Stéphane: you will definitely see me in Sochi
Two-time World champion in figure skating Stéphane Lambiel spoke to the correspondent of R-Sport agency Andrey Simonenko about the show Triumph of Tamara Moskvina, his work with Alexei Mishin's group, Artur Gachinsky's perspectives and the comeback of Evgeni Plushenko.
http://sport.ria.ru/interview_sport/20111015/460518384.html
Photo from here
Stéphane, this March you participated in Alexei Mishin's jubilee. Now you are in St. Petersburg for another show. It seems that this city becomes your second home...
Yes, you're right, I also have such feeling. I love St. Petersburg, I have many wonderful memories of this city and of skating at the arena. When I come to Piter, I feel very comfortable because I know a lot of people, many of them are my friends. And, as I said many times, I just love to perform in Russia, for Russian public.
More pictures here
What does it mean for you to participate in the celebration of Tamara Moskvina's anniversary?
This is a great honor for me. As you have noted, I skated in the spring at the celebration of the jubilee of Alexei Mishin, who is one of my teachers. And Tamara Moskvina for me is also a special person. She is a great coach, one of the most outstanding figures in skating. She created such an incredible number of new elements, new movements for pair skating that it just takes your breath away. She created a lot of wonderful programs for her skaters. She has always been one of the leaders of figure skating. Finally, she is a very strong woman - probably the strongest in the world of figure skating. I admire her work, but I also love her as a person. Moskvina has a big heart. She is always honest and forthright, but at the same time she is clever and diplomatic. She is very sporty and dynamic - even though she is 70, she is more active than many 40-year-olds. Moskvina is young.
Stéphane, speaking St. Petersburg becoming your new home, I meant to mention also that in the offseason you have worked with Alexei Mishin's group...
Yes, I appreciate the fact that such a coach offered me to work with his students. There are many talented skaters in Mishin's group. We agreed with Mishin that I will give his students, figuratively speaking, a touch of my scent, my perfume. And I think we did it. For two weeks I spent a lot of time with the kids. They are all just wonderful. Insanely hard-working - but at the same time very sincere and friendly. So for me to work with them was a dream.
What kind of a feedback you got from them?
You know, on the last day of our work, when I was leaving, they clung to me like this (shows) - and started crying, don't go, don't go! And for me it was really very hard to leave them. I felt as if I was leaving my own family, my own children... I really shared a lot of energy with them. I tried to give them my passion for figure skating. And then I had to kind of break this invisible thread.
What did you do for the principal Mishin's students, except, of course, Evgeni Plushenko - Liza Tuktamisheva and Artur Gachinsky?
First of all, they're both just great. I can see their progress, and it's amazing. You can call me Liza and Artur's fan, I cheer for them and wish them good luck and to win. Speaking of my work with Liza, I choreographed her short program. Not so long ago I met her in Japan, at the tournament, which she won, and I gave her some advice. I would like to work with Liza again. I don't know when it can happen - but if Mishin needs my help, I am always at his service.
And what can you say about Artur, can you already list him among the leaders of the world figure skating?
I think he has an unlimited potential. He made a huge progress since the Worlds, where he won a bronze medal. The progress can be seen in everything - in his skating, in his character. He became a real man - and I consider him one of the favorites in the upcoming season.
What exactly have you done for Gachinsky during your collaboration?
Firstly, wee worked a lot on the steps. We worked a lot on the performance, the ability to connect with the audience, the presentation. Worked on jump entrances, transitions between the elements in the programs. In general, we did a lot of interesting things. I wanted for Artur to look calm and, I would say, peaceful on the ice - and at the same time, to be able to express his emotions. Not with some random movements or flails, but with his heart. And I think I managed to convey my thoughts to Artur. He was a very good pupil and did everything I asked him to do. He understood my ideas and I think that he managed to transfer them on the ice in his skating.
Stéphane, I cannot but ask you about your participation in the recent show in Italy Opera on Ice in Verona, where prominent athletes skated on the famous arena to the arias performed live. You were there both as a performer and a choreographer...
Yes, it was an incredible show, and I'm going to skate in St. Petersburg at the Triumph of Tamara Moskvina one of the programs from there, Rigoletto.
