In this Solo Q&A, learn more about Marina Nikolova, a junior ice dancer who represents Bulgaria. Marina trains with Pavel Savinov and Marina Barova and splits her training time between Kranj, Slovenia and Claut, Italy. In January, she won the gold medal at the Eva un Horst Faber Tyrlean Open and the bronze medal at the 2026 Copenhagen Solo Ice Dance International.

Tell us about how your skating journey began. What drew you to the ice? Do you have any special memories? 

My skating journey began in March 2012 at a public skating session in my home town Sofia (Bulgaria). My mom drew me to the ice since my grandfather was a hockey player and she herself used to skate. My special memories since that year and first interactions with the sport are: The very first time being on the ice and going under a skater’s leg and skate while they were doing a camel spin and my first office practice with the other kids and how our coach thought us how to fall and get up right after we have fallen down.

When and why did you choose to do solo dance?

I chose to do solo ice dance March 2023 because of the graceful performance the ice dance couples had and the pattern dance they performed. I was very passionate and always cared about the overall performance of my program, not just the technical aspects with all the jumps and spins.

What do you like most about Solo Dance? What kind of music to you like to skate to the best? Why? 

I like the feeling of freedom and being able to get more creative with the choreography, getting my sense of skating and movement expended. I like to skate to movie soundtracks and songs referred to movies. It gives the performance a sense of connection with the skater and better ideas for interpretation. 

Tell us about your training site.  

Kranj is a city located at the foot of the mountains. The centre of the city is a well preserved medieval old town, built at the confluence of the Kokra and Sava rivers. Kranj is near the capital of Slovenia-Ljubljana and also near the famous lake Bled, therefore we are able to join sessions of friendly fellow skating clubs as a collaboration. We have an ice rink equipped with a gym. My fellow dance mates and skating friends are lovely and make the hard practice ps go by quicker. My daily classes are one hour of skating technique for putting attention to musicality, one hour for programs, and one hour of off-ice practice where it can be a strength training or a cardio session. We have dance classes three times a week with a modern ballet teacher and jazz teacher. My head coach is a former pairs skater and singles skater. We started getting involved in ice dance after working with a former ice dancer (Marina Barova) who now has joined our team.

Who choreographed your programs. What do you like best about dancing them?

My coach and choreographer Marina Barova choreographed both of my programs. I like the small catchy details we’ve put in the programs and the musics themselves. Both programs are fun and they get you to want to sing and dance and have fun which is the reason why we’ve picked them.

Solo Dance is now an international discipline. Share your thoughts about this.

I’m extremely happy that the discipline is international and more young athletes are able to participate and explore the field of the competitive side of the sport and meet interactions with other skaters. The discipline prolongs the career of many figure skaters that may have suffered severe injuries and can no longer be as competitive as they used to.

In skating, what are you most looking forward to this season? What will be your biggest challenge(s)?

I’m looking forward to achieving better results while progressing and expanding my knowledge for the discipline. I’d like to develop better musicality and connection with the audience. This season’s challenge will be delivering my programs with the correct emotional connection while still getting my elements done.

What do you think makes solo dance a special discipline?

The freedom of creativity while learning cultural skills and exploring different styles of dances performed on ice. The attention to the detail and the sense of feeling we ice dancers leave in the audience.

If you could have a lesson with any ice dancer past/present, who would it be? Why?

I’d love to have a lesson with Scott Moir. Through his career with Tessa they achieved many remarkable things but had a connection with each other that they transferred on the ice and passed to the audience like no one else. The work on every detail in their program was outstanding, footwork never disappointed and the speed never left unnoticed. After they skated, they left the audience speechless. They didn’t need an introduction with words, their presence on the ice spoke for them.

What are your favorite off-ice activities?

My favourite off-ice activities within the training program are dance, pilates, and cardio sessions. My favourite off-ice (free time) activities are walking with friends, shopping and digital drawing.

Please share anything else you would like our readers to know about you as a skater?

Before I used to be a single skater and competed internationally in more than 100 competitions. I was twice a European Criterium champion for categories Basic Novice and Advance Novice.