Mikhail Kolyada

Very interesting interview of Mikhail. I like his thoughts about jumps and elements like from a conveyor and some theatre and emotions in programms - that is exactly what I'm looking for in figure skaters.

BTW I've tried to search Mikhail's videos in vk.com but found out that one of them was posted by his father, Sergey Kolyada. I hope he wouldn't mind if the link of one of his photos of his adorable big family will be here? (from 2012)

https://pp.vk.me/c301200/v301200763/3536/CYGTIuiRi3Y.jpg

Thank you so much Tutto for your amazing translation! Mika really is a modest, but direct person - I love it!

And that pic of their whole family really is cute

Perdita said:

Tutto, would you mind if I translate your translation into Japanese and post them through my twitter account?

BTW, this is my twitter account (in Japanese) and one of the recent most popular tweets was the one I said Mika and Arshavin (the football player mentioned above) somewhat looks alike Wonder that's what Simonenko had in mind when he asked that.
https://twitter.com/ljes33/status/684553499992928256

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Perdita, go ahead please it's fine with me. I am not sure about the accuracy of a 'double' translation but as there is a very little danger of Mika reading it in Japanese shaking his head: I DID NOT SAY THAT! ...
Just keep in mind that I tried to be as accurate as I could but it's not a word for word translation - Russian phrases constructed in so different way from English - you have to be a little 'creative'. Also I missed a few little bits here & there as I was running out of steam. Like after that bit about Patrick Chan there was another little piece:
Q: If he [Chan] is Maradona then you are...?
A: Oh I don't know
Q: Arshavin?
A: Probably (laughing)

Tutto said:

Perdita, go ahead please it's fine with me. I am not sure about the accuracy of a 'double' translation but as there is a very little danger of Mika reading it in Japanese shaking his head: I DID NOT SAY THAT! ...
Just keep in mind that I tried to be as accurate as I could but it's not a word for word translation - Russian phrases constructed in so different way from English - you have to be a little 'creative'. Also I missed a few little bits here & there as I was running out of steam. Like after that bit about Patrick Chan there was another little piece:
Q: If he [Chan] is Maradona then you are...?
A: Oh I don't know
Q: Arshavin?
A: Probably (laughing)

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Thank you so much! That'll be great. There is a growing interest for Mika among Japanese fans for sure.
I wouldn't like to do the double translation thing when it is more of an article but since it is rather a simple Q&A interview, I believe it won't be too different. I will note that it's from another translation. But fingers crossed that Mika doesn't know Japanese

Perdita said:

Thank you so much! That'll be great. There is a growing interest for Mika among Japanese fans for sure.
I wouldn't like to do the double translation thing when it is more of an article but since it is rather a simple Q&A interview, I believe it won't be too different. I will note that it's from another translation. But fingers crossed that Mika doesn't know Japanese

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That's great. And I admire your language skills - Japanese, English, French - and probably more?

@Buton

BTW I've tried to searching Mikhail's videos in vk.com but found out that one of them was posted by his father, Sergey Kolyada. I hope he wouldn't mind if the link of one of his photos of his adorable big family will be here? (from 2012)

https://pp.vk.me/c301200/v301200763/...YGTIuiRi3Y.jpg

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Thanks! What a lovely pic! His mother is beautiful. Mika kinda takes after both parents I think.

Another interview!
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/1706-mikhail-kolyada-moya-malenkaya-mechta-sbylas.html

A month ago, I was struggling to gather his interviews and articles but now, I feel like there's new one every couple days...! I hope all these attentions have positive effects on him.

Tutto said:

That's great. And I admire your language skills - Japanese, English, French - and probably more？

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Thanks! Only those three are the languages I can actually practice... I've also done some very-basic-not-practical-at-all Spanish, German, Korean and Chinese though

Perdita said:

Another interview!
http://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/1706-mikhail-kolyada-moya-malenkaya-mechta-sbylas.html

A month ago, I was struggling to gather his interviews and articles but now, I feel like there's new one every couple days...! I hope all these attentions have positive effects on him.



Thanks! Only those three are the languages I can actually practice... I've also done some very-basic-not-practical-at-all Spanish, German, Korean and Chinese though

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Wow, thats amazing. And thanks for the link. I am too beginning to worry about too much distraction from the media. I translated most of it sorry for mistakes not much time:

