Coming soon at Friends on Ice -- the new Kana / Dai calendars!
Thanks for sharing, Arriba! I’m happy we’re getting a desk calendar this time (as I would have liked last year too) – and also a K7D1 key ring, a make-up pouch in conga design, new clear files and new acrylic stands. All items will be available at FOI and later at the Ensky online shop (their proxy partner "Buyee" worked well for me last year, so I will probably not be able to resist this time either ).
https://twitter.com/ensky_sports/status/1690176714801078272
https://twitter.com/ensky_sports/status/1690567179425767424
https://twitter.com/ensky_sports/status/1691635635017404838
https://twitter.com/ensky_sports/status/1690896668722700288
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A second two part article was published by gendai media on August 14:
https://gendai.media/articles/-/114713
https://gendai.media/articles/-/114714
The main points Kana and Dai talked about were:
- their performances and the collab with Gabi/Gui and Maddi/Evan at The Ice
- their farewell trip to Florida
- the new contemporary program choreographed by Kaitlyn Weaver, which they wanted to debut at The Ice, but couldn’t make it in time due to how difficult the choreography is
- Dai’s work with Pasquale Camerlengo on a new solo program
- Kana’s plans for a solo program (only the song has been decided on so far – it was chosen by Dai)
- they don’t know yet when either of the aforementioned programs will be debuted
- they will take a break after Friends on Ice / they hope for more (show) offers
Machine translation of the most interesting parts:
Takahashi: "At The Ice, we performed the rhythm dance programs from our first and second year, and we wanted to show how much we had changed since then, so I was very motivated. Being allowed to do the land dance is one of the things I want to do in the future, so I was happy and glad it was a challenge."
Muramoto: "Skating our competition programs after retirement is different from [skating them in] competitions in that you have to express yourself in a way that involves the audience more. You have to be very creative in how you appeal and express yourself. For example, I can skate steps and turns without thinking about my level, so it was fresh and very interesting to go all out."
At The Ice, there was a group number with the Beijing Olympic gold medalist couple Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (France) and this year's World Championship gold medalist couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA), but in a show setting, Kanadai was not at all outdone and skated very attractively.
Takahashi: "At first I thought we were going to be punished for skating with them, but after we skated with them, I was happy to hear that it was well received and that they said we were as good as them, which gave me a lot of confidence. And I gained a lot from skating with the champions."
Muramoto: "We were able to skate with them from practice, so I really learned a lot. I was asked who I would like to skate with. I had written Guillaume in a questionnaire asking who I would like to skate with, and I was very happy that we were able to realise that in this collaboration."
[…]
The talk of the town is that they will perform Shae-Lynn Bourne's choreography at Friends on Ice in August. Since announcing their retirement, they also asked Kaitlyn Weaver, who has won several medals at the World Championships with Andrew Poje, to choreograph Kanadai's programme, and Pasquale Camerlengo, who previously choreographed Takahashi's "La Strada" and "Invierno Porteño", to choreograph Takahashi's solo.
Takahashi: "Kaitlyn choreographed for us in May, so we wanted to do it at The Ice if we could make it, but we couldn't. It is a very difficult program and it took us a long time to get into it."
Muramoto: "Yes. Shae-Lynn's is difficult, but Kaitlyn's is even more difficult, and it's a program that takes time to be able to show you. I originally had a song that I requested, but as we were choreographing, Kaitlyn brought this song to us and it became the song that we performed. The choreography is the same, but it's a completely different image, which is nice."
Takahashi: "The rhythm doesn't stand out but the melody does, so it's very difficult to get the timing right. I've been skating with Kana for several years, but we still have different interpretations of the songs. It will take time to be able to show that 'pause' well. Also, what Kaitlyn envisions and the interpretation we envision may not be the same."
Muramoto: "It's contemporary, so it can be interpreted in many different ways. Kaitlyn told us that this was her first time choreographing an ice dance piece, and she thanked us for asking her, which made me happy too. I had seen her choreography in Canada before and was very impressed."
Takahashi: "Kaitlyn's talent was amazing and unique when she choreographed for the ice show I produced, Ice Explosion. I was really happy to have asked her, so I thought she could do something really cool this time too, and sure enough, it turned out to be great. I think her unique sensibility in choreography will stand out even more in the contemporary version. It's a very difficult program to present to you unless we get into the details too."
