Anyway, maybe it's those Viking (descended) genes.
Most Russians aren't descended from the Vikings. They based themselves around the North Sea.
I was kidding!
Sorry I didn't use a smiley to clarify.
I will say that most Russian born skating coaches in the U.S. that I have met, have adapted extremely well to the U.S. system.
Some might disagree, but I think U.S. style group lessons are mostly babysitting (especially below USFS BS 4 and ISI FS 2) partly because the ISI and USFS both say that the purpose and judging of group lessons is to make things FUN
, not to be picky about details. In addition, many American coaches only teach group lessons for the purpose of recruiting private students, or because a rink forces them to.
I've actually taken several group lessons outside the ISI/USFS syllabi which did better at teaching skills in a serious manner. They were a lot more fun for me. But it didn't hurt that I was taking private lessons from some of the same coaches.
Can it really be true that even the top European and Russian skaters (including those who study in the U.S.?) NEVER take private lessons?