More like this
I also made two programs for Carolina Kostner. The idea of the show belonged to her manager and he asked me to work with her. That work was also very exciting for me. The first program is Tosca. Very beautiful and emotional program - the girl asks heaven, why she's given such a fate, why can't she be with the man she loves. In this program, Carolina is depressed, she cannot understand why life was so cruel to her. She prays and says: I was always so good, I prayed to God every day, and he didn't hear me. That is, in general, what we have worked on with Carolina in our first program. I tried to evoke all these emotions in her, made her pray to the God Almighty right on the ice. The second program, which I made for her, is a completely different story. It's Carmen - a very strong woman with a hot Spanish blood. Passionate woman, who, practically, behaves like a prostitute. Well, this is an exaggeration, of course - but just a small one. And we worked with Carolina on that. She has always been very closed, reserved on the ice - and I wanted her to show character, to ignite a passion in her.
More
Do you think you succeeded?
Yes, she was brilliant and portrayed two completely different characters. Carolina managed to do everything that I wanted from her. The only problem that we had at the show Opera on Ice was that there was a very small rink, and Carolina needs a lot of space to show her best. Here, she was not able to get a speed she can. And the main beauty of the same Tosca program, for example, is when she flies over the ice praying. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite achieve that effect. However, I must say that Carolina is a great skater, with beautiful lines and skating. I think it's no secret that she is my favorite female skater who's currently competing. We have always been very close friends, I love her very much, but at some point we just drifted apart. She moved to Los Angeles, I stayed in Switzerland. And this distance, it complicated our relationship. But now we are very close again, we feel connection with each other, and I was happy to help her.
Maybe Carolina can use your programs in galas?
May be. But I am not sure if it will look as great at it did in Verona, because there was an orchestra, singers performed arias live. The effect will be different.
What do you think about Evgeni Plushenko's comeback? Or rather, about his plans to make a comeback…
I think his comeback is possible. If Evgeni wants it - why not? But I'm not in his shoes, I cannot say whether he has physical abilities to do that. To come back to competitive skating is very, very difficult, I know it myself. And if you're not 100 percent healthy, it might be impossible. But if Plushenko has both health and motivation, then we will see him in Sochi.
And is there even a tiny chance that we'll see you in Sochi? You're in great shape, doing quads...
You will definitely see me in Sochi in 2014. But not as a figure skater - as a choreographer. Of course, if there would be athletes out there who would ask me to choreograph for them - and I hope there would. You see, in my heart I am still 100 percent an athlete, a figure skater, and I work at practices every day. But not to compete, I don't need that, just to perform for an audience in the show. And my second job, which I love no less, is choreography.
http://sport.ria.ru/interview_sport/20111015/460518384.html
Photo from here
Stéphane, this March you participated in Alexei Mishin's jubilee. Now you are in St. Petersburg for another show. It seems that this city becomes your second home...
Yes, you're right, I also have such feeling. I love St. Petersburg, I have many wonderful memories of this city and of skating at the arena. When I come to Piter, I feel very comfortable because I know a lot of people, many of them are my friends. And, as I said many times, I just love to perform in Russia, for Russian public.
More pictures here
What does it mean for you to participate in the celebration of Tamara Moskvina's anniversary?
This is a great honor for me. As you have noted, I skated in the spring at the celebration of the jubilee of Alexei Mishin, who is one of my teachers. And Tamara Moskvina for me is also a special person. She is a great coach, one of the most outstanding figures in skating. She created such an incredible number of new elements, new movements for pair skating that it just takes your breath away. She created a lot of wonderful programs for her skaters. She has always been one of the leaders of figure skating. Finally, she is a very strong woman - probably the strongest in the world of figure skating. I admire her work, but I also love her as a person. Moskvina has a big heart. She is always honest and forthright, but at the same time she is clever and diplomatic. She is very sporty and dynamic - even though she is 70, she is more active than many 40-year-olds. Moskvina is young.
Click to viewStéphane, speaking St. Petersburg becoming your new home, I meant to mention also that in the offseason you have worked with Alexei Mishin's group...
Yes, I appreciate the fact that such a coach offered me to work with his students. There are many talented skaters in Mishin's group. We agreed with Mishin that I will give his students, figuratively speaking, a touch of my scent, my perfume. And I think we did it. For two weeks I spent a lot of time with the kids. They are all just wonderful. Insanely hard-working - but at the same time very sincere and friendly. So for me to work with them was a dream.
What kind of a feedback you got from them?
You know, on the last day of our work, when I was leaving, they clung to me like this (shows) - and started crying, don't go, don't go! And for me it was really very hard to leave them. I felt as if I was leaving my own family, my own children... I really shared a lot of energy with them. I tried to give them my passion for figure skating. And then I had to kind of break this invisible thread.
