When Jimmy Ma performed his short program to DJ Snake/Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For What” at the 2018 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, he took a recent rule change about skaters being able to use lyrics in their music to a whole new level.
“I want there to be more energy, more dance, more everything for skating and that’s why I chose that song,” Ma recalled. “I want to use my personality when I skate, to give another spark to the sport. It caught a lot of eyes and ears. A lot of people loved it and many others did not.”
At the same time, Ma doesn’t want to just be known for pushing the envelope with his music. “I hope I can build on that and be a good athlete and not just a performer,” he remarked. In the same championship, he skated his long program to a piece by Sergei Rachmaninoff. “I prefer contemporary dance, which I love doing off ice. It is very modern, free-flowing, and beautiful. No moments are ever coerced. Being a concert pianist myself, Rachmaninoff resonates with me.”
Ma knows the key to even greater success will depend on finding the balance between technical excellence and performance. “My short program at nationals wasn’t my best skate, but people got behind it because it was my personality. I was flirting, body rolling, and blowing kisses,” he stated. “My long program wasn’t my personality out there and people could really tell. I really liked the music, but no one could get behind it because I wasn’t really behind it.”
EARLY DAYS
Ma’s first experience on the ice certainly did not give him the indication that figure skating would dominate his future. “I was close to eight years old and went skating at a friend’s birthday party. It was a terrible experience,” he laughed. “I fell on my face and I was crying. My mom took that opportunity to sign me up for skating so I could learn to pick myself up. My parents also thought I had ADHD so they figured it would keep me occupied.”
He showed excellence in other arenas, particularly swimming and piano. As a 10-year-old, he would often defeat swimmers as old as 17 in the butterfly. Ma became a concert pianist and played at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He also played the clarinet and saxophone, and participated in taekwondo. “Skating was the one that stuck and I found my passion for it.”
Growing up in New York City, Ma was fortunate to train with Felicia Zhang, who later medalled twice in pairs at the U.S. national championships. “She was a big sister I always looked up to,” he said. “She set the bar for me.”
Ma moved his training to the Ice House of New Jersey in Hackensack, which was a hub for figure skating. “Hackensack Ice House was where I grew the most. When I needed to move out of my parents’ house, I wanted to move closer to the rink so I didn’t have to pay $30 of tolls all the time,” he chuckled. “I do regret not getting engaged in competitive skating earlier, but it also meant I knew I had to go full measure into it and fully commit to make nationals.”
There he worked with Nikolai Morozav, a former Olympian in ice dancing who coached Shizuka Arakawa to the 2006 Olympic gold medal and Miki Ando to world titles in 2007 and 2011. “He is the best I have ever had and one of the best in the world,” Ma commented. “He is a very talented and a genius. I would not be the skater I am today if not for him.”
Being in demand internationally, Morozav traveled often and focused on the highest-level skaters. “I wasn’t at that level and he was very understanding,” Ma remembered. “He said, ‘I am always happy to work with you, but I can’t be your main coach.’”
While training in New Jersey, Ma also met one of his closest friends, Niki Albrechtovics, and the two have remained close since. “We are both from the East coast and knew of each other through competitions and me occasionally going to the Ice House,” said Albrechtovics, who qualified for the U.S. nationals in juvenile and intermediate levels in 2015 and 2016. “We started to become friends a few years ago when he came to train in Colorado Springs. Training with him is great. He is an incredibly hard worker and always grinding on the ice. That kept me motivated.”
REFINING THE JIMMY MA STYLE
Wanting to ensure his skating reflected his personality and style, Ma turned to his love of dance. “I watch a lot of dance vides online. Millions of people at home feel the dancer’s energy. People have to feel that passion,” he expressed. “I learn from the bad and take a little bit from the good. I took a lot of dance classes in New York. I knew dance, but I needed to be comfortable with putting my personality on the ice.”
“There needs to be life in what skaters are putting out there. Jimmy is at the forefront of that movement,” said Parker Pennington, who won U.S. national titles at four different levels and has worked with Ma in shows over the past two years. “Because of him, I have seen a few more skaters starting to show their personalities. It’s a huge differentiator when you have a sea of people doing the same elements. The personality will be what engages the crowd and the judges will hopefully start to buy into that.”
“I have been told I have charisma and personality, but I had to be OK with looking like an idiot on the ice,” Ma articulated. “People may say, ‘what the hell is this kid doing?’ It will look worse if I was doing it halfway. I wear my heart on my sleeve. This is who I am, this is who you get.”
“Jimmy brings flair and personality to the ice. A lot of the kids coming up are going through the motions with the technical aspects, which are scripted,” Pennington added. “He definitely brings an entertainment value. That piece is so important for skating, for him, and for branding. It is a nice change of pace.”
“My short program was choreographed by a dancer. It was up to me to put that dancing into a skating routine,” Ma explained. “I would give input on whether it worked for me. I have taken some from dance choreography and ice choreography. I feel like I can choreograph, but I need it to be done by someone who actually knows what he or she is doing.”
Ma does a lot of his dance work off the ice. “The choreographer comes in to translate the dance. What may work off ice could be super awkward on ice. Some steps are too difficult to do,” he communicated. “It doesn’t always translate into a stadium. People in the nosebleed sections paid too and they deserve to be able to see something. I am inspired by the hip-hop movement, making it mine and putting it on the ice. I work it with the edges and footwork, and it comes together and becomes mine.”
