The essential Mao Primer

[christinaskater]

I was one of them. There were news reports back then that she might change her SP. It was a disappointment that she stuck to Masquarade. But the SP was far better than the Bells.

Her Nocturne at 2006 SA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeGCCYfcXd8

SP at 2010 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrEZgoPpCAI&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL8EA695AEDFDC9BCF

Watching Masquarade after Nocturne re-realizes me that the program didn’t do justice to her at all. Yet, I think she did a great job with it especially step sequence, not to mention 3A.

I believe she was born to skate to Chopin.
Ballade #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58HTu9iwgrI

Masterpieces on ice!
She is the Chopin on ice!

 

[mary01]

thaanks soo much for reposting Mao's previous performances and like some has already said skating and Mao can not be seperatet, which is why one can clearly feel the great joy she has for skating, and how she enjoys every second on the ice... she really is THE most complete skater i have ever seen, wheter it's technically or artistically... I think most her performances are really uniq, every one of them for different reasons... and i really love them all, which is why i find it soo hard to chose one i prefer over the others... but i really loved bells and ballade it really shows why she is a powerhouse, and how she can handle the lightest music(chopin) and some of the most heavy and still make it work and her own.

i am still speechless everytime i rewatch some of her performances it's almost inhumen to be soo technically strong doing two 3A in the same program in one performance and then doing two 3-3 in another performance simply mindbobling, and also having alll the tripple jumps in another performance! she really shows what a true champion and artist is!

 

[skateluvr]

Yes, Mary, this has been a wonderful thread celebrating one of the great female skaters, I feel, of all time. She is so special. And I truly hope her best is yet to come. She has so much to offer as a skater. I truly feel the word enchanting evolved to describe artists like Mao Asada.

 

[deedee1]

I love this Mao!
12 y.o. Mao at 2002 Nats, hitting 3A, 3F+3L+3T:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEyU1Baaaeg

And latest Mao on TV CM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA7P0C2y6kw

10 years since, but in a good way she has not changed a bit.
I sincerely hope the new season will bring Mao a lot of happiness and make her smile! :yes:

 

[Olympia]

That is priceless! Look at her go.


I especially love the way her ponytail goes horizontal every time she jumps or spins.


Like you, I wish for a season that makes her smile. She is just a diamond, whether she's twelve or twenty. There is no one like her.

 

[deedee1]

It's been said at FSU that Mao is in Budapect and currently working with Zoltan Nagy for choreography.
Is it true? And who is Mr. Zoltan Nagy?? I don't think Mao has had any connetion with Hungary so far...

 

[mary01]

It's been said at FSU that Mao is in Budapect and currently working with Zoltan Nagy for choreography.
Is it true? And who is Mr. Zoltan Nagy?? I don't think Mao has had any connetion with Hungary so far...

yes I have read that zoltan nagy is a ballet master, choreographer, and physical trainer... i am really surprised to hear Mao suddenly working with him, but this could be really interesting... never heard anyhting about him before, but he must have some great skills if Mao chose him for addressing her muscle issue.... wish there where some practice clips or that they interview asked more precise about her training and what they do.... but no matter what i am sure Mao is working very hard... can't wait to hear and see her new programs!

(by the way this is also a must see program 2009 sp to clair de lune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=327n8Gue9Ic
love how every movement of her matches every note of the music!)

 

[dorispulaski]

Somehow the thread title of this thread always makes me think of this

It always surprises me that it is not in the Politics forum

 

[skateluvr]

Doris, do you know if Mao is a common first name for girls in Japan? Anyone, etiology of the name? I have wondered...doesn't make me think of the little Red Book. I thought the title of thread more interesting than Mao's wonderful programs or some such...You don't like the title Doris? Are you a Mao fan? (You must be!) What program/programs melted your heart? Mao melts all hearts I am convinced.

 

[Mathman]

I believe that "Mao" is not a common name at all, but rather kind of a made-up one. I think it literally means something like "true center."

Mao's parents named her after a famous actress that they admired whose stage name was Mao Daichi. Mao Daichi made her debut with the famous Takarazuka Review, an all-female Broadway-type production company. According to this dedicated site

http://www.daichimao.com/e_top.html

"With her polished sense, great beauty and the atmosphere she creates, Mao played outstanding male roles.'

