methods.
Anabelle Morozov: I was indeed used to it. But I saw how surprising it was for Igor.
Igor Eremenko: Not just that. Nikolai teaches certain things differently. For me, it was a “Wow!” moment. The choreography, in particular, turned out to be very unexpected for me. Honestly, I didn’t quite understand how we put together both of our programs. I thought the process would follow a typical pattern: come up with an idea, start with a foundation, and then add on as the music plays. Here, we worked quite chaotically on different parts, not paying much attention to the order in which they would be composed. I remember coming home from practice, and Annabelle said, “So, it seems like we already have a program, right?”
The season hasn’t started yet, but I’m hearing complaints from all sides about the theme proposed by the International Skating Union (ISU) for the short dance. People are saying it’s not easy to understand the underlying concept and that it’s challenging to find a wide variety of music from the 80s.
Annabelle Morozov: We actually really like our short dance. We genuinely enjoy skating it.
Igor Eremenko: I think the main difficulty here lies in not very clear boundaries within which you can operate. There aren’t that many hits, and it’s possible that many pairs will end up using similar music. On the other hand, the 80s were a period of significant changes in the music industry, a period of much greater artistic freedom and drive. Apparently, ISU’s recommendations are driven by nostalgia for those feelings. But it’s not easy to combine the technical side of the program, ensuring that no elements are omitted, with the feeling of absolute inner freedom. If you manage to do that, then you’ve hit the mark.
Which of the dances is physically more challenging for you?
Annabelle Morozov: It’s hard to say right away. In the free dance, there are places where we can allow ourselves to rest a bit, catch our breath. The short dance is more compact and intensive, but I can’t say it’s more challenging for me.
Your free dance is structured in a way that captivates from the very first seconds. Is this a deliberate script?
Annabelle Morozov: Absolutely.
Igor Eremenko: Nikolai is an absolutely fantastic choreographer in this regard. While we were working on separate parts of the program, I didn’t quite understand what and how it would evolve. Only later did I realize that none of these parts were accidental. Nikolai assembled them like a puzzle with a very specific meaning. Sometimes he asked us to perform certain moves differently so that they fit into this puzzle better.
Who worked with you on lifts and supports?
Annabelle Morozov: For the most part, we did it ourselves. We even tried more complex elements than what ultimately made it into the programs.
Igor Eremenko: We tried everything, pushing the limits. We learned a lot, but we also kept in mind that the program shouldn’t look like a continuous acrobatic routine. So, we had to give up on some lifts.
Did you dance together off the ice?
(In unison.) Yes, we went out a lot and danced quite a bit.
Igor Eremenko: Dancing on the floor is excellent for the body, for getting more relaxed, but besides that, we visited various dance studios, watched different dancers to later invite some of them to work with us on our programs.
Annabelle Morozov: Working on our body positioning and hand movements. It helped us a lot.
I remember Ruslan Zhiganshin once describing the challenges of starting skating with a new partner with a simple phrase: “You take a person by the hand, but it’s a different hand.” Does that feeling sound familiar?
Annabelle Morozov: We didn’t have such problems. We just got together and started. We began with basic exercises and tried many things. There was no division of elements into convenient and inconvenient ones in our minds. If something didn’t work the first time, we simply worked on it more. That’s how we were gradually adjusting to each other.
How much of a luxury is it for you to train in America?
Igor Eremenko: When I left, I naturally had some money. And there, opportunities for additional work opened up.
So, private lessons were still on the table?
Annabelle Morozov: Both Igor and I worked. We trained during the day and then worked with anyone interested late in the evening. At first, it was challenging to balance since we got really tired, but we got used to it over time.
When it comes to your current work in Moscow, what guided your decision to work with Anjelika Krylova?
Annabelle Morozov: I had never collaborated with Krylova before, but I always liked her way of communicating. Besides, last year, I was very impressed with her athletes (Vasilisa Kaganovskaia and Valeriy Angelopol. — RT). They had interesting lifts, intriguing moves, and musicality. I wouldn’t say this pair was the strongest, but they were certainly the most interesting. I liked both of their programs, not just the free dance that many were talking about. In general, the three of us discussed all of this —me, Igor, and my dad — and somehow our opinions aligned. Fortunately, Anjelika agreed to work with us.
Did Nikolai have any regrets about having to hand you over to another coach?
Annabelle Morozov: On the contrary! My dad wants to be a dad, not a coach. He told us directly that he’s ready to support and assist in any way, but he’s not willing to be our constant coach.
Do you plan to return to America during the season?
Annabelle Morozov: Not anymore. We really hope to spend this year with Krylova’s group. And overall, we hope that everything will work out well.
Did you discuss among yourselves what your debut might be like: how specialists will perceive your programs, how you’ll be judged, what kind of results to expect?
Igor Eremenko: Why think about that in advance at all? We just want to show ourselves in the best light. So, we’re trying to prepare as well as we can for the test skates. What people will say about it is another matter.
The suspension of Russian athletes from international competitions probably isn’t too critical for you right now, I assume?
Annabelle Morozov: Right now, it truly doesn’t matter to us which competitions we perform in. The most important thing is that we have these competitions. After all, we haven’t performed together even once yet. But our main goal at the moment is to prepare for the test skates. We simply don’t know what will happen next.
Related topics: Annabelle Morozov, Igor Eremenko
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