Before going to Florida, Takahashi-san also asked Pasquale Camerlengo to choreograph his solo-program in Detroit.
Takahashi: 'It's been a long time since I've had Camerlengo choreograph for me. I wanted to do something [with a] masculine [flavour]. A program that I think is cool. He was also happy to work with me for the first time in a long time. This program is also very physical and hard. It also pays homage to his old choreography, which gives it a Camerlengo-esque feel."
Do you have any plans to ask your former coach, Nikolai Morozov, whom you met again in the US and who helped you with edge sharpening before the World Championships?
Takahashi: "I'd like Nikolai to do it, but he was a bit timid, saying 'I wonder if I can do it' (laughs). But I'd like him to do it for the first time in a long time!"
And Ms. Muramoto also has a solo program planned.
Muramoto: "I've decided on the song that Dai-chan asked me to skate to, but for now, I'm asking the dancers to do the dance part. I haven't decided yet whether I will ask someone else to choreograph the skating part or whether I will do it myself. Of course, I'll skate if I get an offer."
Takahashi: "We haven't decided yet when we will be able to present Kaitlyn's program and Camerlengo's in front of you, but I'm looking forward to showing them to you."
Kanadai says they are currently training hard for Friends on Ice 2023, which will take place in Shin-Yokohama from 25 August. The pair, who have been busy since the announcement of their retirement from competition, are said to be taking a break afterwards.
Takahashi: 'After Friends is over and we take a break, we want to think about what we want to do afterwards. There are various things we would like to do ourselves, but some things are difficult without offers, so we have to do our best while consulting with those around us. Also, there are many talented young people in all fields of entertainment. In such a situation, I think I have to think about what kind of colour I can bring out and how I can create my own colour. I've also decided to take on a new challenge next year with the production team of “Hyoen”, so I guess new things and so on will be up and running from next year."
Muramoto: "Since I retired, thanks to Dai-chan, I've been able to perform in various shows and it's been great fun. I'm going to skate until Friends anyway, and after showing everyone a good performance, I'd like to take a break and think about what I'm going to do in the future. But I want to skate as long as I can and try my hand at choreography."
Shizuka and Dai promoted FOI on Fuji TV’s variety show “Poka Poka”:
https://twitter.com/mid19c/status/1690357592223342592
https://twitter.com/flapperbear414/status/1689485989012758528
https://twitter.com/flapperbear414/status/1689486351815839744
Kana’s and Dai’s messages on the official FOI ig account:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9qXx-pVsp/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvt5q8bM8x4/
The last FOI show on August 27 will be broadcasted live on Nitteleplus (ntv):
https://www.nitteleplus.com/program/friendsonice_2023/
Only a few days left until FOI! Looking forward to the new program and the Poeta collab!
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In other news:
- Kana, Dai and Koyo Yanai (co-choreographer of the Soran Bushi/Koto and Conga RDs) watched the current Japanese production of Moulin Rouge with Ayaka Hirahara (who appeared and sang in the last two Hyoen productions) as Satine:
https://twitter.com/yukko_1022/status/1688892656515260416
- Dai took part in the 30th anniversary celebration of the Kurashiki Figure Skating Club, where he started skating at the age of 8 and was made to try to smash a watermelon blindfolded (I’m not sure if he succeeded in the end ):
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv2D0Y7JDxe/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv81bmmpdlE/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv0mRvGS1NH/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv1yZ5_p6ZW/
- Puma campaign for the new fall/winter yoga collection:
https://jp.puma.com/jp/ja/スポーツ/ヨガ?fbclid=IwAR2I_CIzfqEXHhmcj5A0Yz5FT5kt_d2hwvqCzhtSoFa2AVWoKbw2AwkvDfs
- Dai with Nathan at The Ice: https://twitter.com/thirstmenace/status/1689376289545924610
- Kana went to see One Piece on Ice together with Miwa Nishida (Sky Court’s CBO). [ig story expired]
- Dai practiced 3Lo. [ig story expired]
- He also has blue hair now. [ig story expired]
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