Plushenko News_Eng @PlushenkoNews 10h
Thinking of Yuri Smekalov (ballet dancer and choreographer) and one Plushenko's fan about "artistry"and choreography
http://yaya124.tumblr.com/post/64851404876/when-did-you-start-working-with-a-skater-you
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- When did you start working with a skater, you can determine how wide the range of his artistic, choreographic possibilities?
- In figure skating, the good news is that you can create a choreography that will hide any flaws. If an athlete is inexpressive, we can compensate for plastics, and to focus on it. Put the motion that will express their individuality that is necessary to convey to the viewer.
Suppose take Plushenko. His charisma is so powerful that no matter what image of Jack chose, “he includes himself,” his inner strength and inner euphoria begins. It’s so captivates the audience, they forget that even a given image, which invested director. To them it does not matter. With Eugene in this sense simply to work…
”
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(mildly edited google translate)
This is from a recent interview (Sept. 2013) with Yuri Smekalov, award-winning ballet dancer and choreographer, about his work as a figure skating choreographer. As a Plushenko fan, obviously I am super gratified that an artist of Yuri’s calibre spoke so highly of Evgeni, in particular of his often-mentioned charisma. Maybe I am reading between the lines, but I think there is also an interesting point here regarding the relationship between the skater and the choreography, especially as it applies to Plushenko. To me, that point has to do with the ultimate source of artistic content in a figure skating performance.
Here is an excerpt from the ISU’s outline of its judging system (link). In the section on PCS, the Perfomance/Execution and the Interpretation components, which are often seen as the “artistic” measurement of a performance, Performance/Execution is defined as
the physical and emotional involvement of the skater/couple as they translate the intent of the music and choreography
The Interpretation component is defined as
the translation of the music to movement on ice
These are not necessarily bad definitions. In particular, I am glad to see that they acknowledges intent, i. e. artistic content, in the sense of meanings/emotions/new ways of seeing the world can be evoked in the viewer. However, I’ve always felt that there is a serious limitation to these definitions, in that it appears to presuppose that such “intent” comes from the music and the choreography, and that the role of the skater is as a translator, whose job is to express these intents that come from outside of him or herself. While this is, of course, one way a skating program/performance can achieve artistic force, I feel that this assumption define the relationship between the skater and the program (i. e. music and choreography) in a restricted way: to be “artistic” is, in very large part, about performing the music well. Now I am by no means whatsoever an expert on the modern theory of art, but based on what little knowledge I have gleaned… Well, I’ll go ahead and say it, just as my own opinion: I must suspect that the view of art revealed in these definitions is also not quite the most informed one.
When it comes to Plushenko, I feel that these definitions are in general not really well-suited, let’s say not toward judging, but let’s say seeing his skating. Many fans, upon seeing him skate, speak of aura, charisma, presence. These words of Yuri’s point to this direction as well. I don’t quite think that it is literally true that the specific image “does not matter”—after all, if it really didn’t, Evgeni and his team would not be nearly as incredibly picky about programs, or about “feeling every move”, as they are. But I think what is being suggested is that when Plushenko skates, the ultimate source of artistic content is him, and the music, the image and the choreography need to play more the roles of vehicles that give form to whatever it is that comes from within him. Of course, in terms of competition needs, the program has its own constraints and things that it must do, but artistically speaking, between the skater and the program, in his case it is the skater that takes the lead, and that is, I think, a fundamentally different kind of relationship from some of the assumptions that seem to be underlying the ISU’s definitions.
A side note: in terms of “charisma” vs. “content”. It seems to me that people often often an opposition between them. But I think in many situations, this is a false dichotomy. It is possible that charisma is content, in that it can be the most direct and intangible expression of the inner life of the artist, and his or her emotional connection with forces that cannot be described otherwise. In the best sense of the word, charisma is soul, and what can be more significant content than that?
(via plushenkology)
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Above is reblogging content, the following is my opinion:
One has to see him skating live to feel that energy. Even when he is just practicing simple movements, you can see the dedication and professionalism (comparing to other skaters from the training camp). When he starts to skate with music, it is just magical.
Physically he is not a strong bulk built guy yet his skating is very powerful, totally on another level from that aspect. This power, such presence one has to witness live in order to really appreciated (except for haters since if you come with such bias, I doubt you can open your mind).
Lynn Rutherford @LynnRutherford 19 Oct
Saw Ari Zakarian at breakfast. He reports @EvgeniPlushenko is practicing his Best of Plushenko"FS with 2 quads. That's what he said
Plushenko News_Eng @PlushenkoNews 21 Oct
Evgeni Plushenko offers update on his training for Sochi Olympics:
http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/21/evgeni-plushenko-sochi-russia-figure-skating/
Plushenko News_Eng @PlushenkoNews 20 Oct
RT @LynnRutherford: @Trankov_jr talks about his yellow pants; Mishin talks about @EvgeniPlushenko
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2013/10/20/63188258 :
Plushenko on Sochi track, says Mishin
One man who will likely not sport yellow this season, Evgeni Plushenko, isn't competing at Skate America, but reporters deluged his longtime coach, Alexei Mishin, with questions about the three-time world champion's chances to qualify for a fourth Olympic Games.
Plushenko won Olympic gold in 2006 and silver in 2002 and 2010. He, along with fellow Mishin pupil Artur Gachinski, Maxim Kovtun, Sergei Voronov and Konstantin Menshov, are generally considered to be vying for Russia's single men's spot in Sochi.
"He does now triple Axel and he does quad toe," Mishin said, quickly whipping out a smartphone to play a video of Plushenko landing a solid triple Axel. "He still has screws in his back, and with this it is not so simple to do jumps, but he is very powerfully charged to be a skater."
Plushenko, who withdrew from the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships after the short program due to a back injury, underwent spinal disc replacement surgery in Tel Aviv in January. Mishin wasn't sure when, or if, the screws would be removed, but work on his pupil's free skate -- a mélange of past programs, titled "The Best of Plushenko" -- continues apace in St. Petersburg.
"This [free skate] was my idea," Mishin said with pride. "I should love my own ideas. If I did not love myself, nobody would love me."
If Gachinski's performance at Skate America this week is any indication, Plushenko may be a step closer to Sochi. The 2011 world bronze medalist placed eighth, and last, after missing many of his jumps.
"Of course, Russian nationals will be a fight for him," said Mishin, who has trained Plushenko since the skater was 11 or 12. "All his life was a struggle for himself. Nobody ever awarded him any gold medals for free, just for the hard work."
As many hours as Plushenko puts in the rink, though, he still takes time out for fun.
"He is not crazy," Mishin said. "He loves golf. He loves hunting. He loves his children (one with a previous wife, one with his current wife and two stepchildren).
"Plushenko is not like a figure skating paranoid. He loves life also."
http://instagram.com/p/fX27kuFSDD/# 
))) sooo cute baby
((
in English
