I'm assuming that Shoma and Stephane communicate with one another in English... has anyone heard Shoma speaking English lately?
Thank you taro!! I just realized how amazing this "to be able to perform even better than in practice" moment actually is for Shoma - because I feel for the past 2 years or so he has repeatedly been commenting that he wants to be able to perform in the way he does in practice, and he's trying to focus on this in his training - and many times he has said that he wasn't able to do that.
Now, to give a performance that's even better than any other time in practice - that must be so important for Shoma mentally! Not to feel like he's going to competition only to be disappointed by mistakes again but to actually give a performance better than ever before. I'm so happy for him!!! And oh my god that "pigs do fly sometimes" comment
Such a joyful time to be his fan!
How about this?
https://youtu.be/EfEHENkc1WI
I'm honestly still reeling from CC DOMO, so forgive me for rambling.
Almost every single one of his strokes, if not every stroke, was one with the music. Just... the entry to the 4S, taking off right on the piano note. The 3Aeu3F, with the final flip landing on the timpani. And that's just the obvious ones with the element, but also every simple movement: forward strokes, crossovers, turns, his arm gesture when he's preparing for his jumps- everything was with the music. I wonder if this was David Wilson's intention when he asked Karl Hugo's team to create this sort of arrangement for DOMO music track? But Shoma's blades was just one with everything: the melody, counter melody, accents, nuances- there are some parts where I thought he literally was skating the lyrics out, making his own music, and that's through the less than ideal stream quality.
It's obviously my bias talking but it's almost like Shoma's... free-styling. There was little sense of "this choreo should go here" or "it's time for me to do this move" or something like that. His skating just flows, one unbroken piece from start to finish. (I really understand what he means when he said this in the beginning of the season.) Of course I know the elements are rearranged to get the second 4T into that bonus section but the comparison shows how he started the step sequence on a later point and it doesn't... matter at all, and it even improved because everything, everything was one with the music.
I may be reaching hyperbolic levels of Shomatitis, but I really do adore Shoma's musicality. So much. Perhaps it's something innate of his, perhaps it's the results of his hard work and repeated training. Perhaps it's both. To me, Shoma doesn't just skate responding to the music or with the music, he gives back something through his skating, and makes the music sounds better. And the DOMO music arrangement is already beautiful so Shoma making it even more beautiful is a tough feat, but somehow he does- his skating brings out the layers and nuances of what seems to be like a simple and light (almost shallow-sounding), piano and orchestral addition to Calum Scott's vocals. It makes me listen to everything layered underneath it.
TL;DR I am so grateful he requested and got a new FS from David Wilson for this season, no matter how late he got it. And of course getting David to help him improve the program with Stephane. DOMO is beautiful.
PS. Sorry for the sudden bout of extreme Shomatitis, I really can't help it.