Bell Now Speaks Arutunian Language
After some solid finishes last season – including fifth in the U.S. and 12th at the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships – could 2018/2019 be Mariah Bell's big breakout season?
"Absolutely! You start these next four years and everybody is there at the same level, essentially," Bell said. "It's all about who can grow and expand and put it together when it counts."
The 22-year-old skater has reason for optimism. She took part in Mao Asada's "The Ice" shows in Japan this summer, performing her 2018/2019 season's competitive short program, choreographed by Adam Rippon to Celine Dion's "Love You More." And having trained under Rafael Arutunian in Lakewood, California since April 2016, she thinks her triple jump combinations will be more consistent than ever this season.
"I definitely feel more trained this year, than I did last year at this time," Bell said. "The thing with Raf is, he has a very particular technique, and you spend a year learning how to speak his language. So first you have to understand it and only then can you start to apply it. Now I'm in the stage where I can really apply it, and it's exciting to see the changes happen. Every day I get more confident."
Bell added that while Arutunian has taken on a few new students — including Marin Honda and her older brother, Taichi – he has still devoted a chunk of time to her this summer.
"Ashley (Wagner) and Adam (Rippon) are no longer training there right now, so that has opened spots," she said. "It's exciting for me because there are more lady skaters, like Marin and (Korean skater) Lim Eun-soo….It's always evolving."
Bell's free skate was choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne to a mix of "Piano" and "Experience," both by Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi.
"Shae is incredible, and it was such an honor she said she would do my program," Bell said. "Watching her skate is amazing. She would say, 'You try it.' And I said, 'Wow, I don't know what you did, I was just watching how pretty it was.'"
The Canadian choreographer, who won the 2003 World ice dance title with partner Victor Kraatz, stretched Bell artistically and technically.
"I fell like this is the most contemporary program I've ever done, more contemporary than even East of Eden, which was kind of its own thing," Bell said. "Some of the movement is more abstract for me, and that's exciting because I feel like I'm opening up another side of my skating."
Courtney Hicks makes the move from California to Colorado to train with Kori Ade.
Happier Hicks Loves Training in Altitude
After placing ninth at the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships – and getting caught in one too many Southern California traffic jams – Courtney Hicks ditched the Golden State in favor of training with Kori Ade in Monument, Colorado.
"My mom and dad went to Hawaii for a week (in February), and I was driving myself the hour and a half to the rink," Hicks said. "I was like, 'I can't do this.' So I called Jordan (Moeller) and asked, 'How do you move to Colorado?'"
Hicks had choreographed several programs with Rohene Ward in Monument, and had often considered relocating there. At age 22, she decided it was now or never.
"I love Colorado, I really enjoy the weather and all of the outdoor activities here," said Hicks, who arrived in June and now trains alongside her pal Moeller. "I'm loving working with Kori."
Best known for her big jumps, Hicks has been working with Ade to gain more control and finesse.
"I think that whole aspect of jumping big has been one of the problems for me," she said. "When I was younger I didn't have to have the greatest technique, because I could jump really high and just pull in. I could make it look really big, powerful and fast, but it was so inconsistent. I was throwing myself into these jumps, not knowing where my right side was, where anything was, and just doing it."
Ade is also working on polishing Hicks' on-ice look, focusing on her head, hand and arm movements.
"It's all in the details," Hicks said. "I had to be told what to do, because it wasn't something that came naturally to me."
The skater is keeping last season's short, choreographed by Rohene Ward to music from La Califfa. Ward created her new free skate to the "Pas de Deux" from The Nutcracker. It's her second free of the season; the first, a tango, was dropped about three weeks prior to Champs Camp.
"For me, it's all about highlighting a skater's best qualities," Ward said. "Courtney has such a great back and a great neck; I try to highlight how strong her back is. She is also very musical, she has trained in ballet. We started with the tango and it wasn't working, because it was too strong, so we took it to a whole new level and softened it."
Hicks hopes the changes add up to higher program component scores.
"I've been working on changing the way I'm viewed in skating," she said. "I've always been viewed as a powerful skater with big jumps, never as the most artistic or lyrical skater. We're working on how to change the way I'm perceived."
