Sota Yamamoto

[TallyT]

I didn't know this song but actually, taking apart the lyrics, I think Sota Yamamoto could skate rather well on such music.

Want. Want want want want want.

(And I do know the song, Culture Club were huge back in the day...)

 

[KiraraChin]

OK so my opinion is the opposite of @yesterday 's

I actually love Exogenesis for Sota. I don't really mind warhorses if they're well executed, and I think Sota can do it well: it has the slow parts, the crescendo and the drama that he needs. Kenji is a great choreographer (underrated, really) and they have worked together before and his choreo suits Sota well. All and all, I think it's a great choice and it'll be definitely better than Dragon and Rach. Can't wait to see it!

As for Chameleon... There's a fine line between being brave and being crazy, and this crosses the line into crazy territory for me, I'm really sorry to say For a few reasons:

- I think this music is hard to pull off properly anyway. It's jazzy and groovy, but also kinda repetitive and flat. Sure, you can simply put the elements in and call it a day, but it's a waste to let the music simply go by and not be a showcase of your performance skills. Like, if it was Kazuki announcing this music, I'd think of it as challenging, and Kazuki has done jazzy programmes before.

- It's a huge risk at this point in Sota's career. Kaori and Deniss were mentioned here, but note that Kaori only started experimenting with different choreographers after becoming Olympic medallist and World Champion, and she knew her position as a top lady was secure and she had a leeway over her competitors. As for Deniss, he is a small fed skater so he knows he'll be going to Worlds anyway. However Sota is an up-and-coming skater in a very deep domestic field, and for him there is a lot at stake: a bad SP at Nats can be the difference between getting assignments and funding or not. He doesn't have that leeway that Kaori and Deniss have.

- In these few years that I've watching him, Sota has been more of a SP than a FS skater. Every time I saw him do well in any competition, it was because he went clean on the SP. I've never seen him botch the SP and then have a great comeback FS, at least not that I can remember (please correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe he did it more often earlier in his career, I don't know. So there is a risk there too, because if the SP doesn't go well, he'll need to absolutely deliver in the FS, and that's a lot of pressure. You might think it's a simple change of mentality but it's not. It's like when Kazuki struggled because he had always been more of a FS skater, but then he started doing better in the SP, he freaked out because he was not used to being the guy to be chased in the FS. These things can take a while.

- It's quite ironic the song is called 'Chameleon' because that's what Sota is not. I don't say this as shade, quite the opposite! Sota has a very distinctive style of skating and I think some of the music choices from the past few seasons have showed that his style of skating doesn't really lend itself to any type of music. He's the type of skater that needs the music to work for him, not the other way around.

In the end, I don't really blame the skater: he's young and competitive, and he might think that the choreographer knows best. I do blame David but then choreographers sometimes are more focused on their 'vision' than the actual skater. I blame 100% his coaching team for not intervening on behalf of Sota's long-term strategy.

But oh well. I'll be glad to be proven wrong, but for the moment NGL I'm sceptic.

 

[yesterday]

OK so my opinion is the opposite of @yesterday 's

I actually love Exogenesis for Sota. I don't really mind warhorses if they're well executed, and I think Sota can do it well: it has the slow parts, the crescendo and the drama that he needs. Kenji is a great choreographer (underrated, really) and they have worked together before and his choreo suits Sota well. All and all, I think it's a great choice and it'll be definitely better than Dragon and Rach. Can't wait to see it!

As for Chameleon... There's a fine line between being brave and being crazy, and this crosses the line into crazy territory for me, I'm really sorry to say For a few reasons:

- I think this music is hard to pull off properly anyway. It's jazzy and groovy, but also kinda repetitive and flat. Sure, you can simply put the elements in and call it a day, but it's a waste to let the music simply go by and not be a showcase of your performance skills. Like, if it was Kazuki announcing this music, I'd think of it as challenging, and Kazuki has done jazzy programmes before.

