Post by marni on Sept 8, 2011 16:18:25 GMT 1
Here is an English translation of a July interview with Stéphane from World Figure Skating Magazine. Reut sent me a translation which I proofread.
A gift to Japanese fans
- Your personal book "Stéphane Lambiel" has been published.
I was so happy and excited when I heard that my book had been completed today. I am honored to be able to provide it for all of my Japanese fans. I put together the history of my life and many memories into the book, sharing them with my fans. I can't tell you how happy I am. Japanese fans have always followed my skating with enthusiasm, maybe they are one of the most loyal people in the world, and I think they are the ones who deserve to share my memories.
- There are many photos in the book. Which one do you like most?
I love the cover photo. When I return backstage after my performance, I always feel that the program I just finished skating is the one I love most. Now I skate a program that has a strong character, but what I really love is a softer program such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Ne Me Quitte Pas". Though I think soft programs suit me more, I want to try various things. However, if I look at this cover photo, it feels very me. I feel everything, every cell of the body is very me in the photo. This photo really shows how I look straight at Juliet.
To tell you the truth, it is very difficult to choose only one photo because all my memories have been put into the book. I felt incredible adrenaline and emotions rushing through me in every moment. I was filled with pleasure in the photo from the Torino Olympics, and it is a very impressive photo. I also love the ones during my earlier career, and love the photo of my "Romeo and Juliet" performance with the white rose as well. The true Stephane is there in the book. I myself actually don't have any mementos like photos or videos. I am the type of person who wants to keep memories within me although there are many times when I regretted that I hadn't taken photos. But now I can show my memories to my parents and my friends, and share them with all my fans as well.
"Prelude": a dream come true
- Your performances of "Prelude" and "Bring Me To Life" at Fantasy on Ice Fukuoka were so beautiful.
I fell during my Rachmaninoff program today though... I practiced so hard yesterday and the day before yesterday, so I am a bit tired today. I think it's because I was very impressed by Yuzuru's skating. He is a very powerful skater, and we competed with one another during practice, which I think was a bit over the top. "Prelude" is a great program. I love the music and it has a great atmosphere. I want to perform this program much more. I can't wait to skate it more. On the other hand, most likely tomorrow will be the last day to skate to "Bring Me To Life". I have performed this program in so many shows since February, and I don't like it when my emotions are repeated like a machine. Emotions are supposed to come from inside. If I continued skating this program, my emotions wouldn't come up from inside me. I want to skate with pure emotion.
- You mean you want to show a fresh performance every time?
Exactly. There are many times when I felt this way before. If you felt your emotions were not fresh, then you wouldn't be able to skate it any more, you would feel that the music no longer fit your body. At the moment I enjoy skating to "Bring Me To Life", but it feels like my emotions will disappear soon.
- Lighting worked well on the ice and you looked like you danced with your shadow.
It must have been as if I skated against my shadow. (Laughs) Lighting is very important. I saw other skaters' performances during the shows, and the lighting made their performances more impressive, and made a special atmosphere. Performance itself is important. But atmosphere, lighting, audience -I mean, how you receive reaction from the audience- as well as music and costumes are all important as well.
- Although Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" is a very aggressive music, the way you skated to this music was so elegant, and the contrast between your skating and the music created a unique appeal.
I think it is because I skated to Katherine Jenkins's song when I skated this program for the first time. Katherine's voice is still vivid in my mind. While Evanescence's voice is aggressive, it feels like Katherine's voice remains within my mind, it is something magical. During the show, I couldn't decide which version of "Bring Me To Life" to skate to, so I asked the staff. They said they preferred Evanescence's version with up tempo music. It's not very good if so many skaters skate to lyrical and soft pieces of music during the show.
- Why did you choose Rachmaninoff's "Prelude" for another program?
I performed with a famous pianist Lang Lang in Art on Ice Shanghai. I received a CD, which contained 10 pieces of music such as "Etude" by Chopin, "Prelude" by Rachmaninoff and "La Campanella" by Liszt, and I chose "Prelude" and "La Campanella" from the album. "La Campanella" was very fascinating to me. It is kind of a delicate and fragile piece. If you open a jewelry box, you see a ballerina doll dancing around in the box. That is what I imagined, and I thought "It is not a piece to skate to". It would be better for beautiful female skaters to skate to this piece. I thought the music would suit skaters who are delicate like Shizuka and Mao. Salome recommended Chopin. I like Chopin's piece as well, but I felt a strong emotion toward Rachmaninoff's "Prelude". Maybe I might skate to the music by Chopin a little later. I have been thinking about Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto for a new program. I think it will be a gorgeous program.
- I can't wait to see your new program. You have performed with Lang Lang, Katherine Jenkins and Donna Summer. Are there any other people you would like to perform with?
