I am loving the simplified program; somehow it has made it more ethereal and we get to see long clean lines, holding poses, and edges. There is something special about how he tends to look up at the ceiling, as though toward the heavens. I know people have been expected it to be fleshed out a bit, esp step sequence, and very well may have to be when facing top skaters from other countries (fingers crossed!). But I too expect they are concentrating on jumps and timing right now.
I’ve taken to looking at Nureyev on YouTube to see if I can see movements that are an homage to his style (ala the obvious ones with Plushy’s Nijinsky program). There is, as always, with Misha a regalness that he really highlights here. I know nothing about ballet, but I’m in a little friendly disagreement w/ my sister who is a Nathan fan and is underwhelmed by Misha. (Both my sisters tend to root for U.S. skaters when I like to see which ones move me regardless of country.) I like Nathan fine, but was trying to explain the extension of Misha that appeals to me (she also says she likes Nathan’s inferior posture, lol. Btw, my husband and I have a son adopted from Russia and he had the most perfect posture for years, but now it’s devolved). There is a ballet jump that they both do that I wish I knew the word for to show her to compare. She won’t be a Misha stan, and that’s fine. What comes off as regal air to me could come off as coldness to others. Misha is for sure a skater who is very internal and doesn’t project like Nathan, but this program is not meant to do that. Just give quiet, beautiful, mesmerizing reflection. (I know he projects more in short program and others like Elvis.)
If anyone has any insight into any specific moves that are inspired by Nureyev please let me know. My favorite pose in the program is skating on one leg with arms clasped behind his back looking up which seems Nureyev-esque to me.
Thank you for your post, sorry it took so long to respond but I suspect his LP we might well be discussing for the duration of this season and who knows maybe even the next one so it is all very much relevant..
Just some comments on what you've said:
re simplicity of the choreography -
yes, it reminds me once again of Sasha Cohen and what David Wilson said about his work on the R&J, that at the very start he realised that only very simple choreo would work for her as Sasha was so exquisite, her lines, her positions were so perfect they spoke for themselves without any need for choreo at all.... (not his exact words but to that effect...)
I think we all agree that the same can be said about Mika (that might explain in part why myself and some others regulars here are 'addicted' to both ha ha)
re Nathan - I know we probably should not be discussing other skaters in Mika's FF but here it is. What you said interests me because I've been long mystified by the fact that Nathan's reportedly had a ballet training but I just can't see any evidence of it. I don't want to sound negative here, and I do have a huge respect for Nathan's technical prowess and competitive spirit, and how he as a part-timer managed to retain his World title is just awesome. But the ballet training I question - I see no posture, no pointed toes (watch Mika's feet even when he is off the ice!) no stretch, no extensions, I just wonder, maybe I automatically think classical Russian ballet and he took classes in contemporary dance, I don't know, I would be curious to know more tbh
re: I too noticed that the theme of the program is a constant upward movement which I guess corresponds to Averbuch's script ''to show Nureyev's life path, his quest for the dance of his life, for his
Sun if you like''
The way Mika is floating over the ice, looking & projecting up all the time is of someone about to be born through the air, so one must not be too surprised if he does fly away to the Sun in the end by some magic power, so strong that spell of levitation he impresses on you...
Unfortunately all the above works only if the jumps work, and I selfishly wish they would leave upping of tech for the next season because this program is so artistic I am afraid it will be nearly impossible for him to skate it as well as he did at the test skates with added tech. And maybe for his season when the main goal is to achieve consistency & restore confidence, this program is too advanced. What do you think?
And lastly, yes, it is my very favourite pose of the program too!
Added:
He is on the list of the show ''In love with Figure Skating'' in Moscow this weekend, I wonder what program he will be skating?!
, this puts in contextMishin comentary from the documentar we got at the beginning of the season.
!).I would not worry too much about it. He still got 2 quads +2 3As done, no pops. What worries me is that because of the second 4T they put in LP he doesn't seem to get timing right for the choreo as it was at the test skates, I think he gets frustrated over it hence the mistakes in the 2nd half.
+5 from me!!!
What a beautiful skate!