- It's a huge risk at this point in Sota's career. Kaori and Deniss were mentioned here, but note that Kaori only started experimenting with different choreographers after becoming Olympic medallist and World Champion, and she knew her position as a top lady was secure and she had a leeway over her competitors. As for Deniss, he is a small fed skater so he knows he'll be going to Worlds anyway. However Sota is an up-and-coming skater in a very deep domestic field, and for him there is a lot at stake: a bad SP at Nats can be the difference between getting assignments and funding or not. He doesn't have that leeway that Kaori and Deniss have.

- In these few years that I've watching him, Sota has been more of a SP than a FS skater. Every time I saw him do well in any competition, it was because he went clean on the SP. I've never seen him botch the SP and then have a great comeback FS, at least not that I can remember (please correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe he did it more often earlier in his career, I don't know. So there is a risk there too, because if the SP doesn't go well, he'll need to absolutely deliver in the FS, and that's a lot of pressure. You might think it's a simple change of mentality but it's not. It's like when Kazuki struggled because he had always been more of a FS skater, but then he started doing better in the SP, he freaked out because he was not used to being the guy to be chased in the FS. These things can take a while.

- It's quite ironic the song is called 'Chameleon' because that's what Sota is not. I don't say this as shade, quite the opposite! Sota has a very distinctive style of skating and I think some of the music choices from the past few seasons have showed that his style of skating doesn't really lend itself to any type of music. He's the type of skater that needs the music to work for him, not the other way around.

In the end, I don't really blame the skater: he's young and competitive, and he might think that the choreographer knows best. I do blame David but then choreographers sometimes are more focused on their 'vision' than the actual skater. I blame 100% his coaching team for not intervening on behalf of Sota's long-term strategy.

But oh well. I'll be glad to be proven wrong, but for the moment NGL I'm sceptic.

Haha
no problem!

I did not really say I don't like Muse for him, I just don't want to hear it in a rink in general anymore.
But as a counterpart to the SP it serves well.

And I will pick just one more point here - the Kaori and Deniss thing.
So, that means that unless Sota wins Worlds and an Oly medal, he can't go further? Well, that could take a while and careers are not endless. I don't wish bad on anyone, but the current generation is quite packed plus there seems to be the "one goes one comes" rule in place. We had Yuzu out and Yuma in, Nathan out and Ilia in,.. (roughly speaking).
Comparing Sota with Deniss - yes, Deniss generally has his spot if healthy, but thinking about "fed power", Sota should have the advantage. (not saying JSF is totally into him alone, but saying when others outside Japan look at skaters and score them, the JPN next to the name is usually not a disadvantage).

So, two sides all the way for me.

 

[yesterday]

Want. Want want want want want.

(And I do know the song, Culture Club were huge back in the day...)

Then it would be this

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (Instrumental)

www.youtube.com

 

[rRainbow]

Two NTV (Nihon TV) articles on Sota at DOI:

フィギュア山本草太　新フリーに「やっとこの曲に巡りあえた」新たな4回転への挑戦も―｜日テレNEWS NNN

◇ドリーム・オン・アイス2023、2日目(1日、KOSE新横浜スケートセンター)アイスショー『ドリーム・オン・アイス2023』の2日目の公演に、世界選手権代表の山本草太選手が出演しました。山本選手は、宮本賢二さん振付の新フリー『エクソジェネシス交響曲第3番』を披露。「今回のプログラム選びは難航して、やっとこの曲に巡りあえたというか、この曲で今シーズン行こうと思えた。自分のエクソジェネシスを表現できるかなと思います」と話していました。ミディアムテンポの曲調に、山本選手の伸びやかなスケーティングを乗せて観客を引き込みます。

news.ntv.co.jp

フィギュア・山本草太　新プログラムで「“ニュー草太”を見せたい」勝負メシは罪悪感のない“バナナ”｜日テレNEWS NNN

トップスケーターたちが集まるドリーム・オン・アイス2023。公演に臨む山本草太選手に、日本テレビが独占インタビューし、新シーズンへの思いを伺いました。新シーズンはショート・フリーともに新たなプログラムで臨む山本選手。ショートプログラムは、デイビッド・ウィルソンさんが振り付けを務める『chameleon』。「いつも自分のプログラムは自分で曲をたくさん聞いて、自分で曲を選んで提出する場合が多いですが、デイビッドに任せていたら素晴らしいものができると思って、すべてお任せしました。曲を頂いたときは『自分らしくない、自分では絶対に選ばない曲』だと思いましたが、難しいからこそ振り付けも新鮮で、楽しく...

news.ntv.co.jp

Translation:

NTV had an exclusive interview with Sota Yamamoto senshu, who will take part in Dreams on Ice 2023, where top skaters will gather, and asked him about his thoughts on the new season.