He learned an important lesson from Morozav for the “Turn Down For What” short program. “Nikolai redid the program. He said, ‘You have the energy, but it can’t be shallow. It can’t just be music and movement, it has to be a story.’” Ma recounted. “I went dancing almost every day. Everything was geared toward the program. The costume was designed for the program, and the music was tailored for my program, personality, and performance.”
Persuaded by his friends and fellow skaters Ashley Cain and Amber Glenn, Ma moved to Texas and began training with Ashley’s parents Darlene and Peter Cain at the Dallas Figure Skating Club. ‘I came to the Cains not really knowing what to do with the skills I had and they showed me a path,” he said. “They kept me together and continue to fight for me to get on the world stage.”
CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCES
Ma has qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships for seven consecutive years. He finished fourth and then third in two appearances at the junior level and in this past January’s 2019 championship, posted his first top-10 finish at the championship level.
“Sometimes it’s frustrating getting to the next level, but reaching the Olympics is the dream,” he described. “I am trying to build on my past performances and be ready for nationals in North Carolina (Greensboro in January 2020). The plan is to go to the Olympics and I have to figure out a way to do that, whatever it takes. I really do love the sport.”
He captured both junior and senior titles at the Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championship, taking the junior title at the 2014 championships and the senior title at the 2016 championships.
One of Ma’s most notable championships was the 2018 U.S. International Classic, where he finished third, one spot ahead of 2019 World Figure Skating Championships bronze medalist Vincent Zhou. Ma opened the 2018-19 season with a silver medal at the Philadelphia Summer International.
GIVING BACK
In addition to his training and competition schedule, Ma works with Skate Dance Dream, which combines dance and figure skating together, headlined by national-level dancers and figure skaters. “I want to share the passion I have. I would love for young people to immerse themselves in the sport and show them how fun it is,” he expressed. “I see a lot of talent in the U.S. today, but they are not inspired. I want to put my energy into it to show them it is something they can do seriously, but also have fun doing.”
“I first worked with him when he came to the Cleveland Skating Club show (in May 2018). I talked to him on the phone prior to that and got a sense of what he would bring to the table,” Pennington recollected. “He is fantastic for shows for the competitive landscape and the valuable messages he brings. He wants to see everyone do better and show their personality.”
“Even if skating doesn’t work out, I don’t want people I care about to do something they are not passionate about it because they think they need to do it or someone told them to do it,” Ma communicated. “I am super happy and grateful for them to love skating for any reason. They pursue it and love it, which shows when you love something. People can tell.”
“My favorite thing about Jimmy is that he is OK with me making fun of him 24/7,” joked Albrechtovics. “We get along very well, a very sister-brother relationship. We always tease each other, but we also push each other to be our best. He always keeps me in a positive mindset and know when to step back. The fact that he really cares about me is great because I’ve never had a friend like him.”
Traveling and meeting people from all over the world through skating has enhanced Ma’s outlook. “I am never going to be radical about pushing my beliefs out, but I am sending good energy out there,” he stated. “I want people to be positive. We don’t need any more negativity in this world right now. We can work on it and build relationships.”
Ma also seeks to learn on a regular basis. “I grew up in New York City, where the world literally comes to you,” he said. “Now I drive through half the country and most of it is not like New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. I am into self-improvement and respecting others even if we don’t agree. We can talk about it.”
“He is good for the sport and for drawing another demographic to watch skating. I wish there was more of a platform for him to promote who he is and how he is different,” Pennington relayed. “He can reach a younger generation of people who maybe wouldn’t watch skating and those who do, will be engaged by what they see in him on and off the ice.”
FUTURE AND FAMILY SUPPORT
Although he is in the prime of his skating career, Ma realizes he won’t always be competing. “I can’t do it forever, my body will give out,” he acknowledged. “It is a stepping stone for other things in the work force, I want to have a career I am passionate about. Even if it doesn’t make me a billion dollars, I want to support my family. I don’t want them or me to be miserable. I want to continue sending good energy into the world.”
He does not foresee having a family any time soon. “It is a scary thing to think about being in a relationship right now, much less having a family,” he stated. “My parents want to know when they are going to get grandchildren. I cook for my dog. She is my daughter right now!”
Ma realizes that his parents have provided the opportunity to pursue his dreams. “I am so lucky to have parents who have supported me so much. I feel bad for those people my age who are already working,” he reflected. “I have something to fall back on. I can still go back to school and have parents who support me. This is not readily available for a lot of people. I count that blessing every day. I will never forget what they have done, and are still doing, for me.”
“I am not 100 percent what I want to do post-competitive skating other than make some money from skating, shows, and coaching,” he added. “I am just in the process of learning new things, preparing to be able to go to school for computer science, keeping my brain stimulated. My parents want me to go to school, but realize it is secondary to skating right now. They tell me, ‘you have put so much time and effort into skating. Just don’t waste your free time – read something.”
Beyond his Olympic goals, Ma hopes to leave a legacy in the sport. “Skating doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter sport. I want to use my personality and provide a spark,” he remarked. “I like that more people are accepting of new things and for those who watched skating for ‘Turn Down For What.’ Skating can’t be afraid to take a step forward. Social media is so big and performances can spread so quickly. A friend of mine who is now a coach in Russia sent me a clip of me skating from Russian television. People should not be afraid to be themselves.”