I was always dreaming of performing with Lang Lang, so when my agent told me about collaboration with him, I thought that my dream came true. It's difficult for me to say who I want to perform with. Well.... Adele would be great. Her songs are emotional. You can feel exactly what she is feeling. It would be really great to be able to skate with her voice. I like "Someone Like You". It would be a great program. But I think she is such a big star that it won't happen though. Her voice is so special. There are two versions of "Someone Like You"; a studio version and a live one. The live version is really amazing. I like a pop star like Beyonce. If I can perform with singers like Adele and Beyonce, I want to skate a strong program that remains in people's hearts not because people think "The music is beautiful" or "This is the music everyone knows" but because they think that my program is beautiful. I want to show the mood that I feel from the music.
First try on stage in autumn
- Tell us about your future plans.
I am going to continue skating in ice shows until the end of October, and in November and December, I will be participating in comic shows in my hometown Saxon. I will probably sing and dance there. There will be shown a review about this past year's events, politicians and celebrities, and I will be performing as a special guest out there. Rehearsals will start in October and last for a month, and then there will be 20 shows from November 29 to December 17.
- Wow! It is your first try, isn't it?
Yes. It's a very special stage production. When I got the offer, I immediately accepted it without question. I was very curious about what I can do off the ice, if it is possible for me to perform without ice and how I feel there. I want to learn about stages away from the ice. It would be very hard; you can perform with speed on the ice, but on an ordinary stage, you have to do without speed. Besides, the stage theater is a very small place where the distance between the stage and the audience is so close. That is very different from performances on the ice. You have to learn how to act as well as how to express through facial expression. I am looking very forward to the stage.
At the same time, I am planning to help some skaters such as Tatsuki, and will be choreographing an ex program for Carolina. I was asked by Mishin to teach his students expressiveness at his summer camp.
- You mean, this summer?
Yes, it is a two-week camp, and I am looking very forward to it as well. Russian figure skating has a strong tradition, and I will be invited there. I will do my best to give them good effect.
- Maybe Mishin wants young Russian skaters to learn how to use their upper bodies and arms like you do.
But he is very strict about technique. When I worked with him in the past, he always used to tell me "If you move your body that much, it bothers your jumps. It is not good in terms of technique." (Laughs) He used to tell me that it was not good to move a lot between jumps, and now he asked me to work with him. I am asking myself what he wants me to teach. I will find out the answer at the camp. I am looking forward to working young skaters including Artur Gachinski.
July 2, 2011 in Fukuoka, Japan
Article by World Figure Skating
A gift to Japanese fans
- Your personal book "Stéphane Lambiel" has been published.
I was so happy and excited when I heard that my book had been completed today. I am honored to be able to provide it for all of my Japanese fans. I put together the history of my life and many memories into the book, sharing them with my fans. I can't tell you how happy I am. Japanese fans have always followed my skating with enthusiasm, maybe they are one of the most loyal people in the world, and I think they are the ones who deserve to share my memories.
- There are many photos in the book. Which one do you like most?
I love the cover photo. When I return backstage after my performance, I always feel that the program I just finished skating is the one I love most. Now I skate a program that has a strong character, but what I really love is a softer program such as "Romeo and Juliet" and "Ne Me Quitte Pas". Though I think soft programs suit me more, I want to try various things. However, if I look at this cover photo, it feels very me. I feel everything, every cell of the body is very me in the photo. This photo really shows how I look straight at Juliet.
To tell you the truth, it is very difficult to choose only one photo because all my memories have been put into the book. I felt incredible adrenaline and emotions rushing through me in every moment. I was filled with pleasure in the photo from the Torino Olympics, and it is a very impressive photo. I also love the ones during my earlier career, and love the photo of my "Romeo and Juliet" performance with the white rose as well. The true Stephane is there in the book. I myself actually don't have any mementos like photos or videos. I am the type of person who wants to keep memories within me although there are many times when I regretted that I hadn't taken photos. But now I can show my memories to my parents and my friends, and share them with all my fans as well.
"Prelude": a dream come true
- Your performances of "Prelude" and "Bring Me To Life" at Fantasy on Ice Fukuoka were so beautiful.
I fell during my Rachmaninoff program today though... I practiced so hard yesterday and the day before yesterday, so I am a bit tired today. I think it's because I was very impressed by Yuzuru's skating. He is a very powerful skater, and we competed with one another during practice, which I think was a bit over the top. "Prelude" is a great program. I love the music and it has a great atmosphere. I want to perform this program much more. I can't wait to skate it more. On the other hand, most likely tomorrow will be the last day to skate to "Bring Me To Life". I have performed this program in so many shows since February, and I don't like it when my emotions are repeated like a machine. Emotions are supposed to come from inside. If I continued skating this program, my emotions wouldn't come up from inside me. I want to skate with pure emotion.