In the new season, Yamamoto senshu will compete in both the short program and free skate with a new program.

He said, “The short program is " Chameleon" choreographed by David Wilson.
"I usually listen to a lot of music for my programs, and choose and submit the songs myself, but I thought if I left it to David, something wonderful would be created, so I left it all up to him. When I received the song, I thought it was something that I would never have chosen myself, but because it was difficult, the choreography was fresh and fun, and I wanted to show the 'new Sota.'”

The free program is "Exogenesis Symphony No. 3" choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto. "I had a hard time picking a program this time, but I finally came across this piece, or rather, I decided to go with this piece for this season. I think I can express my own Exogenesis," he said.

When asked about his off-season endeavors, he answered, "I have been training the quadruple flip and quadruple Lutz, and I succeeded in landing quadruple Lutz for the first time this off-season, so I can still feel my growth," revealing his new quadruple jumps, "If I were to include the new jump in the program, it would be a flip, but I'd like to aim for a stable performance with salchow and toeloop. I will practice the flip, Lutz, and loop in between, to make them my weapons someday," he said enthusiastically.

"Of course, the new jumps are physically taxing on the body, and as for his workouts, he said, "I have been working out off-ice, but I have also changed my routine, increasing the load and so on. I am also trying to build my body to prevent injuries. If I increase the amount of practice alone, it may lead to injury and not be helpful for competition, so it is important to find the right way to train," he explained his practice with self-analysis in mind.

As for diet, Yamamoto senshu said that his injury experiences have led him to pay attention to nutrition and timing of meals. When asked about his "pre-competition food," he replied, "Bananas are guilt-free, easy to eat, and they are readily available, so I eat them before and after practice, as well as on competition days."

Lastly, when asked about his goal for the new season, he answered, "I want to give my best in every competition and ice show. Last season, my goal was to get on the podium at the Grand Prix Series, and I made it twice, so I would like to work towards that again this season, and even higher. I was disappointed with my first World Championships result, so I would like to redeem myself."

 

[KiraraChin]

And I will pick just one more point here - the Kaori and Deniss thing.
So, that means that unless Sota wins Worlds and an Oly medal, he can't go further? Well, that could take a while and careers are not endless. I don't wish bad on anyone, but the current generation is quite packed plus there seems to be the "one goes one comes" rule in place. We had Yuzu out and Yuma in, Nathan out and Ilia in,.. (roughly speaking).
Comparing Sota with Deniss - yes, Deniss generally has his spot if healthy, but thinking about "fed power", Sota should have the advantage. (not saying JSF is totally into him alone, but saying when others outside Japan look at skaters and score them, the JPN next to the name is usually not a disadvantage).

So, two sides all the way for me.

It's always a balancing act, isn't it? Being a small fed skater has its advantages and disadvantages. You're more likely to be lowballed (although Deniss's scores are actually pretty good), but you know you don't have to worry about internal competition. If you are from a big fed with a deep field, you can get good scores internationally but it might be difficult to get assigned to competitions in the first place. OR in Kaori's case, she could get to competitions but she used to be lowballed in favour of the Russians.

I think every skater has to make a decision about how much to push the boundaries v searching for stability. I think we worry about Sota because he has crossed the line between being brave and being crazy before LMAO For example, in the 2019-20 season he was insisting on a layout that at the time it was clear he wasn't ready to pull off, and then he ended up buried in the deep Japanese field. So we worry that the same thing could happen again as he might be biting more than he can chew with this music choice. Like I said, I hope I'll be proven wrong

 

[KiraraChin]

Sota's FS has been posted on another site: https://www.another site.com/r/Figu..._yamamoto_dreams_on_ice_2023_new_20232024_fs/

