![\"Renee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Petkovski_Olympics480_1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOU Dance Faculty Member Renee Petkovski coaches U.S. Ice Dancers at 2026 Winter Olympics<\/p>\n
When the world tuned in to the 2026 Winter Olympics, few may have realized that behind one of the ice dance teams representing the United States stood a dedicated educator from Oakland University. Renee Petkovski, adjunct professor of dance in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, served as a coach and choreographic force for Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.<\/p>\n
For Petkovski, the Olympic moment was the culmination of years of artistic collaboration, mentorship and belief.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching Emilea and Vadym step onto Olympic ice and give everything they had, on the world\u2019s biggest stage, was one of the most emotional and rewarding moments of my life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Petkovski\u2019s journey to the Olympic stage began long before her time at Oakland. After a 12-year career as a professional dancer and choreographer in Los Angeles, she returned to Michigan with a renewed focus on teaching and mentorship.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing from a career as a professional dancer and choreographer in Los Angeles, Calif., for 12 years, I returned to Michigan and poured my energy into my students,\u201d Petkovski said. \u201cBeing able to share my experiences, knowledge, and stories brings me much joy, creates a bond, and also helps to define their path and make it a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Oakland University, she quickly found a connection with her students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance are incredibly passionate, committed, and eager to absorb everything,\u201d she said. \u201cThey truly want to be there, which makes them a joy to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Renee Petkovski shares a smile with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik<\/p>\n
Not long after joining the university, Petkovski expanded her teaching beyond the studio floor and onto the ice, working with elite skaters through the prestigious Ice Dance of Novi.<\/p>\n
\u201cI began working alongside some of ice dance\u2019s most respected coaching legends as part of the prestigious coaching team at Ice Dance of Novi,\u201d she said. \u201cI soaked it all in and quickly learned how to adapt choreography from the floor to the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her partnership with Kolesnik began first, where she immediately recognized his drive and technical strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is eager to learn and puts in the work. He is so strong technically and truly loves what he does,\u201d she said. \u201cAnything I would ask him to do, he would reply with a smile and say, \u2018Of course I can,\u2019 even if I knew it was impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Zingas joined him, Petkovski knew the pairing had something special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Emi came in to audition with him, I immediately knew they had something special,\u201d she said. \u201cShe was a single skater and new to ice dance; however, she matched his ambition and fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petkovski recalls a defining moment early in their partnership.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll never forget telling her, \u2018It won\u2019t be easy, but if you stay positive, work hard, you will go to the Olympics,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
From that point on, their training extended beyond technical choreography.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the moment I started coaching Emilea and Vadym together, I knew they had the talent, the mindset, and were incredibly coachable,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom day one we focused not only on choreography, but on carrying themselves like champions, on and off the ice.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Renee](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Petkovski_Olympics480_2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Renee Petkovski coaches Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik<\/p>\n
Over the years, Petkovski witnessed their growth firsthand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI watched them improve, saw their confidence grow and witnessed them fight to carve out a path for themselves, which made me proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Central to their success was a shared vision.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen my goals for them align with the goals they have for themselves, that\u2019s when the magic really starts to happen,\u201d she said. \u201cWe feed off each other\u2019s energy and create an environment where anything felt possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Olympic spotlight shines brightly, Petkovski remains grounded in her role as an educator and mentor \u2014 both on campus and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love what I do, and hope that shines through in my students,\u201d she said. \u201cThrough their work ethic, sense of humor and resilience, Emi and Vadym are great role models.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Oakland University, her students benefit from the same passion and real-world experience that helped shape Olympians.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether Olympians, stage or theatre \u2014 whatever their goals \u2014 I am right behind my students working hard to help make it happen,\u201d Petkovski said.<\/p>\n
From the dance studio in Rochester to the Olympic ice, Petkovski\u2019s story is a powerful example of how dedication to teaching, artistry and mentorship can make an impact on the world stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OU Dance Faculty Member Renee Petkovski coaches U.S. Ice Dancers at 2026 Winter Olympics When the world tuned…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7291,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[143,145,144],"class_list":["post-227040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}