Shpilband leaves Detroit SC

[Mathman]

It was recently announced that ice dance coach Igor Shpilband will be leaving the Detroit Skating Club, to take up a post at another skating club in the Detroit area (the Arctic Ice Arena in Canton, MI.) Nine dance teams -- including Belbin and Agosto and Wing and Lowe -- will be making the move with him.

It seems like the DSC, one-time home of Tara Lipinski and Todd Eldredge, is falling on hard times. Quite a few people have left, skaters and coaches, and most of the elite skaters in the Detroit area train elsewhere (such as Eldredge, Sato and Dungeon, Ryan Jahnke, Jenny Kirk).

According to the newspaper account, Shpilband left because the club fired his assistant, choreographer Marina Zoueva.

Mathman

 

[Norlite]

This has been an ongoing controversy all summer. Lots of scandal.

At one time it was thought he might be going to Texas. I'm glad for his teams he decided to stay in the Detroit area.

 

[Ptichka]

According to the newspaper account, Shpilband left because the club fired his assistant, choreographer Marina Zoueva.

PLEASE EXPLAIN!!! I thought Shpilband/ Zoueva were a team, working together. Why did the club fire her? How can the club do that if Igor was the one who invited her?

I sincerely hope this will not affect Belbin & Agosto. This is a very important season for them -- last season nobody expected much from them, but this time around they will have to fight very hard to prove that last year was not just a lucky fluke.

 

[Mathman]

I guess Shpilband and Zoueva thought they were a team, too! The newspaper account, doesn't give any details. Maybe Norlite knows the nitty-gritty.

From Detroit Free Press reporter Jo-Ann Barnas:

"Shpilband, whose teams have collected more than 20 national titles in the past 13 years, said he left [the DSC] because it didn't renew the coaching contract of Marina Zoueva, who had been at the DSC for two years.

"'It was a hard decision for me,' Shpilband said. 'I'm not holding it against the club. I just wouldn't have been able to do it without Marina.'

"The DSC's board of directors voted last spring not to renew Zoueva's contract. Zoueva has also been hired at the Artic Edge.

"Zoueva, perhaps best known as a choreographer, worked with Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, the 1988 and '94 Olympic pairs champions.

"'A lot of small things led to our decision not to keep Marina Zoueva,' said Herb Vader, president of the DSC board.'...We did everything humanly possible to keep Igor.'"

For what it's worth, I never liked the DSC. In my (very minimal) contact with them I found them to be snooty and stuck up. Plus, I think they thought I was a Kwaniac trying to spy on Tara, LOL.

Mathman

 

[astimegoesby]

Does anyone know where Igor and Marina will go from here? I'm hoping Marina will return to Canada, but you never know...

I'm also curious how this will affect Fedor Andreev and Jenny Kirk's new partnership...

 

[Norlite]

Igor and Marina and their skaters are staying in Detroit at Artic Ice.

This doesn't affect Fedor or Jenny Kirk as they are at Onyx with Callaghan. They never were at the same arena as Fedor's mother.

 

[Ice Princess]

I met Igor (& Tara Lipinski & Ilia Kulik)) when I did Snapple Skate With The Stars!

 

[Mathman]

Wow, you are lucky. What was the format of the show? Did you get to do a solo number?

Mathman

 

[RealtorGal]

For what it's worth, I never liked the DSC. In my (very minimal) contact with them I found them to be snooty and stuck up. Plus, I think they thought I was a Kwaniac trying to spy on Tara, LOL.

Mathman

You mean you WEREN'T?

BTW, why were you in contact with them? Just curious.

 

[Ice Princess]

Mathman-

It wasn't a show-it's a clinic. It was all day & they have sessions on & off the ice. Tara, Ilia, & Shpilband helped with others. It was neat & I will never forget it!