Nelli Zhiganshina
Encyclopedia
Nelli Nailevna Zhiganshina ' onMouseout='HidePop("64370")' href="/topics/Moscow">Moscow
, Russia
) is a Russian ice dancer
who currently competes for Germany
with Alexander Gazsi
. They are two-time (2007, 2011) German national champions.
, Russia, with coaches Elena Kustarova and Svetlana Alexeeva and, during summers, in Berlin
and Chemnitz
due to Gazsi's military service. They later changed coaches to Alexander Zhulin
and Oleg Volkov, also in Moscow.
Zhiganshina and Gazsi won bronze at their first German Championships in 2006, their only competition of the season. The next season they won their first national title, placed 16th at the 2007 Europeans
and 18th at Worlds
.
During the 2007-08 season, they made their debut on the Grand Prix circuit, placing 7th at Skate Canada and 8th at Cup of Russia
. They won silver at German Nationals and again finished 18th at Worlds.
During the 2008-09 season, Zhiganshina and Gazsi did not compete on the Grand Prix circuit. Zhiganshina continued to visit Germany on a three-month tourist visa because the low income from the sport meant she did not qualify for residency and Germany did not have as high caliber ice dancers as Moscow to train alongside. Although favored to win 2009 German Nationals, they placed second and missed the European and World teams. They considered leaving competition to focus on show skating and worked with circus acrobats in Moscow but decided to continue their competitive career and moved to Oberstdorf
, Germany in spring 2009 to work with coaches Rostislav Sinicyn and Martin Skotnicky
. During the 2009-10 season, they placed third at German Nationals and were not sent to the European or World Championships. They were not eligible for the 2010 Winter Olympics due to Zhiganshina not having German citizenship.
During the 2010-11 season, Zhiganshina and Gazsi again received no Grand Prix invitations but won three medals at senior B events. They won their second national title and were selected to compete at the European Championships
for the first time in three years. At Europeans, they were 8th in the short dance, then edged past Nora Hoffmann
and Maxim Zavozin
by 0.39 points into 7th place overall after the free dance. This was the first top-ten result for German ice dancers since 2003 (Kati Winkler
and Rene Lohse
). The result gave Germany two berths to the 2012 European ice dancing event. Zhiganshina and Gazsi finished 11th at the 2011 World Championships
, earning invitations to two Grand Prix events the following season.
In preparation for the 2011–2012 season
, Zhiganshina and Gazsi went to Sofia
, Bulgaria, to work with choreographer Maxim Staviski
, with whom they also worked in previous years. They began the season at 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy
where they won the silver medal. They are assigned to 2011 Skate America
and 2011 NHK Trophy
as their Grand Prix
events.
, is also a competitive ice dancer, representing Russia. Their mother, who was born in Kazakhstan
of German descent
, was a children's skating coach.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) is a Russian ice dancer
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
who currently competes for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with Alexander Gazsi
Alexander Gazsi
Alexander Gazsi is a German ice dancer. With partner Nelli Zhiganshina, he is two-time German national champion.- Career :...
. They are two-time (2007, 2011) German national champions.
Career
Zhiganshina began skating in 1990 at the age of three. She took up ice dancing at 12. Zhiganshina competed with Denis Bazdyrev for Russia until 2004. In 2005, she teamed up with Alexander Gazsi to compete for Germany; they trained mainly in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia, with coaches Elena Kustarova and Svetlana Alexeeva and, during summers, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
due to Gazsi's military service. They later changed coaches to Alexander Zhulin
Alexander Zhulin
Alexander Viacheslavovich Zhulin is a retired Russian ice dancer who represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia. With Maya Usova, he is the 1993 World champion, 1994 Olympic silver medalist, and 1992 Olympic bronze medalist....
and Oleg Volkov, also in Moscow.
Zhiganshina and Gazsi won bronze at their first German Championships in 2006, their only competition of the season. The next season they won their first national title, placed 16th at the 2007 Europeans
2007 European Figure Skating Championships
The 2007 European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion. Skaters compete in the categories of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....
and 18th at Worlds
2007 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships. Skaters compete in the...
.
During the 2007-08 season, they made their debut on the Grand Prix circuit, placing 7th at Skate Canada and 8th at Cup of Russia
2007 Cup of Russia
The Cup of Russia is an annual elite international invitational figure skating competition. It is the fifth event of the 2007–2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Skaters compete in ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
. They won silver at German Nationals and again finished 18th at Worlds.
