Domnina/Shabalin interview
Maureen Notes that these articles are long and plentiful, so I’m only giving the bits that I think are informative…
13 September 2007
http://www.vremya.ru/2007/166/11/186927.html
Oksana Domnina: “Choosing the OD was simpler because our choreographer Sergei Petukhov recommended “Strap up your houses, boys” mid-season last year. It’s a Don Cossack theme and we liked it immediately. We decided to try, but didn’t know if it would work. It’s one thing to dance on the floor and another to translate folk dance moves to ice. As Petukhov was a soloist for Moiseev and learned all these elements fantastically that he even impressed Cossacks and on the Don they gave him Honorary Cossack status.
Maxim Shabalin: “… Most of all we were concerned that since there is no change of rhythm from first note to last the viewers would get tired. But this program is different. 2 Ѕ minutes go by as if just one. I think both our new programs turned out quite strong”.
Domnina: “At first we chose “Shindler’s List” as it was recommendedy by our choreographer and touched us. The main heros were the organizer of concentration camp and a dead girl who remains in his memories. It was new and original. But we couldn’t get this idea across as Tatiana Tarasova, team consultant, didn’t like or get the draft version. When we tried to explain the idea to her, she noted “I don’t want to listen, I want to see”. She was right, in principle. You’re not going to explain to the public what we’re skating. Maybe it’s not the right time yet for such a globa, theme though we’ll probably try to make it a show program. After talking with Tarasova, she recommended us “Mascarade” by Tkatchaturian. Honest6ly, I wasn’t enthusiastic at first. You could say this program was one they made me love. It happened that I started to like it while we worked on it.”
Shabalin: "Since skaters have used Tkachaturian’s music a lot, we needed an original idea. Petukhov suggested the theme of an “unequal marriage”, but not in terms of ages. But when a rich girl is given to a socialite snob, self-sattisfied lazy man, who is used to only taking things in life. The fiancйe makes an arrangement with the parents; he needs money, not love. Then there is a wedding. Since divorce in 19th century wasn’t allowed, the life of the unhappy girl is ruined. This is what we’re skating.
Domnina: “… In my view, our best skates of the seasons were in Tokyo. It’s a different matter what the judges determined. I don’t want to comment. But before the FD, I realized we’d need a miracle to get bronze.”
The eternal "What did you do this summer?"
Domnina: “I entered Odinstsovo Humanitarian University to train for the specialization of psychologist. [Trans. Who knew there were universities in Odinstovo?] Also Maxim and I were both given 2-room flats in Odintsovo.”
Shabalin: “...I can add that I also tried yoga. I wanted to do it for a while, not for sport, but the soul. In the summer, I got on yoga lists on the Internet. Then my girlfriend and I drove to Elbrus, rented a home, wandered about the mountains, went to yoga classes. I can’t say I returned a changed man, but I found something new for myself”.
Maureen Notes that these articles are long and plentiful, so I’m only giving the bits that I think are informative…
13 September 2007
http://www.vremya.ru/2007/166/11/186927.html
Oksana Domnina: “Choosing the OD was simpler because our choreographer Sergei Petukhov recommended “Strap up your houses, boys” mid-season last year. It’s a Don Cossack theme and we liked it immediately. We decided to try, but didn’t know if it would work. It’s one thing to dance on the floor and another to translate folk dance moves to ice. As Petukhov was a soloist for Moiseev and learned all these elements fantastically that he even impressed Cossacks and on the Don they gave him Honorary Cossack status.
Maxim Shabalin: “… Most of all we were concerned that since there is no change of rhythm from first note to last the viewers would get tired. But this program is different. 2 Ѕ minutes go by as if just one. I think both our new programs turned out quite strong”.
Domnina: “At first we chose “Shindler’s List” as it was recommendedy by our choreographer and touched us. The main heros were the organizer of concentration camp and a dead girl who remains in his memories. It was new and original. But we couldn’t get this idea across as Tatiana Tarasova, team consultant, didn’t like or get the draft version. When we tried to explain the idea to her, she noted “I don’t want to listen, I want to see”. She was right, in principle. You’re not going to explain to the public what we’re skating. Maybe it’s not the right time yet for such a globa, theme though we’ll probably try to make it a show program. After talking with Tarasova, she recommended us “Mascarade” by Tkatchaturian. Honest6ly, I wasn’t enthusiastic at first. You could say this program was one they made me love. It happened that I started to like it while we worked on it.”
Shabalin: "Since skaters have used Tkachaturian’s music a lot, we needed an original idea. Petukhov suggested the theme of an “unequal marriage”, but not in terms of ages. But when a rich girl is given to a socialite snob, self-sattisfied lazy man, who is used to only taking things in life. The fiancйe makes an arrangement with the parents; he needs money, not love. Then there is a wedding. Since divorce in 19th century wasn’t allowed, the life of the unhappy girl is ruined. This is what we’re skating.
Domnina: “… In my view, our best skates of the seasons were in Tokyo. It’s a different matter what the judges determined. I don’t want to comment. But before the FD, I realized we’d need a miracle to get bronze.”
The eternal "What did you do this summer?"
Domnina: “I entered Odinstsovo Humanitarian University to train for the specialization of psychologist. [Trans. Who knew there were universities in Odinstovo?] Also Maxim and I were both given 2-room flats in Odintsovo.”
Shabalin: “...I can add that I also tried yoga. I wanted to do it for a while, not for sport, but the soul. In the summer, I got on yoga lists on the Internet. Then my girlfriend and I drove to Elbrus, rented a home, wandered about the mountains, went to yoga classes. I can’t say I returned a changed man, but I found something new for myself”.
