New Team Series: Noemi Tali & Noah Lafornara

Welcome to IDC’s New Team Series! For this series, we interview athletes who will enter the upcoming 2024-25 season in a new partnership, or debuted last season. In our third interview, we meet Noemi Tali & Noah Lafornara who represent Italy. They debuted last season winning the Italian junior title and finished seventh at the 2024 World Junior Championships. Photos by Harumi Akabane.

Tell us about your individual skating journeys, including any early special memories.
Noemi Tali (NT): I started skating when I was about 5 or 6 years old. Initially, it was just for fun—I’d go to the rink twice a week with my family, and none of us had skated before, so it was all new to us. Alongside skating, I also practiced classical dance and skiing. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that my true passion was on the
ice.

When I was a single skater, I absolutely loved learning new steps and choreographic sequences. Then, at the age of 10, my choreographer suggested I try ice dancing with a partner. I remember stepping onto the ice with him for the first time, and I was so overwhelmed that I ended up crying! I’m still not entirely sure why I reacted that way, but despite the initial tears, I enjoyed skating with him.

I continued to practice both singles and ice dance until I was 12. At that point, I decided to fully commit to ice dance. To be honest, I was never very good at jumps, but ice dance felt like the perfect fit for me.

Noah Lafornara (NL): I started skating at the age of four, thanks to my mom, who is a skating teacher. She brought me to the rink every day because we couldn’t find a babysitter, and I quickly developed a deep love for the ice. I remember being so passionate about skating that I would almost cry when it was time to leave the rink. I began as a solo skater, and I was always eager to skate as fast as possible and focus on jumping.

What drew you to ice dance?
NT: There was something magical about dancing on the ice with a partner. I loved the sensation of gliding across the ice, it made me feel as though I was a princess, skating with her prince. I have to admit that one of the best parts of doing ice dance was not having to do jumps anymore!

NL: Over time, my mom, who also served as my coach, wanted me to develop a more well-rounded set of skating skills. She introduced me to a dance teacher at our rink for some pattern dance lessons.

After passing a few tests, I was asked if I wanted to try partnering with a girl at my rink. I ended up falling in love with dance—it was a different kind of enjoyment. I could still skate fast, but without the constant concern of jumping or falling, although I still love jumping to this day. Now, I’m fully committed to ice dance, but I still make time to jump whenever possible, as that aspect of skating will always be a part of me. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to really appreciate the freedom of movement and expression that
dance offers. When I was younger, I was more focused on being on the ice, but now, I’m dedicated to pushing myself to improve and truly connect with the music through my movements.

Tell us how your partnership started.
NT: After junior worlds, my former partner and I parted ways. Just a few days later, my coaches informed me that they wanted me to try out with an American skater. I was thrilled!!
So, just two weeks after worlds, I flew to New York for the tryout. I really enjoyed skating with him, and the tryout went exceptionally well. We decided to partner up, which was wonderful news!

Initially, I experienced a mix of emotions. It was surprising to find a new partner so quickly after eight years with my previous one, especially since it often takes months to find the right match. However, the predominant feelings were happiness and relief. I was excited to have found someone with whom I could continue to pursue and develop my passion for ice dancing.

NL: I remember it was right after Junior Worlds had ended, so it must have been early March. My coaches called me and said, ‘Valter Rizzo reached out—he has an Italian skater, Noemi, who wants to come for a tryout.’ About a week later, Noemi arrived, and we had our tryout, which went really well. I had been searching for a partner for about eight months by that point, so I was eager to make a decision. After the second day of our tryout, we both agreed, “I think I’d like to skate with you,” and that’s how it all started.

My dad accompanied me to Connecticut for the tryout, and there was this moment on the second day where—I can’t recall if I hit my toe pick or just lost my edge—but Noemi snowed me. Later, my dad told me, “I was sold when she snowed you.” That moment really stood out to me and confirmed that we would be able to build a good relationship as partners.

What is it that you already like most about dancing with your new partner?
NT: Noah’s charisma, his passion for skating, his patience and his endless sense of humor are just a few of the many qualities I admire about him. Within just a few weeks of becoming new partners, we quickly formed a strong friendship, with being able to get along really well. I love that with him I can be the truest version of myself without feeling judged for the (silly) things that I might say or do.

NL: What I appreciate most about dancing with my new partner is how quickly we were able to build a connection. She’s a very empathetic and affectionate person, which made it
easy for us to move from being strangers to feeling like true partners. Even now, we continue to grow closer each day, deepening our understanding and trust in each other.