Here she is as Sky Masterson (the Marlon Brando role) in Guys and Dolls.

http://www.takarazuka-revue.info/img/wiki_up//guys1984image.JPG

Mao's sister's name, Mai, means" dancer" and I think is more usual.

 

[evangeline]

It's been said at FSU that Mao is in Budapect and currently working with Zoltan Nagy for choreography.
Is it true? And who is Mr. Zoltan Nagy?? I don't think Mao has had any connetion with Hungary so far...

Sounds like good news if true. The combination of Tarasova-Nichol has gotten a bit stale for Mao (especially with regards to the former) and maybe some new perspectives on choreography can help Mao further develop as a skater.

 

[jasminum]

It's been said at FSU that Mao is in Budapect and currently working with Zoltan Nagy for choreography.
Is it true? And who is Mr. Zoltan Nagy?? I don't think Mao has had any connetion with Hungary so far...

Mao has left Hungary already. I assume Andras Sallay is the parson who introduced her to Zoltan Nagy. Sallay helped Mao and Kozuka for an ice dancing program at THE ICE 2011. I remember seeing him in their practice clip.

 

[deedee1]

yes I have read that zoltan nagy is a ballet master, choreographer, and physical trainer... i am really surprised to hear Mao suddenly working with him, but this could be really interesting... never heard anyhting about him before, but he must have some great skills if Mao chose him for addressing her muscle issue.... wish there where some practice clips or that they interview asked more precise about her training and what they do.... but no matter what i am sure Mao is working very hard... can't wait to hear and see her new programs!

Sounds like good news if true. The combination of Tarasova-Nichol has gotten a bit stale for Mao (especially with regards to the former) and maybe some new perspectives on choreography can help Mao further develop as a skater.

Mao has left Hungary already. I assume Andras Sallay is the parson who introduced her to Zoltan Nagy. Sallay helped Mao and Kozuka for an ice dancing program at THE ICE 2011. I remember seeing him in their practice clip.

Thanks a lot everyone for the information on Zoltan Nagy and Andras Sally!
I am looking forward to see a new aspect of Mao and her skating in the new season, too! :yes:

 

[Olympia]

Thanks a lot everyone for the information on Zoltan Nagy and Andras Sally!
I am looking forward to see a new aspect of Mao and her skating in the new season, too! :yes:

Andras Sallay? How great! I loved his ice dancing with Krisztina Regőczy; I was rooting for them to win the Olympics in 1980. Here's a program of theirs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syd8L7meKn0

Watching them makes you realize how Torvill and Dean revolutionized ice dancing, doesn't it? But you can see their beautiful technique, and how charming and charismatic they are. He is now a businessman, according to Wiki--don't know what his current connection to skating is. But she is now apparently the figure skating sports director for ISU.

 

[skateluvr]

great skaters! I loved ice dance in those old days. Loved T&D but did not like what happened to ice dance later on with exception of few teams. Canton has brought back ballroom, and that is what dance should be. There was an American couple in the 70's who won a world ice dance medal, I've seen them on a tape, can't recall their name, but it was beautiful, pure skating. I love the edges and unison in Sallay/Regoczy. Thanks Olympia.

 

[mary01]

can't wait to see her new exhibition in the ice, I am sure it will be another masterpiece of her!

 

[inskate]

It's been said at FSU that Mao is in Budapect and currently working with Zoltan Nagy for choreography.

Here's an interview with Mao re: her work in Hungary:
http://www.moksz.hu/moksz-h-frameset.htm

- What led you to Budapest?
I decided to come to Budapest to work with Zoltán Nagy, a ballet master, choreographer and physical trainer. I planned to work here for two weeks, but things were going so well I extended my stay by another week.

- Is it your first time in Budapest?
Yes, I've never been here before. I love the city. I saw the Parliament, the Heroes' Square, the castle, and the city lights during the night, but the most fun for me was the Opera House.
Zoltan Nagy introduced me to the stage. I performed in a lot of venues, but I felt something wonderful there on the stage; the feeling of a huge audience, the sight of the beautiful lodges.

