2019 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame named its 2019 honor list in April. This year’s inductees all hail from regions outside North America.
Two ice dance teams — one from Russia, the other from the former Czechoslovakia — a singles skater from Slovakia and a Russian coach are being honored for their personal accomplishments and their contributions to the sport.
QUANTUM LEAP FOR ICE DANCE
When Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin danced away with the 1988 Olympic title their triumph was the culmination of 11 years of hard work.
Legendary Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova had worked with Bukin since his late teens, and in 1977 decided to pair him with Bestemianova, a singles skater.
The opportunity to try ice dance was a blessing for Bestemianova whose former coach considered her untalented and without prospect in singles skating. “It was very difficult for me, from a psychological point of view. Tatiana really breathed life into me,” Bestemianova recalled.
From the outset, Tarasova looked beyond the choreographic mainstream, choosing Soviet ballroom dancers Irina Tchubarets and Stanislav Shkliar to design their programs. The unconventional choreography Tchubarets and Shkliar crafted for the team — throughout their entire career — highlighted the duo’s strong technique, remarkable unison, and Bestemianova’s rubber-like flexibility.
Bestemianova and Bukin placed 10th in their international debut at the 1979 World Championships, and just three years later were battling it out for top honors with Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
After claiming bronze at Worlds in 1981, the Soviet duo danced into second place