What did you do for the principal Mishin's students, except, of course, Evgeni Plushenko - Liza Tuktamisheva and Artur Gachinsky?
First of all, they're both just great. I can see their progress, and it's amazing. You can call me Liza and Artur's fan, I cheer for them and wish them good luck and to win. Speaking of my work with Liza, I choreographed her short program. Not so long ago I met her in Japan, at the tournament, which she won, and I gave her some advice. I would like to work with Liza again. I don't know when it can happen - but if Mishin needs my help, I am always at his service.
And what can you say about Artur, can you already list him among the leaders of the world figure skating?
I think he has an unlimited potential. He made a huge progress since the Worlds, where he won a bronze medal. The progress can be seen in everything - in his skating, in his character. He became a real man - and I consider him one of the favorites in the upcoming season.
What exactly have you done for Gachinsky during your collaboration?
Firstly, wee worked a lot on the steps. We worked a lot on the performance, the ability to connect with the audience, the presentation. Worked on jump entrances, transitions between the elements in the programs. In general, we did a lot of interesting things. I wanted for Artur to look calm and, I would say, peaceful on the ice - and at the same time, to be able to express his emotions. Not with some random movements or flails, but with his heart. And I think I managed to convey my thoughts to Artur. He was a very good pupil and did everything I asked him to do. He understood my ideas and I think that he managed to transfer them on the ice in his skating.
Stéphane, I cannot but ask you about your participation in the recent show in Italy Opera on Ice in Verona, where prominent athletes skated on the famous arena to the arias performed live. You were there both as a performer and a choreographer...
Yes, it was an incredible show, and I'm going to skate in St. Petersburg at the Triumph of Tamara Moskvina one of the programs from there, Rigoletto.
More like this
I also made two programs for Carolina Kostner. The idea of the show belonged to her manager and he asked me to work with her. That work was also very exciting for me. The first program is Tosca. Very beautiful and emotional program - the girl asks heaven, why she's given such a fate, why can't she be with the man she loves. In this program, Carolina is depressed, she cannot understand why life was so cruel to her. She prays and says: I was always so good, I prayed to God every day, and he didn't hear me. That is, in general, what we have worked on with Carolina in our first program. I tried to evoke all these emotions in her, made her pray to the God Almighty right on the ice. The second program, which I made for her, is a completely different story. It's Carmen - a very strong woman with a hot Spanish blood. Passionate woman, who, practically, behaves like a prostitute. Well, this is an exaggeration, of course - but just a small one. And we worked with Carolina on that. She has always been very closed, reserved on the ice - and I wanted her to show character, to ignite a passion in her.
More
Do you think you succeeded?
Yes, she was brilliant and portrayed two completely different characters. Carolina managed to do everything that I wanted from her. The only problem that we had at the show Opera on Ice was that there was a very small rink, and Carolina needs a lot of space to show her best. Here, she was not able to get a speed she can. And the main beauty of the same Tosca program, for example, is when she flies over the ice praying. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite achieve that effect. However, I must say that Carolina is a great skater, with beautiful lines and skating. I think it's no secret that she is my favorite female skater who's currently competing. We have always been very close friends, I love her very much, but at some point we just drifted apart. She moved to Los Angeles, I stayed in Switzerland. And this distance, it complicated our relationship. But now we are very close again, we feel connection with each other, and I was happy to help her.
Maybe Carolina can use your programs in galas?
May be. But I am not sure if it will look as great at it did in Verona, because there was an orchestra, singers performed arias live. The effect will be different.
What do you think about Evgeni Plushenko's comeback? Or rather, about his plans to make a comeback…
I think his comeback is possible. If Evgeni wants it - why not? But I'm not in his shoes, I cannot say whether he has physical abilities to do that. To come back to competitive skating is very, very difficult, I know it myself. And if you're not 100 percent healthy, it might be impossible. But if Plushenko has both health and motivation, then we will see him in Sochi.
And is there even a tiny chance that we'll see you in Sochi? You're in great shape, doing quads...
You will definitely see me in Sochi in 2014. But not as a figure skater - as a choreographer. Of course, if there would be athletes out there who would ask me to choreograph for them - and I hope there would. You see, in my heart I am still 100 percent an athlete, a figure skater, and I work at practices every day. But not to compete, I don't need that, just to perform for an audience in the show. And my second job, which I love no less, is choreography.