'-How come you are so calm/composed ?
-I hasn’t been always like that. To be honest if it was not for my coach Valentina Mikhailovna I would have quitted long time ago. She is very patient, never raises her voice at the practice. If to tell about everything she’s been through in all the years we are working together, I would definitely kick myself out. [if he was his coach]
-Difficulties of the teenage years?
- Oh yes. There were simply awful moments. I could in anger hit the barrier with my hand, the ice with my foot , to slam the door, to say something nasty… But I think many went through the same. Then I grew up and calmed down a lot.
- Do you live with your parents?
-No, I live in a student campus, I am in my fourth year at the Lesgaft’s Institute. My parents live in Kolpino [St Petersburg’s suburb]. I stay there at weekends. There are four children in the family, I am the eldest.
-As the eldest you probably used to look after the younger ones, do housework, change nappies?
-Not only to change nappies I can clean, wash clothes, cook – no problem. I can cook anything except baking cakes. I can drive but have no own car yet.
- Your younger sister did figure skating too
- Only for a time. Then parents had a problem with bringing her to practices and she had to give it up. My parents always loved sport. My Mum used to ski, my Dad – carting and wrestling. But not at the professional level. The same with me they wanted me do skating just for my health, nobody thought about any high results.
- Which competition is the most memorable and which you would wish to erase from the memory?
-No, none to erase. All competitions are different, all give some experience. The most memorable is the recent GP in Moscow. I even don’t know how to describe it, the feeling is simply overwhelming. The most incredible was that despite the missed season I felt calm & composed. Especially in the long program. There were some nerves before the short but not in the long. I skated first. I did a warm-up and went on to the ice. After when everyone started praising me I treated it calmly, yes I was glad especially that I managed to put myself in a right state of mind. The good result?- It is great when it’s there but in the end of the day, it is my job which I must do well.

-Do well – what it means – to skate with no mistakes, take on a role?
- Just to skate executing an element after an element – it is not everything. For me my programs it is a bit of acting. You can say that I feel like an actor on the stage. A technical part & a second mark (PCS) are sport and art together. And when it all comes together it is great.
- At the Nationals you skated well and were selected for the Euro team. What does it mean to you?
-After the competition in Yekaterinburg I felt such joy and excitement because I won a silver medal at the National for the first time which allowed me to be on the Euro team. I wanted to go to Euro for a long time and now my little dream has come true.
-How are going to prepare yourself for Bratislava?
- To be honest I still haven’t quite realised that I am on the team. After the Nationals everybody wrote, congratulated but I had a feeling that it all was happening with someone else. I will be preparing in my usual way. In the long I am planning to try two quads. In practice I can do it. There are some changes to the layout of the long to accommodate the jumps but the short will remain the same.
Up to now you have watched Euros only on the television and now you will be a participant. How are going to approach this?
-I will try to put aside all emotions and treat it as a routine start'

Thanks, Tutto! It's going to be realy exciting competition at EC

Thank you Tutto

Finally an article by GS!
http://www.goldenskate.com/2016/01/mikhail-kolyada/
Thread:
http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?58148-Russia%92s-Mikhail-Kolyada-breaks-through

It's kind of a patchwork of his past interviews, but I think it is well sorted, giving a good overview of his career and personality. Nice!

thanks for all the translations! great skills Tutto

idk if posted but cute capture from the Gala with not only our 'top 4' hugging but also Misha & Sergei:luv17:
http://cs629120.vk.me/v629120321/386e8/PSEGnhkSTWk.jpg

Misha in Masha's interview
http://rsport.ru/interview/20160120/890510540.html

- Mikhail Kolyada made ​​his way to the championship of Europe in the form of a wolf, "Well, wait a minute."
- In men it's different. Misha is a great program, with humor, but because adult skating.

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(Seems they were talking of choosing to skate to a mature programme rather than girly one, and the interviewer asked her about doing a cartoon inspired programme.)

Glad Masha likes it! As a side note, Mika said in other interviews that he is not playing a wolf nor a rabbit, and his programme is not so much referring to the cartoon.

Perdita said:

Misha in Masha's interview
http://rsport.ru/interview/20160120/890510540.html


(Seems they were talking of choosing to skate to a mature programme rather than girly one, and the interviewer asked her about doing a cartoon inspired programme.)

Glad Masha likes it! As a side note, Mika said in other interviews that he is not playing a wolf nor a rabbit, and his programme is not so much referring to the cartoon.

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I guess that the interviewer was trying to understand why Masha portrays in her programs more mature roles than her age would suggest and thats how Mika came into the talk with his program from the cartoon:

'- Mikhail got through to the Euro Championship as a wolf from the ‘Wait, Hare’
- It’s different for men. Misha’s program is excellent, with humour but his skating is quite grown-up.
- And if an imaginary Red Riding Hood will be with a good choreo & difficult tech content?
- I cannot imagine this in reality'

Note:The Red Riding Hood story comes into this because of the wolf but Masha doesn't seem to fancy herself in a role of a little girl no matter what!

Well, there is this version of Red Riding Hood...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM8V3cHdSC4

- which I have not seen, but... Also, I suppose Red/Ruby in Once Upon A Time is a grown woman, so it isn't quite out of the question.