As I suspected, Exogenesis fits him a lot! I think it was a great music choice. The only thing is that, still looks a bit empty to me. While I love seeing Sota glide and his arms movements are beautiful, I'd like to see more steps and actual choreo, because I think he can do it and it would make the programme look amazing. Hopefully this will come with time

 

[surimi]

Thank you for the translation, Rainbow, and thank you for the another site link, Kirara! I am relieved to read in the interview that he's not keen on adding the new quads straight away, and prefers settling his current quads first. That's a challenge in itself, methinks. He's slowly coming into his own, the more he competes. But in a field like JPN singles, risks may not pay off, and affect the span of not one but two seasons, so I'm glad he seems to minimize the jump risk at least. Ditto for Sota's reassurances about training to avoid injury and overtraining. I'm quite relieved to read those words.

But oh well. I'll be glad to be proven wrong, but for the moment NGL I'm sceptic.

You sum up my feelings perfectly!

So, that means that unless Sota wins Worlds and an Oly medal, he can't go further? Well, that could take a while and careers are not endless.

The question is - if a mismatch happens at this point of his career, and happens to affect his performances, jumps and overall stability -> scores, will JSF not start bypassing him for good in favour of younger guns? Kazuki has been doing very well keeping up with them, but unlike Sota, he delivers at Nationals and has repeatedly delivered at WC. Yes, it was Sota's first WC and the circumstances were vastly different, but I'm not kidding myself that JSF cares. He has been very lucky at the start of his senior career - he was likely still seen as an upcoming potential star, and he got generous opportunities, including two Challengers, which I don't recall hapening for other boys. But if Chameleon music makes him nervous in competitions, I don't think he'll be counted on anymore. They've got new, popular faces like Shun and Kao. Sota is popular in a part of the fandom, but results and consistency are valued more. And Sota's ultimate goal is the Torino OG, so not a vast amount of time remaining for finding out if his new challenging program is a hit or miss with his skating and the judges. Unless he has a new (or old) one up his sleeve, which would be prudent in the case of Chameleon.
I'm not saying I want Sota to skate to the same type of music for years on end. But there's still music he hasn't tapped into that's not as radical for his type as the new SP. He could have chosen something like Godfather for instance, or a similar type of music. I'd like to see him skate to a more serene song from J-pop, too; surely there must be a few that are skateable.

The only thing is that, still looks a bit empty to me. While I love seeing Sota glide and his arms movements are beautiful, I'd like to see more steps and actual choreo, because I think he can do it and it would make the programme look amazing. Hopefully this will come with time

I think that may be a thing with Sota and this type of FS, with long flowy tones & skating. Dragon and Rachmaninov were also mentioned by some fans as being kind of empty, and also Io Ci Saro, which I personally don't get as it suited Sota very well IMO; but then, Sota had some jump issues in it throughout that season, which likely affected his performance (although I enjoyed all but the Nationals Io Ci Saro's).

 

[yesterday]

The question is - if a mismatch happens at this point of his career, and happens to affect his performances, jumps and overall stability -> scores, will JSF not start bypassing him for good in favour of younger guns? Kazuki has been doing very well keeping up with them, but unlike Sota, he delivers at Nationals and has repeatedly delivered at WC. Yes, it was Sota's first WC and the circumstances were vastly different, but I'm not kidding myself that JSF cares. He has been very lucky at the start of his senior career - he was likely still seen as an upcoming potential star, and he got generous opportunities, including two Challengers, which I don't recall hapening for other boys. But if Chameleon music makes him nervous in competitions, I don't think he'll be counted on anymore. They've got new, popular faces like Shun and Kao. Sota is popular in a part of the fandom, but results and consistency are valued more. And Sota's ultimate goal is the Torino OG, so not a vast amount of time remaining for finding out if his new challenging program is a hit or miss with his skating and the judges. Unless he has a new (or old) one up his sleeve, which would be prudent in the case of Chameleon.
I'm not saying I want Sota to skate to the same type of music for years on end. But there's still music he hasn't tapped into that's not as radical for his type as the new SP. He could have chosen something like Godfather for instance, or a similar type of music. I'd like to see him skate to a more serene song from J-pop, too; surely there must be a few that are skateable.

