Chatting with Alessandra Cernuschi and filippo Ambrosini Alessandra Ambrosini and Filippo Cernuschi

You have recently competed at the first National Competition, where you debuted your new programs.

Alessandra: Yes, our Short Program is Romeo And Juliet by Nino Rota – with a section containing vocals, as it is allowed since this season – and we have decided to skate to Tosca in the Free Program.

Unfortunately you didn't skate well in that event.

Filippo: No, but being it our first competition of the season we have skated mainly for showing our new elements and for checking whether we would have received the aimed levels or not.

We are focused on our next competition which is going to be in Riga – and belongs to the Challenger Series -and we hope to have a good score there.

Our goal for the national competition in Cortina was to show our new elements, as we were competing alone we didn't go there to skate our best.

Alessandra: We wanted to show to the judges our new elements: the lifts, the twist,...

Filippo: As we were very concentrated on the new elements we were supposed to perform, we probably were not focused enough on the ones we usually do better. But this problem can be easily fixed; moreover the judges told us we have improved a lot in pair elements and unison, and this means that the summer training is showing results.

Alessandra: We can build a good season from this starting point.

You have mentioned having new lifts: which further new elements have you added to the programs?

Alessandra: The Twist in the Short Program is now triple, and we perform the throw triple Flip in the Long Program.

Therefore which new jumps will you perform?

Alessandra: Salchow and Flip, while last year we had Salchow and Toeloop.

What about your side-by-side jumps?

Alessandra: Toeloop and Axel in the Long Program.

Filippo: Last year we did the Axel in the Short, while this year we do the Toeloop. We start the Long with the triple Toeloop-double Toeloop-double Toeloop combination, the other jump is the axel.

What is your success rate for these jumps and the triple twist?

Alessandra: It is quite high for the Twist, but we are going to attempt it only in the Short Program now. We prefer to focus our attention on the other new elements in the Long Program.

Filippo: The Long is more physically demanding for us as there are two throw jumps, three lifts – two of them are new – and the side-by-side jumps. We are going to attend two important competitions, one in Riga at the Volvo Open Cup and one in Graz at the Ice Challenge. After these we are going to skate at Nationals, and hopefully we will qualify for the European Championships.

Alessandra: This is our first Senior season so we have nothing to lose.

Filippo: We don't want to feel pressure, but we just want to work and show what we are capable to do. We will not set any goal in terms of results, this year we only want to grow, reinforce our new elements and make ourselves known to the public.

You have mentioned the European Championships: last year you competed in that event, I would like to know your thoughts on your performance there and in the other major competitions you have attended last season.

Alessandra: The past season has been filled with very important events for us. The third place at the Junior Grand Prix was totally unexpected and from that result we had prepared the ground for building a good season. The only dark spot were the European Championships, which we approached quite scared as it was a way more serious environment – the Senior circuit – and a much more important competition compared to the ones we had attended until then. We were frightened, probably. On the contrary the Junior World Championships were an environment we already knew and in fact we skated much better on that occasion.

Which differences did you notice between the Junior and the Senior circuits?

Filippo: They are totally different. Even the people competing there: in Juniors there are many teenagers and thus there is not much pressure. In the Senior circuit on the contrary you do feel pressure...

Alessandra: ...Hostilities...

Filippo: If I think of the European Championships...yes, we made mistakes, but we have also learnt a lot, because that competition probably was too big for us. I didn't expect it to be such a huge event, I almost felt out of my element because the environment, the public, the TV, everything was totally different from what we were used to.

Alessandra: All of that was quite destabilizing for us.

Filippo: Exactly, in Italy there's not so much public even in the Senior competitions.

Alessandra: Whereas at the US National Championships, for example, the arenas are always sold out. In any case, we can say that after that experience we will be able to approach the future competitions with a different mindset.

You spent your summer training in Florida with John Zimmermann and in Courchevel with your coach. How was it?

Alessandra: We spent five weeks at Zimmermann's school, from half of June till the end of July.

Filippo: We loved training there; John and Silvia (Fontana) welcomed us very warmly and we didn't feel neither strangers nor put aside, although we were a Junior pair coming from a different environment.

Alessandra: Also the skaters, Brandon Frazer and Haven Denney, were super nice to us.

Filippo: We have learnt a lot with John. He has taught us many things about pair elements: we have worked on the lifts and the twist. The results of this training were tangible already right after we came back from Florida, although we didn't expect we could be able to insert so many new elements in our programs in such a short amount of time. Silvia is very charismatic, and has helped us a lot with the choreography of our new programs. We will probably continue to work with them in the following years as we are very happy with how we trained this summer with them.

