SKATEOPEN Team 2026
SINGLE SKATING
Guest Coach
Discipline: Single Skating
Arthur Ebel / UK
Languages: English, French
Discipline: Single Skating
Heya!
I love coaching ice skating so much!
I’ve spent more time on the ice than most of my young students’ ages combined, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I started coaching ice skating quite unusually. I was working as a personal trainer for a gym in North London, when my friend said to me “why don’t you try coaching ice skating and give your knowledge and experience to all kids and adults who want to be fabulous ?”
Once I started, I never looked back.
Needless to say, I am a qualified personal trainer.
I spent 15 years on the road, touring with the best ice show companies out there. One of my favourite memories with some of them is when 10,000+ young kids were screaming so loud we couldn’t hear the track when we opened High School Musical : The Ice Tour, with Disney on Ice.
I am the proud coach of a blind woman, she amazes me every session!
I love ice skating so much I once couldn’t feel my toes they were so frozen !
Jelena Muhhina/ EST
Languages: English, Estonian, Russian, French, Swedish
Discipline: Single Skating
Hello! Tere! Privet! Bonjour! Hej!
I’m Jelena Muhhina. I started my journey on the ice as a young figure skater in Estonia, and in 2006, I had the incredible honor of becoming the Estonian Champion in singles skating. Competing internationally was an unforgettable experience—I represented Estonia at ISU competitions, the European Youth Olympic Festival, and even the World Championships. Those years taught me not only the discipline of sport but also the joy of performing and connecting with people from all over the world.
After retiring from competitive skating, I found my passion in coaching. Since 2011, I’ve been working as a coach and choreographer here in Estonia, guiding athletes of all ages and levels—from beginners discovering their love for skating to seniors chasing their competitive dreams. I love helping skaters grow both technically and artistically, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see their hard work pay off on the ice.
Outside of the rink, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences (Psychology) at Tallinn University in 2013. Understanding people has been invaluable in my coaching career, helping me connect with each athlete and tailor guidance to their unique personality and learning style.
I’m also a bit of a language enthusiast! I speak Estonian, English, Russian, French, and a little Swedish—perfect for chatting with skaters and colleagues from around the world.
Skating has shaped who I am, both on and off the ice, and I’m excited to share that passion with everyone I work with.
SOLO ICE DANCE
Neil Brown/ FRA
Languages: English, French, Italian
Discipline: Solo Ice Dance
Neil Brown, International Coach & Choreographer competed in Ice Dance for France in Junior and Czechia in Senior, participated at Europeans and Worlds. I’m a two time Olympic Coach (2022 & 2026) I speak, english, french, italian. I’m involved with the international development of the Solo Dance Discipline and have worked with many skaters & federations on development skating to elite performance. I’m also the director for the Ice Planet Camps.
Guest Coach
Discipline: Solo Ice Dance
Guest Coach
Discipline: Solo Ice Dance
Ballet & Dance
Guest Coach
Languages:
Discipline: Ballet
Ekaterina Soorsk/ EST
Languages: English, Estonian, Russian
Discipline: Dance Contemporary
Dancer, teacher, and researcher of the possibilities of the body and movement.
Since 2009, she has been dancing, teaching, and continuing to study contemporary dance, modern jazz, Afro-jazz, and Jamaican ragga.
Since 2014, she has immersed herself in exploring the movement language Gaga movement language by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin. Since then, she has been enjoying in both dance and life movement filled with an endless variety of pleasant—and very pleasant :)—sensations.
From 2010 to 2016, she created and performed together with Yana Oleshko in 2 Dance Company (Russia).
Since 2017, she has been living in Tallinn, creating and performing together with Silver Soorsk.
Classes of Pleasant Dance
Dancing is as essential to the human body as breathing, drinking, eating, and sleeping.
Dance is awaited and loved by the feet and knees, the hips, the belly, the back, the chest, the shoulders, the head, the elbows, the palms, and the fingers.
Dance relaxes, energizes, makes us laugh, surprises us, and inspires us.
Dance spreads a gentle smile throughout the whole body. 🙂
Irina Pähn / EST
Languages: English, Estonian, Russian
Discipline: Ballet
Irina Pähn is a ballet pedagogue and former dancer who graduated from the Tallinn Ballet School
in 1982 and began her professional career the same year as a ballet dancer at the Estonia Theatre
(today the Estonian National Opera). During her long stage career she developed a deep interest in
the expressive possibilities of the body and movement.
Her desire to further explore and understand movement led her to study choreography at Tallinn
University, where she obtained an MA degree.
As a ballet pedagogue, Irina works with a wide range of groups, from professional artists to dance
enthusiasts. In her teaching she brings together the tradition of classical ballet with a broader
interest in body awareness and the exploration of movement, supporting people in discovering
themselves through the body.
