Ice dance 'Utamasa' ready to carry the torch after 'Kanadai'
Figure skating
Mainichi Shimbun 2023/10/29 19:14 (Last updated 10/29 19:35)
On 29 October, the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships Ice Dance Qualifying Round was held at Hiroshin Big Wave in Hiroshima City, with the second-placed Rhythm Dance (RD) pair of Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita (Kinoshita Academy), aka Utamasa, winning with 103.81 points and 173.11 points in total, an upset victory.
In a post-match interview, they showed their determination to further boost the booming Japanese ice dance scene.
The key is to "try to do both for now".
Yoshida: We made small mistakes in many places, but we were able to correct them together and put it all together. I think that part was good.
Morita: Of course we were aiming for first place in terms of performance, but we didn't give 100% of what we could do, so we'll make corrections for All-Japan.
--You formed the team in June this year and finished it up in a short period of time.
Yoshida: Originally, it was easier for two people to skate. We have been training together towards the same goal and we have had support from various teachers and trainers. I think the most important factor was that we grew together as a team.
Morita: I knew from the first tryout (held at the end of April) that we would be a good match. It felt it when we were skating, and when I held her and put my hand in hers, it felt like it just clicked naturally. I feel that the compatibility is very good.
Yoshida: The RD has a "diagonal step" where we let go of our hands and skate together. I'll do some checking, but even though we're not skating together, I feel like our basic movements and actions match up really well. I think we have good chemistry.
--About the free dance program "Phoenix".
Morita: (Italian former ice dancer) Massimo Scali gave us a creative choreography. It took us a long time to interpret it. We are studying every day how to express the non-existent creature called 'Phoenix' and from what angle it should be shown to make it look more beautiful. I would like to deepen my interpretation of the music a bit more before the All-Japan Championships, and improve the perfection of the program.
Yoshida: (The story of the program) We discussed it ourselves and decided on it, starting with the birth of a phoenix, which seemed suspicious...?
Morita: It's a bit weird and a bit weak.
Yoshida: We will express the strength of the phoenix, the joy and pain of being able to fly. We try our best to express the story of how it dies in the end but is reborn again.
Morita: We are practicing with the aim of gradually improving our skating. We are bursting with energy in RD, and attacking slowly in Free skate. However, I think I would like to create a little more variation in expression so that the parts that are calm are [skated] calm[ly].
--Do you have an eye not only on the All-Japan Championships but also "beyond"?
Yoshida: At the moment I'm thinking about All-Japan. I think I can do more this time, so I'd like to improve my performance rather than the result.
Morita: I feel the same way. I think my physical condition is different in each competition, but I hope I can give my 100% performance in each competition.
--I hope you can give a 100% performance, so that you are satisfied with it at that moment in each competition.
Yoshida: I need to broaden my range of expression. The world [international teams] is very strong in this area. I want to emphasize more on the character we want to be and the way we want to skate.
--[What happens] when the two of you don't agree?
Yoshida: We don't disagree that much, do we?
Morita: There are times when my opinion and Utana's opinion differ a little, or when we think "this is easy to do, that's not easy to do". In those cases, we try both and create a form that we are both happy with. We also ask (coach) Cathy (Reed). We generally talk about it together and do it in a way that is easy for us to do.
--Six couples competed in the senior competition this year. The Japanese ice dance world has become more active.
Yoshida: I was very happy that there were six couples and that we had two groups (with three skating pairs each). Everyone was really enjoying the dance. I hope we can continue to do our best while engaging in friendly competition with everyone else.
--What do you think, as an athlete, is the reason for the increase in the number of couples?
Morita: I think it would be good if there were more couples not only in senior, but also in junior and novice, but there are some circumstances in Japan that make it difficult (to ice dance). There are not so many ice dance athletes (compared to overseas).
But I think the "Kanadai" couple (Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi), who retired last season, have raised our profile. I hope that we can carry on and not only maintain this popularity, but also convey the appeal of ice dance to everyone.