Mh-mh. I'd say, as long as he focuses on points, JSF or other judges might not care about the music so much or notice a "mismatch".
Perhaps this is about tackling the SP "problems" from the other side? So as mentioned by all of you, his FP is more often stable than his SP. And he has had SP music that "fit" and it didn't get better. Perhaps, with not changing the difficulty much but using a new input, it's a way to have a new, fresh approach to the "SP pressure". Go in with a smile.

Whatever it is, I'm sure he hears something in the music, feels a connection that we can't see or feel so far. I want to trust him there esp. as I was quite critic with his music choice last season (and early on, the programs were really "empty" between elements and the music did not help with that). So something livelier might cover up a bit of tension instead of increasing. I for him and he might surprise people with this. Last season, he started very solid, technically. If he can replicate this, he wil have enough time to make this piece his own. And he's got a whole season of additional experience now. In Sota we trust

 

[surimi]

Mh-mh. I'd say, as long as he focuses on points, JSF or other judges might not care about the music so much or notice a "mismatch".
Perhaps this is about tackling the SP "problems" from the other side? So as mentioned by all of you, his FP is more often stable than his SP. And he has had SP music that "fit" and it didn't get better. Perhaps, with not changing the difficulty much but using a new input, it's a way to have a new, fresh approach to the "SP pressure". Go in with a smile.

It's actually the other way around, his SP has been the more stable program throughout his senior career. Two notable exceptions were Dark Eyes at Kokutai 2021 (a low spot in an overall strange season, but that was not a norm for Sota, who was in a difficult coaching situation, and increasingly depressed), and East of Eden at Nationals 2019 (I still think it was some judging shenanigan back then, both Sota and Kazuki got some weird calls in the SPs).
Well, that's what I hope, that he'll focus on points. But keeping that focus won't be easy, with lively music to express. Hoping it works out for him.

Whatever it is, I'm sure he hears something in the music, feels a connection that we can't see or feel so far. I want to trust him there esp. as I was quite critic with his music choice last season (and early on, the programs were really "empty" between elements and the music did not help with that). So something livelier might cover up a bit of tension instead of increasing. I for him and he might surprise people with this. Last season, he started very solid, technically. If he can replicate this, he wil have enough time to make this piece his own. And he's got a whole season of additional experience now. In Sota we trust

Well, Sota's 'I'm trying so hard' Dark Eyes smile keeps coming to my mind (and I'm saying that as someone who appreciated his efforts, but that song-skater match just wasn't meant to be IMO)... Well, we'll know more next month. And I'll pray that JSF send Sota to a Challenger so he can test how the smile-n-groove thing works in competition. He's doing a very good job with Teeth, but it's competing that's going to be the real compatibility test. It's hard to be chill and smiley in competition if it's not naturally your thing. I'm thinking Kovtun with his 'I Can't Dance' and Loupolover (practically anywhere) could attest to that.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

It's actually the other way around, his SP has been the more stable program throughout his senior career. Two notable exceptions were Dark Eyes at Kokutai 2021 (a low spot in an overall strange season, but that was not a norm for Sota, who was in a difficult coaching situation, and increasingly depressed), and East of Eden at Nationals 2019 (I still think it was some judging shenanigan back then, both Sota and Kazuki got some weird calls in the SPs).
Well, that's what I hope, that he'll focus on points. But keeping that focus won't be easy, with lively music to express. Hoping it works out for him.



Well, Sota's 'I'm trying so hard' Dark Eyes smile keeps coming to my mind (and I'm saying that as someone who appreciated his efforts, but that song-skater match just wasn't meant to be IMO)... Well, we'll know more next month. And I'll pray that JSF send Sota to a Challenger so he can test how the smile-n-groove thing works in competition. He's doing a very good job with Teeth, but it's competing that's going to be the real compatibility test. It's hard to be chill and smiley in competition if it's not naturally your thing. I'm thinking Kovtun with his 'I Can't Dance' and Loupolover (practically anywhere) could attest to that.