During the 2008-09 season, Zhiganshina and Gazsi did not compete on the Grand Prix circuit. Zhiganshina continued to visit Germany on a three-month tourist visa because the low income from the sport meant she did not qualify for residency and Germany did not have as high caliber ice dancers as Moscow to train alongside. Although favored to win 2009 German Nationals, they placed second and missed the European and World teams. They considered leaving competition to focus on show skating and worked with circus acrobats in Moscow but decided to continue their competitive career and moved to Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
, Germany in spring 2009 to work with coaches Rostislav Sinicyn and Martin Skotnicky
Martin Skotnicky
Martin Skotnicky is a former Czechoslovak ice dancer who competed with Diana Skotnicka. He is currently a figure skating coach and has worked with:* Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi* Kati Winkler and René Lohse* Christina Beier and William Beier...
. During the 2009-10 season, they placed third at German Nationals and were not sent to the European or World Championships. They were not eligible for the 2010 Winter Olympics due to Zhiganshina not having German citizenship.
During the 2010-11 season, Zhiganshina and Gazsi again received no Grand Prix invitations but won three medals at senior B events. They won their second national title and were selected to compete at the European Championships
2011 European Figure Skating Championships
The 2011 European Figure Skating Championships was the European Figure Skating Championships of the 2010–2011 season. Skaters competed in the categories of men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dancing....
for the first time in three years. At Europeans, they were 8th in the short dance, then edged past Nora Hoffmann
Nóra Hoffmann
Nóra Hoffmann is a Hungarian ice dancer. With partner Maxim Zavozin, she is the 2010 Cup of Russia silver medalist and 2009 & 2010 Hungarian national champion....
and Maxim Zavozin
Maxim Zavozin
Maxim Igorevich Zavozin is an ice dancer who has competed internationally for the United States and Hungary. He currently competes for Hungary with Nóra Hoffmann with whom he is the 2010 Cup of Russia silver medalist and the 2009 & 2010 Hungarian national champion.With former partner Morgan...
by 0.39 points into 7th place overall after the free dance. This was the first top-ten result for German ice dancers since 2003 (Kati Winkler
Kati Winkler
Kati Winkler Kati Winkler Kati Winkler (born January 16, 1974 in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz) is a German ice dancer. With partner René Lohse, she is the 2004 World bronze medalist.- Biography :...
and Rene Lohse
René Lohse
René Lohse is a German ice dancer. With partner Kati Winkler, he is the 2004 World bronze medalist.- Biography :...
). The result gave Germany two berths to the 2012 European ice dancing event. Zhiganshina and Gazsi finished 11th at the 2011 World Championships
2011 World Figure Skating Championships
The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....
, earning invitations to two Grand Prix events the following season.
In preparation for the 2011–2012 season
2011–2012 figure skating season
The 2011–2012 figure skating season begins on July 1, 2011, and ends on June 30, 2012. During this season, elite skaters will compete on the ISU Championship level at the 2012 European, Four Continents, World Junior, and World Championships...
, Zhiganshina and Gazsi went to Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria, to work with choreographer Maxim Staviski
Maxim Staviski
Maxim Staviski is a Bulgarian ice dancer. With partner and fiancée Albena Denkova, he is the 2006 & 2007 World Champion, the 2003 & 2004 European silver medalist, and the 2006 Grand Prix Final champion...
, with whom they also worked in previous years. They began the season at 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy
2011 Nebelhorn Trophy
The 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy was an international figure skating competition for the 2011–2012 season. It is held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany and is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain....
where they won the silver medal. They are assigned to 2011 Skate America
2011 Skate America
The 2011 Skate America was an ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating competition in the 2011–2012 season. Organized by the United States Figure Skating Association, it was the first of six events in the 2011–2012 ISU Grand Prix, a series of senior-level international invitational competitions.The event...
and 2011 NHK Trophy
2011 NHK Trophy
The 2011 NHK Trophy will be the NHK Trophy Grand Prix competition of the 2011–2012 season and the fourth of six events in the 2011–2012 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. The event is organized annually by the Japan Skating Federation.The...
as their Grand Prix
2011–12 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
The 2011–2012 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating will be a series of senior international figure skating competitions in the 2011–2012 season. Skaters will compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing at six invitational competitions in the fall of 2011...
events.
