Olivia Martins & Alvin Chau

Olivia: I started skating at the age of 4 and this will be my fifth year of ice dancing.

Alvin: I started skating when I was 9 years old and I’ve been ice dancing for 3 years, going into my fourth year.

What made you decide to take skating seriously?

Olivia: After free skating for a number of years I realized that I not only loved dancing but also I wanted to work with a partner.

Alvin: I started out in the CanSkate program like any other skater did. The coaches that I worked with told my parents that I had potential in ice skating so my parents put me into the sport.

What made you choose to specialize in ice dancing?

Olivia: I decided to specialize in ice dance because I like the variety of dances and my partner.

Alvin: I didn’t really choose to specialize in dance. I got put into dance because one of my coaches thought that I had the “look” for a dancer.

How long have you been skating together?

Olivia & Alvin: This is our second year together.

What is your favorite compulsory dance?

Olivia: Of the novice compulsories, my favourite would have to be the Paso Doble.

Alvin: My favorite compulsory dance would probably the Argentine Tango because I really enjoy doing the latin dances. For dances at my level, I would have to say it would be the Paso Doble.

What is your favorite dance element?

Olivia: My favourite element to perform is our footwork sequences because we can really get into the music and show our edge quality.

Alvin: My favorite element to perform would be the lifts because it shows the audience that there is a lot of trust between the two partners.

Who are your role models in skating?

Olivia: I look up to Bourne and Kraatz, and Dubreuil and Lauzon because they always pushed the limits and did very daring moves.

Alvin: I look up to Lambiel in singles, and Dubreuil and Lauzon for dance because they push the limits on their performances during a competition.

What do you like best about skating with your partner?

Olivia: I would have to say Alvin is very easy to work with. We have the same work ethic, and we know how to stay motivated, but we also know how to have fun.

Alvin: What I like best about Olivia is that she’s funny all the time and when it’s time to work, we put away the funniness and concentrate on what we have to do.

What do you like best about training with your coaches, Carol Lane and Juris Razuglajevs?

Olivia: Carol and Juris are easy to work with because they know how to bring out the best in our qualities. They help us plan realistic goals and keep us on track.

Alvin: Working with coaches like Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs is a great experience because they bring so much to the table for us. They help us reach our goals by giving us difficult elements and choreography so that we must work towards it.

Tell us what it’s like to train with international competitors, such as Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier.

Olivia: Being on the ice with other strong teams keeps us motivated and constantly trying to reach their level of skating skills.

Alvin: Training with teams like Crone & Poirier help us develop our own skating and technique because we are able to ask them for help and we can try to train at their level so we know what it takes to be as good as them.

What is your favorite school subject?

Olivia: My favourite subject last year was Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology because it was very fascinating and insightful.

Alvin: I don’t really have a favorite subject in school however I do really like to do math related subjects.

What are your hobbies?

Olivia: In my free time I enjoy getting together with friends, going shopping, dancing and being active.

Alvin: When I’m not skating, I like to spend my time with my friends or just surfing the net.

Who are your role models away from skating?

Olivia: My role model is Gene Kelly because he was an amazing dancer and so creative. I hope one day to do a Gene Kelly program.

Alvin: I really enjoy watching Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire because they are just such amazing dancers and they are able to express themselves through their dancing.

What are your non-skating goals?

Olivia: I want to continue to do well in school and find a career that best suits my personality and lifestyle.

Alvin: My non-skating goal is basically to finish school and hopefully get a degree in something that interests me and suits my personality.

What is something that ice-dance.com readers may not know about you?

Olivia: I have a very large extended family and they always support and encourage me. And I’d just like to say hi to my dog “Rico.”

Alvin: Something that the readers that don’t know about me is that my dream job is to be a commercial pilot.