ETA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hilMuuyk3Pk

Euros schedule:
http://www.isuresults.com/events/EC2016_ColouredTimeSchedule.pdf
Practice Group (He's in group 6):
http://www.isuresults.com/events/EC2016_MusicRotationAll.pdf

The practice starts on Monday, so I'm guessing he'll be flying to Bratislava in a day or so. Good luck Mika

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Off topic, but since we discuss Valentina Chebotareva here, I'll post videos of Stanislava Konstantinova from Russian Junior Nationals.
AFIK, Stanislava is the only other student of Chebotareva who competes internationally and she is quite phenomenal too! Her programmes, also choreographed by Klyushnichenko, are unique and intriguing as we would expect from Mika's, and her engagement to the character is as outstanding as Mika imo. She did great in SP, placing 5th, but she unfortunately had a plenty of mistakes in FS, finishing 8th overall. She's 15 and I'm hoping she'll get a JGP assignment next season.
SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YvjmQCdAvo
FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nebzOkYH4w

Comments from Ilia Averbukh:
http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20160124/891752510.html

via Google translate:

Mikhail Kolyada for which the upcoming European Championship will be the first in his career, according to Averbukh, "it has a very good quality - stability." "He told me already very much at the Cup of Russia. It is still, of course, there are drawbacks in terms of skating, choreography, all this while at the junior level, so getting a second high score, he can not yet. But jumping, quality, performance really impressive, especially the triple axel - it is simply a reference ", - the expert believes.
"But it is very stable, and if we add, as I am sure it is much easier to put on choreography and sliding than jump elements, I think that by next year, he greatly tightened," - said Averbukh.

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I kinda agree with him that his choreography is a bit juniorish, not as to the content or concept, but they are weak in some parts technically. Like I wish if some of the choreography was connected to actual skating a bit. But I still think that he's a strong performer, and he was received fairly well by the judges at the Rostelecom. I'm looking forward to seeing how the judges will give him in PCS at the Euros.

Additionally to his performance skills, his basic skating is really good. I wouldn't be worried for him getting low-balled in PCS at Euros if he skates well

And thank you as always for the interview!

Perdita said:

Comments from Ilia Averbukh:
http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20160124/891752510.html

via Google translate:


I kinda agree with him that his choreography is a bit juniorish, not as to the content or concept, but they are weak in some parts technically. Like I wish if some of the choreography was connected to actual skating a bit. But I still think that he's a strong performer, and he was received fairly well by the judges at the Rostelecom. I'm looking forward to seeing how the judges will give him in PCS at the Euros.

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I kinda disagree on his choreo (does Averbuch hint that he is available for the next season? ), i think the choreo is interesting enough but the concept of skating to cartoon music might be not be for everyone to appreciate fully. I was wondering recently that maybe the idea appealed to Mika in part becouse of his siblings who must be thrilled to see their big brother on the tv?
Anyone else getting nervous for Wednesday?

Tutto said:

I kinda disagree on his choreo (does Averbuch hint that he is available for the next season? ), i think the choreo is interesting enough but the concept of skating to cartoon music might be not be for everyone to appreciate fully. I was wondering recently that maybe the idea appealed to Mika in part becouse of his siblings who must be thrilled to see their big brother on the tv?
Anyone else getting nervous for Wednesday?

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that was the 1st thing came to my mind as well
i am not nervous (not yet at least haha), he is getting better as the season progress , hopefully this will be no exception!!! Good luck Mikhail!!

Honestly, I'm super nervous right now, but my nerves got nothing to do with him so I'm trying to come down...

His programmes are certainly interesting. I mean, they are probably the most intriguing ones I've ever seen in FS... I think it's time to express what I've been thinking since I first saw his SP at the Rostelecom: His SP is not something that merely turns him into a fun, entertaining skater, but actually the programme itself is meta-theatrical in that it is about 'being an entertainer.' From the hints he gave in interviews, I'm interpreting this programme as the one about a comedian who struggles to be a comedian, which sort of succeeds a traditional clown's role. In FS, he plays Jack Skellington who also is a kind of traditional fool, an entertainer but at once is an outcast, persona non grata... whose inner sorrows and agony are best highlighted by his comical, somewhat grotesque, demeanor. I think Mika and his choreographer, Olga, excel at capturing these fun yet complicated role of a fool on stage. Being a theatre-goer, I have a sweet spot for the kind of meta-theatrical art and I believe his programmes are sophisticated as well as entertaining that I even find some Shakespearean note in it... That's my pretentious theatre critique

Talking of Averbukh, I kinda understand through his interviews that Olga to Mika is probably like Rohene to Jason, they both work as a team and they seem quite inseparable. But what do you guys think? Do you have any particular choreographer you want him to work with, if not Averbukh despite his appeal ?

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I've wanted to post this and I kept forgetting. It's a photo from the Nationals, so sweet to see Mika, Chebotareva, and Stepanova back together all smiling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_yHEFUR9eI/?taken-by=mihail_sharov

^ That's awesome analysis of his choreo - thanks Perdita and also for the pic which is super cute!
My favourite choreographers would be probably Philip Mills & David Wilson and I doubt that Mika will get a chance to work with them though who knows... On one hand I'd love to see with what ideas Olga will come up next season, on the other - Mika would probably benefit from working with someone else. What he lacks most is a general polish and a different choreographer might just be able to work on that. Averbuch as a more realistic option is fine with me. I'd love Mika to skate to some classical piece (not warhorse) but that mostly because I am a huge fan of classical music myself not becouse it would suit him - maybe something more modern like Schnitke?