Personal life
Zhiganshina is pursuing German citizenship and has passed a citizenship test in 2011. Her brother, Ruslan ZhiganshinRuslan Zhiganshin
Ruslan Nailevich Zhiganshin is a Russian ice dancer. With partner Victoria Sinitsina, he is the 2010 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist. He is the brother of Nelli Zhiganshina who competes for Germany.- Career :...
, is also a competitive ice dancer, representing Russia. Their mother, who was born in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
of German descent
Germans of Kazakhstan
The Germans of Kazakhstan are a minority in Kazakhstan, and make up a small percentage of the population. Today they live mostly in the northeastern part of the country between the cities of Astana and Oskemen, the majority being urban dwellers...
, was a children's skating coach.
Programs
(with Gazsi)| Season | Short dance Short dance The short dance is a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was approved by the June 2010 International Skating Union congress and instituted beginning in the 2010–2011 figure skating season... |
Free dance Free dance (figure skating) The free dance is a part of an ice dancing competition. It is the second part of the competition to be contested, after the short dance.-Structure and content:... |
Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012 |
|
Romeo + Juliet Romeo + Juliet (soundtrack) William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name. The soundtrack contained two separate releases: the first containing popular music from the film and the second containing the score to the film composed by Nellee Hooper, Craig... by Craig Armstrong Craig Armstrong Craig Armstrong, OBE is a Scottish composer of modern orchestral music, electronica and film scores.Armstrong's score for William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet earned him a BAFTA for Achievement in Film Music and an Ivor Novello... |
|
| 2010–2011 | Unknown from Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy... by unknown |
Liebesträume Liebesträume , is a set of three solo piano works by Franz Liszt, published in 1850. Liszt called each of the three pieces Liebesträume, but often they are referred to incorrectly in the singular as Liebestraum... by Franz Liszt Franz Liszt Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age... The Four Seasons (Vivaldi) The Four Seasons is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season... by Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe... |
|
| Original dance Original dance The original dance was a segment of an ice dancing competition. It was usually the second of three programs, sandwiched between the compulsory dances and the free dance. Until 1994, it was known as the original set pattern dance... |
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| 2009–2010 | |||
| 2007–2008 | Ukrainian dance Ukrainian dance Ukrainian dance refers to the traditional folk dances of the peoples of Ukraine.Today, Ukrainian dance is primarily represented by what ethnographers, folklorists and dance historians refer to as "Ukrainian Folk-Stage Dances" , which are stylized representations of traditional dances and their... : performed by Joseph Kobzon Joseph Kobzon Iosif Davydovich Kobzon is a Soviet and Russian singer, known for his crooner style.-Early life:Kobzon was born to Jewish parents in the mining town of Chasiv Yar, in the Donbass region of Ukraine.... |
La Boheme La bohème La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger... performed by Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world... |
Competitive highlights
(with Gazsi)| Event | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
18th | 18th | 11th | ||||
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
16th | 7th | |||||
| German Championships German Figure Skating Championships The German Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Germany. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
3rd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | |
| Cup of Russia Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held as the Rostelecom Cup in 2009 after... |
8th | ||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
4th | ||||||
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
4th | ||||||
| Skate Canada Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
7th | ||||||
| Golden Spin of Zagreb Golden Spin of Zagreb The Golden Spin of Zagreb is an annual senior-level figure skating competition, held yearly in Zagreb, Croatia. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing, although, in some years, not every discipline was included in the program.The 2001... |
5th | ||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy Nebelhorn Trophy The Nebelhorn Trophy is an international senior-level figure skating competition organized by the Deutsche Eislauf-Union and held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain.... |
4th | 2nd | |||||
| NRW Trophy NRW Trophy The NRW Trophy is an annual international figure skating competition organized by the Skating Union of North Rhine-Westphalia and since 2007, it has been sanctioned by the Deutsche Eislauf Union and the International Skating Union.... |
2nd | ||||||
| Ondrej Nepela Memorial Ondrej Nepela Memorial The Ondrej Nepela Memorial is an annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Slovakia. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dancing. In some years, some disciplines have not been held.... |
1st | 6th | 3rd | 1st | |||
| Pavel Roman Memorial Pavel Roman Memorial The Pavel Roman Memorial is an international ice dancing competition organized by the Czech Skating Association. Named after Pavel Roman, the competition is held annually in Olomouc, Czech Republic.-Senior dance:- Junior dance :... |
1st | 3rd | 1st |