Was Ingo Steuer already in Florida while you were training there?

Alessandra: Unfortunately he had arrived when we had just left! After leaving Florida we went to Courchevel, where we trained with our Forum team. We worked with Tiziana Pagani and Cristina Mauri, our coaches, and with Pierre Trent too. After that we have spent two weeks in Folgaria, in Trentino, before returning here in Milan.

How many people are part of your team?

Filippo: Tiziana Pagani is our main coach and we take every decision with her. Cristina Mauri helps us with the side-by-side jumps, as she has been our coach when we were skating in singles. Nicoletta Lunghi and Raffaella Cazzaniga choreograph our programs. With Corrado Giordani we work on our posture, arm movements and off-ice ballet lessons. We have a numerous staff and in our opinion that is a positive thing as it allows to both the two of us and all of them to collaborate with each other, to share suggestions and different point of views. I think that they are learning a lot too as we are the first pair they have ever worked with. It is a new experience for us as well as for them.

The Forum skating club's main discipline has always been Ice Dance, while now there are two Senior pairs training there: Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise and you. How is it training with them and what do you think about the future of the pair discipline in Italy?

Filippo: We are very happy that they (Della Monica/Guarise) have decided to train here full-time.

Alessandra: We needed someone who could set an example for us, as at the beginning it was not easy for us to train alone, we didn't know very well how the training day of a pair skater was. They have been role models for us, we always trained together this summer and it has been a great experience.

Filippo: We have a good relationship with them and we are friends both on and off the ice, they push us to improve and learn everyday.

Alessandra: We try to support each other during practices.

Which competitions will you attend besides the ones you have mentioned before?

Alessandra: After the Ice Challenge in Graz we will go to the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, then to the National Championships. We will decide later what to do in the remaining part of the season.

Filippo: This season has started a bit later for us as this summer I was offered to skate in the show Intimissimi On Ice: I accepted, of course. It has been an amazing experience, I have had a lot of fun and it was nice to work while remaining in the figure skating environment. The reharsals went on for weeks and that prevented us from training full time. We were supposed to skate in the Nebelhorn Trophy after the shows in Verona, but right before the competition Alessandra got sick and I also needed some time to rest, after the many hours spent on the ice preparing the show. Therefore we decided to not compete in Oberstdorf.

How much time did it take to prepare the show?

Filippo: We skated here in Milan for three weeks, in a rink built just for us in piazzale Cuoco. It has been a very demanding show, unlike a typical show there were many group numbers, several costume changes...I had never done a show before, but the other skaters who had performed in the previous editions of the show told me they had never skated in such a show before. While in the previous years they were just doing single exhibitions – as singles skaters or as pairs – this year we have started almost one month in advance to create the show. There was a storyline, thus every exhibition was linked to the previous and the following one.

You said you liked a lot working in the figure skating world. Have you already thought on what to do once you'll quit competitive skating?

Filippo: Let's say that I approach skating almost as a lifestyle. I know that I will be a coach in the future and that I will want to keep being part of this sport. Moreover, I like a lot the exhibition environment because you can have fun while skating, without having the competition pressure. Perhaps in galas I will feel more joy and less pain while skating!

Are you attending University?

Filippo: No, I have finished high school but I have decided to not attend University.

What about you, Alessandra?

Alessandra: I am attending the fourth year at high school, I am still young! I don't know yet what to do once I'll quit skating, I would like to remain in the figure skating world or perhaps being a physiotherapist.

As this is going to be your first Senior season and that you will probably end up competing alongside with the best skaters in the World, who are your favourite skaters, your role models?

Alessandra: In pair skating, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov.

Filippo: Exactly.

Alessandra: In my opinion they are perfect on the technical and skating skills sides. In the other disciplines, I have had the chance to know Stéphane Lambiel at the Berlin pair seminars that we have attended for two years, and I think he is an artist under any point of view, a unique person, he is always inspired no matter what he is doing.

Filippo: I think Stéphane is a role model too.

Do you watch other disciplines besides pairs?

Alessandra: I follow a little bit of everything, as I have skated many years as a single skater and thus I like a lot that discipline.

Filippo: Since I have started skating pairs I like a lot watching ice dance competitions, looking at the interpretation, the skating. In singles it is nice to watch the jumps and technique, but in my opinion watching ice dance is more likeable and interesting, even if I am not watching elite skaters, the athletes portray way more emotions.

Alessandra: Moreover two skaters cover more ice on the rink, the single skaters are more focused on technique but they do not cover the ice at its full length and width like dancers do.