- You mean you want to show a fresh performance every time?
Exactly. There are many times when I felt this way before. If you felt your emotions were not fresh, then you wouldn't be able to skate it any more, you would feel that the music no longer fit your body. At the moment I enjoy skating to "Bring Me To Life", but it feels like my emotions will disappear soon.
- Lighting worked well on the ice and you looked like you danced with your shadow.
It must have been as if I skated against my shadow. (Laughs) Lighting is very important. I saw other skaters' performances during the shows, and the lighting made their performances more impressive, and made a special atmosphere. Performance itself is important. But atmosphere, lighting, audience -I mean, how you receive reaction from the audience- as well as music and costumes are all important as well.
- Although Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" is a very aggressive music, the way you skated to this music was so elegant, and the contrast between your skating and the music created a unique appeal.
I think it is because I skated to Katherine Jenkins's song when I skated this program for the first time. Katherine's voice is still vivid in my mind. While Evanescence's voice is aggressive, it feels like Katherine's voice remains within my mind, it is something magical. During the show, I couldn't decide which version of "Bring Me To Life" to skate to, so I asked the staff. They said they preferred Evanescence's version with up tempo music. It's not very good if so many skaters skate to lyrical and soft pieces of music during the show.
- Why did you choose Rachmaninoff's "Prelude" for another program?
I performed with a famous pianist Lang Lang in Art on Ice Shanghai. I received a CD, which contained 10 pieces of music such as "Etude" by Chopin, "Prelude" by Rachmaninoff and "La Campanella" by Liszt, and I chose "Prelude" and "La Campanella" from the album. "La Campanella" was very fascinating to me. It is kind of a delicate and fragile piece. If you open a jewelry box, you see a ballerina doll dancing around in the box. That is what I imagined, and I thought "It is not a piece to skate to". It would be better for beautiful female skaters to skate to this piece. I thought the music would suit skaters who are delicate like Shizuka and Mao. Salome recommended Chopin. I like Chopin's piece as well, but I felt a strong emotion toward Rachmaninoff's "Prelude". Maybe I might skate to the music by Chopin a little later. I have been thinking about Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto for a new program. I think it will be a gorgeous program.
- I can't wait to see your new program. You have performed with Lang Lang, Katherine Jenkins and Donna Summer. Are there any other people you would like to perform with?
I was always dreaming of performing with Lang Lang, so when my agent told me about collaboration with him, I thought that my dream came true. It's difficult for me to say who I want to perform with. Well.... Adele would be great. Her songs are emotional. You can feel exactly what she is feeling. It would be really great to be able to skate with her voice. I like "Someone Like You". It would be a great program. But I think she is such a big star that it won't happen though. Her voice is so special. There are two versions of "Someone Like You"; a studio version and a live one. The live version is really amazing. I like a pop star like Beyonce. If I can perform with singers like Adele and Beyonce, I want to skate a strong program that remains in people's hearts not because people think "The music is beautiful" or "This is the music everyone knows" but because they think that my program is beautiful. I want to show the mood that I feel from the music.
First try on stage in autumn
- Tell us about your future plans.
I am going to continue skating in ice shows until the end of October, and in November and December, I will be participating in comic shows in my hometown Saxon. I will probably sing and dance there. There will be shown a review about this past year's events, politicians and celebrities, and I will be performing as a special guest out there. Rehearsals will start in October and last for a month, and then there will be 20 shows from November 29 to December 17.
- Wow! It is your first try, isn't it?
Yes. It's a very special stage production. When I got the offer, I immediately accepted it without question. I was very curious about what I can do off the ice, if it is possible for me to perform without ice and how I feel there. I want to learn about stages away from the ice. It would be very hard; you can perform with speed on the ice, but on an ordinary stage, you have to do without speed. Besides, the stage theater is a very small place where the distance between the stage and the audience is so close. That is very different from performances on the ice. You have to learn how to act as well as how to express through facial expression. I am looking very forward to the stage.
At the same time, I am planning to help some skaters such as Tatsuki, and will be choreographing an ex program for Carolina. I was asked by Mishin to teach his students expressiveness at his summer camp.
- You mean, this summer?
Yes, it is a two-week camp, and I am looking very forward to it as well. Russian figure skating has a strong tradition, and I will be invited there. I will do my best to give them good effect.
- Maybe Mishin wants young Russian skaters to learn how to use their upper bodies and arms like you do.
But he is very strict about technique. When I worked with him in the past, he always used to tell me "If you move your body that much, it bothers your jumps. It is not good in terms of technique." (Laughs) He used to tell me that it was not good to move a lot between jumps, and now he asked me to work with him. I am asking myself what he wants me to teach. I will find out the answer at the camp. I am looking forward to working young skaters including Artur Gachinski.
July 2, 2011 in Fukuoka, Japan
Article by World Figure Skating