I really don't think JSF will ever favour Shun Sato over Sota Yamamoto because, although Shun Sato's father removed and he arrived in "the right region" as young as 12, he seems to be still perceived as "from the East", and in the East, particularly from Tohoku. None of them seem to be ready to do "mouthservice" for JSF, so that's against both. There seem to be other young skater promoted by JSF, but anyway the field is really deep at the moment, and let's not forget that Yuma Kagiyama's coming back, we don't know how fit. With "only" 3 spots at Worlds and 3 at Four Continents, there's very little room for error.
We will see how it goes, I hope that Sota will have a Challenger for a "first pancake".

 

[rRainbow]

Sota's Playlist talk on "Exogenesis" by Jeremy Abbott: https://twitter.com/i/status/1675372500279250946
Translation:

Sota: "I admire his graceful skating and beautiful body movements, and if I may say so, I am more of that type of skater, and I think that Jeremy Abbott is truly the embodiment of the ultimate refinement of those qualities."

(Abbott performs) [audience applause at the end]

Sota: "I couldn't see his skate at the venue at the Grand Prix Series, but at the World Championships that season, I saw his really amazing performance at the venue, and I loved this program even more, and I would like to use this music someday, in my competitive career, for sure. I hope to have a chance to use this song."

 

[KiraraChin]

JSF updated their Strengthening Players profiles, here's Sota's: https://www.skatingjapan.or.jp/figure/player/detail.php?id=kFttigayOgY=

He lists his hobbies as sauna and listening to music. His message to fans (DeepL translation):
Thank you for all your support.
I will do my best to show you how I have grown this season.

 

[surimi]

Sota's FS has been posted on another site: https://www.another site.com/r/Figu..._yamamoto_dreams_on_ice_2023_new_20232024_fs/

As I suspected, Exogenesis fits him a lot! I think it was a great music choice. The only thing is that, still looks a bit empty to me. While I love seeing Sota glide and his arms movements are beautiful, I'd like to see more steps and actual choreo, because I think he can do it and it would make the programme look amazing. Hopefully this will come with time

Having seen the FS also, for myself I would not say 'empty', but it certainly looks like WIP. Also, it's very new for Sota and he looked quite nervous to me, so I daresay there'll be work done yet as Sota grows more confident in this choreo, and as they add new touches. His eagles and besti squat already fit the music well, but more will be done at the beginning and the end, or at least I hope so.
Music-wise, it's better than the Rachmaninov remake from last season, but again, it has those long tones, rising and falling like waves, though fortunately not as soft and whiny as in Rach. I'd prefer shorter, more segmented tones for Sota's skating (like piano for instance), or how should I put it. IMHO, 3 types of skaters rock this long-tone, somewhat repetitive, type of music: a) super fast like Kao, b) very expressive / flexible like Fa, or c) imposing, usually tall guys like Sadovsky or Abbott. Sota is none of that - or rather, he doesn't have those characteristics in such an excessive amount. What he can do is gain more speed, more confidence, and include more sweeping arm gestures, which, the way I see it, translates into no 4F and 4Lz, and shortening the entries to hard jumps, at least a bit, or making them more visually interesting, which is a hard task, but definitely not impossible for Sota. Then it will be a very nice competitive program, and will get very nice points. Just my 2 ...

Just praying in advance JSF will let him test the programs in international competition before GP. Especially because of the SP which is an entirely new territory for him, and if there were to be issues with competing to it, it would help him to find out about them as soon as possible.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

The three shows of the Makuhari stop of Fantasy on Ice, where Sota Yamamoto skated, will be broadcast on this satellite channel in Japan, on July 8th and 9th:

 

[surimi]

Sota will participate in Gensan Summer Cup on Aug 11-14. Good luck, and I hope he stays healthy! Here are some notable entries:


Also, I have read there is going to be a training camp very soon. There always is one in the summer, so I'm guessing (and hoping) we'll see some photos and footage in a few days.

 

[rRainbow]

Summer camp for figure skaters took place on July 8 at Kanku Ice Arena in Osaka.

フィギュア全日本合宿がスタート　友野一希や鍵山優真、坂本花織、三原舞依らが参加 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ

フィギュアスケートの全日本合宿が8日、大阪の関空アイスアリーナで行われた。

www.sponichi.co.jp

Interview with Sota by Chunichi Sports: https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/724708
Online translation works well.