What experiences do each of you bring to the partnership?
NL: In terms of competitive experience, I believe we both brought similar levels to the table. I had spent my entire career competing for the USA, going through the American circuit numerous times. However, Noemi had more international exposure, which is typical in Europe, where teams often compete in international competitions from the advanced novice level onward, aside from nationals. What’s been different for us is that we come from very distinct training styles. Figuring out how to blend these two approaches into a more efficient technique has been an interesting journey. However, I believe this challenge has actually accelerated our progress. We’ve both learned different ways of skating and moving our bodies on the ice, and now that we’ve combined these methods, it has opened up new possibilities for us that we might not have discovered otherwise.

What has been the biggest adjustment for each of you so far in the partnership?
NT: The biggest adjustment so far has probably been moving to the United States for the off-season, which means being away from my friends and family for a few months. However, I love skating in Connecticut with our coaches, Melissa and Denis, so it makes it worthwhile.

NL: The biggest change for me has been moving to another country. We spend the off-season training in Connecticut and the competition season in Milan, which has been a challenge for both of us. For me personally, adjusting to a new language, making new friends, and being away from my family and friends in America has been the toughest part. It’s never easy leaving loved ones behind, and I have to say, I probably miss my dog the most though don’t tell my parents!

Tell us about your training site.
We train at Newington Arena in Connecticut, USA, and IceLab in Milan, Italy, and both facilities have been incredibly supportive, making our training as seamless as possible. In both locations our training mates have been incredibly supportive.

Who are your coaches? Did either or both have to relocate? If so, tell us about the move(s).
We work with Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov in the U.S. during the off-season, and then train with Valter Rizzo and Brunilde Bianchi in Milan during the competition season. At first, it was a bit of a rollercoaster trying to coordinate schedules and keep everyone—coaches, skaters, and parents—in sync, but we’ve now found a system that works well for everyone. Initially, neither of us was really planning to relocate, but we both agreed that we wanted to skate together, and we knew that would require some sacrifices. Recently, Noemi finished her last year of in-person school, so we’ve spent the majority of this year in Italy. However, next season, our time will be more evenly split between the off-season in the U.S. and the competition season in Italy. While we’re in America, Valter or Bruni will visit us to check in, see our progress, and work with us for a few weeks. Similarly, Denis or Melissa will come to Italy during the competition season. There’s also constant communication and video exchanges between everyone, ensuring that all our coaches are involved and that we stay on the same page, no matter where we are.

Who is choreographing your programs. Is someone else arranging your music? If so, please share those experiences.
Massimo Scali has been our choreographer both last season and again this season, and we really love working with him. His ideas are simply incredible. When we’re in Italy, we also work with a ballroom dancer named Stefano Atti, who brings a unique perspective to our training. Additionally, Denis helps us refine all the elements and make any necessary adjustments. When it comes to selecting music, it’s a collaborative process. We all listen to a variety of tracks and send in our suggestions. After about a month of gathering ideas, we sit down, try out our top picks on the ice, and decide which piece works best for our style and skating.

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?
NT: Andrei Minenkov and Irina Moiseeva. They were such a revolutionary ice dance team, known for their intricate and fast-paced footwork, as well as seamless transitions between elements. I would love to learn from them how to skate with such fluidity and elegance.

NL: If I could choose, I would love to have a lesson with Guillaume Cizeron. His ability to move and dance with such fluidity while maintaining an effortless glide on the ice is truly incredible. It’s something I really admire and would love to learn from.

What is each of you looking forward to most this skating season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?
NL: I’m really looking forward to competing again this season. Last year, we started partnering up quite late, which left us with just enough time to develop and start training our programs. We also faced challenges with illness, injuries, and travel that made consistent training difficult. Now that everything is more stable and set, I’m excited to showcase our improvements. This year, we have more time to create a program with greater nuance and emotional depth. Last season, our focus was heavily on perfecting elements and ensuring they were clean, but this year we want to emphasize how we express ourselves and ensure everything flows smoothly. I think our biggest challenge will be integrating these elements seamlessly and bringing a deeper emotional connection to our performances.

Please share anything you would like our readers to know about you as a team?
We are really excited to show our programs this season, and hope that spectators can watch and connect to the program. Dance is all about expression and movement, so we hope our hard work shows and it encourages people to express and dance with us.