- How do you spend your days here? Did you buy some souvenirs?
I live close to the Opera. Every morning I start working here. I do ballet, conditioning and strengthening workouts. Zoltán Nagy monitors my every step, he advises and helps me. In the afternoon I do ice dance workout and skate in the Training Hall. Then I rest a little and head back to the Opera.
Of course, I have time for shopping as well. I bought some nice clothes.

- Can you tell us about the beginning of your career?
I started skating when I was five years old. I followed my sister, who is 2 years older than me, everywhere. We did swimming, ballet and ice skating. Finally, we decided to concentrate on ice skating. Today my sister no longer competes, but she's here with me, and she helps me with everything.

- You won 2005 Junior World Championships, and two years later you were second among seniors. Then, you became a World Champion twice. During the 2010 Olympics you didn't manage to stand at the top of the podium. What are your feelings about that event now, two years later?
In Vancouver for the first time I felt very sad during the announcement of results. It was very difficult because I worked very hard, but that is the nature of the sport; the Korean athlete was simply better than me.

- In the past two years, you placed only 6th in the World Championships, what do you think was the reason?
I haven't neglected skating, but I grew a lot and the muscles in my body didn't adjust accordingly. That is why I chose Zoltan Nagy. I have heard many good things about his work. He worked with Torvill/Dean and Sallay/Regőczy; two great ice dance couples. They were the best at that time. I feel the coach and I work well together. We are facing a very important year and complex preparation is necessary. That is why I have stayed a week longer in Budapest, because every hour spent in this new environment helps me.

- It's two years until the Sochi Olympics. Do you plan to participate?
Of course, I will continue my career until then. I want to stand for the highest level of the podium.

- And then?
Right now I concentrate on the Sochi. What happens afterwards depends on the Olympics.

- A lot of Japanese skaters made it to the top recently. Is there some secret to the success of skating in Japan?
There's no secret. When many people are working diligently eventually this will be the result.

- Shall we see you in our country again, and will lovers of figure skating also have the opportunity to admire you on the ice?
That depends on you. I do plan to return to Budapest later on. If there are good (appropriate) competitions, I'd surely take to the ice if I'm invited (to participate).

Thanks to sbanet (@FSU) for help with translation.

Mao's competetive programs were already completed by the time Mao went to Hungary. Here's a short blog entry (written by Mao):
http://maimao-asada.com/mao/private/2012/06/29/424/ (check out the cute photos with Mao & Lori wearing flower wreaths made by them and TAT hugging Mao)

I went to Canada for short and gala programs and to Russia for long program.

I took a picture with Lori at her yard. Dandelion flowers were blooming and we made wreaths together.

I also did canoeing, played tennis and ate sushi. I enjoyed my stay there.

Tatiana gave me a ride to my hotel on the last day of training and I took a picture with her.
She always gives me a lot of hugs.

I love all of the three programs! I will practice hard so that I will be able to show you good programs.

(Translation by linglang @maosadaforum.com)

 

[deedee1]

Here's an interview with Mao re: her work in Hungary:
http://www.moksz.hu/moksz-h-frameset.htm


Thanks to sbanet (@FSU) for help with translation.

Mao's competetive programs were already completed by the time Mao went to Hungary. Here's a short blog entry (written by Mao):
http://maimao-asada.com/mao/private/2012/06/29/424/ (check out the cute photos with Mao & Lori wearing flower wreaths made by them and TAT hugging Mao)

(Translation by linglang @maosadaforum.com)

Thank you so much for all the updates on Mao and her training in Budapest, inskate!

I am so relieved Mao sounds so positive in this interview and seems having great time there with her training with Mr. Nagy and shopping (Mao LOVES shopping ). Glad to know her sister Mai is with her as well. :yes:

Wishing Mao best of luck in the new season and hoping to see her SMILE angelic smiles more than ever! arty:

 

[skateluvr]

Great interview translation, thank you. Adorable pictures. It is clear how much TAT just loves Mao. Tat has her children all over the world. Mao seeks out ne help but seems to love all she has worked with. It would be reat to see Mao achieve her life's goaol in Sochi. I hope for wonderful programs and good skating for MAO!

 

[mary01]

when Mao said that she is planning to return to budapest is that an indication to her wanting to continue working with zoltan or did she just mean visiting the country and coming back if there is some competition there?