 

[KiraraChin]

Summer camp for figure skaters took place on July 8 at Kanku Ice Arena in Osaka.

フィギュア全日本合宿がスタート　友野一希や鍵山優真、坂本花織、三原舞依らが参加 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ

フィギュアスケートの全日本合宿が8日、大阪の関空アイスアリーナで行われた。

www.sponichi.co.jp

Interview with Sota by Chunichi Sports: https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/724708
Online translation works well.

Thank you, rRainbow, some interesting info about his SP choice! I'll post the DeepL translation here since it relates to what we were discussing before:

Sota Yamamoto (23=Chukyo Univ.), who made his presence felt last season with a podium finish in the Grand Prix (GP) series and an appearance in the finals, asked world-class choreographer David Wilson to create a short program (SP) for him.

He first met Mr. Wilson, who choreographed group dances, etc., when he appeared in the "Fantasy on Ice" ice show in Japan in May.

He was very complimentary of my exhibition number at that time, and I strongly wanted to ask him to do it.

After consulting with others around him, he asked Mr. Wilson directly and received a positive response. He delayed his flight home from the show, and we worked on the piece over the next four days. The title of the piece is "Chameleon.

Mr. Wilson's works, such as Hanyu's "Romeo and Juliet," came to mind. He has created many masterpieces, so I had a lot of fun choreographing the piece, and I also made some new discoveries.

In the past, I often selected the songs myself, but this time I left it all up to him. When he first heard the song, he was worried about whether he would be able to do it, but now he feels a great sense of freshness. What is expected of him is a chameleon-like, multicolored appearance.

He said, "In 2 minutes and 50 seconds, he wants me to show various colors. I think there are many new aspects of myself that I haven't played before, such as a cool side. I hope you can see it, including the expressions on my face.

Last season, he had some issues in the middle to the latter half of the season.

I was disappointed at the All-Japan and World Championships, so I hope to get revenge again. I must not forget how I felt last season, but I will reset myself and try again with a new me.

I'm going to face a new season as "New Sota".

 

[rRainbow]

In the past, I often selected the songs myself, but this time I left it all up to him. When he first heard the song, he was worried about whether he would be able to do it, but now he feels a great sense of freshness. What is expected of him is a chameleon-like, multicolored appearance.

Thanks, Kirara. The article you referred to is this:

【フィギュア】山本草太は世界的振付師と初タッグ“ニュー草太”決意の直談判にウィルソン氏快諾 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

「ニュー草太」をみせる。昨季はグランプリ（GP）シリーズでの表彰台、ファイナル進出などで存在感を示した山本草太（23＝中京大）は、世界的振付師のデビッド・ウィ… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）

www.nikkansports.com

The above quoted part is a bit confusing so please allow me to change to this:
In the past, he often selected the songs himself, but this time he left it all up to him (David). When he (Sota) first listened to the song, he was worried about whether he would be able to do it, but now he feels a great sense of freshness. What is expected of him is a chameleon-like, multicolored appearance.

I know Japanese is an ambiguous language and the subject is often left out, and that's where digital translation faces challenges.

 

[KiraraChin]

Thanks, Kirara. The article you referred to is this:

【フィギュア】山本草太は世界的振付師と初タッグ“ニュー草太”決意の直談判にウィルソン氏快諾 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ

「ニュー草太」をみせる。昨季はグランプリ（GP）シリーズでの表彰台、ファイナル進出などで存在感を示した山本草太（23＝中京大）は、世界的振付師のデビッド・ウィ… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）

www.nikkansports.com

The above quoted part is a bit confusing so please allow me to change to this:
In the past, he often selected the songs himself, but this time he left it all up to him (David). When he (Sota) first listened to the song, he was worried about whether he would be able to do it, but now he feels a great sense of freshness. What is expected of him is a chameleon-like, multicolored appearance.

I know Japanese is an ambiguous language and the subject is often left out, and that's where digital translation faces challenges.

You're right, I think I had two articles open on different tabs and ended up translating the other one

Thank you for the clarifications, and sorry for the confusion