9/24 Broadcast on 日テレプラス TV, Friends+α Shizuka Arakawa Interview to Shoma Uno, and he talk about "The four seasons" with Stephane
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-gqvJBRgTUShoma: Two people performed together was really stressful. I feel like I'm competing when I stand there, so I decided to do my best, because if I don't do that, I can't keep up with such a good performer like Lambiel, I don't want to fail on this program compared to my personal program.
Complete translation:
redgreenbluesforloco.tumblr.com/post/178578317630/friends-interview-with-shomaCollab with Stephane
Shoma: That was a great opportunity for me. Stephane-san is very good at steps and I was afraid I wasn’t gonna be able to keep up. But I wanted to do a good job. To be honest, I didn’t know I was going to be doing my version of winter until the day of the event.
Shizuka: Really?! I’m sure we had talked about it. You knew there was a collaboration, right?
Shoma: I heard I was gonna be doing a collaboration but.…
Shizuka: Well, then! that means you were going to do it, no?
Shoma: LOL
Shizuka: You weren’t listening.
Shoma: No…I really panicked.
Shizuka: So you hadn’t practiced.
Shoma: I hadn’t practiced it since Worlds.
Shizuka: What? [disapprovingly] Huh.
Shoma: So I managed to focus on practicing on my own as soon as I arrived. But since I did that program for a year, my body still remembered it and the fact that I hadn’t done it for a while helped me realize what adjustments I could make. It was tricky doing the steps together and there was a lot of twizzles in the opposite direction. But it was fun to figure it out like that and I was happy I could do that kind of program.
Shizuka: I’ve thought for a long time Stéphane is a standout professional skater among all the pro-skaters I’ve seen. And for you to skate along side him…I think both of you seemed encouraged by one another and it was a sight to see.
Shoma: I was really nervous. I’m usually never nervous for the opening and finale, but this time I got through it despite being a bit nervous. From the moment I stood up, it was like I was going to a competition. Because Stephane-san is a really incredible person…and since we’re doing the program together, it’s even more important not to make mistakes than when I’m performing alone. I didn’t want to fall behind and I had to get the rhythm just right, so I was very focused.
Shizuka: You two do not have the same style, and it’s not that you “more or less matched each other” and made it work while still flaunting your individual styles…I mean, I thought your individuality became a plus rather than a hindrance. In the synchronized step sequence you two did at the end, you were both skating with such confidence. I loved that part when you came to the corner. I was watching from that corner and I thought, “Wow, those two look really cool.”
Shoma: [giggles]
Shizuka: So at what time during the program were you able to relax?
Shoma: As I was doing all the steps and going into the final spins, I had some confidence.
Shizuka: Right, you had that look of “it’s gone well today.” I liked that look on the two of you.
Shoma: We didn’t really decide on a precise number of steps, so I would look at Stephane and try to figure out just before, ‘oh today must be 8. Today must be 6.’ lol
Shizuka: Well, Stephane is an artist after all.
Shoma: I got it wrong and ended it early in practice once, so I told myself to remember to be careful around that part [laugh]. And I’m also very bad at doing twizzles in the other direction.
Shizuka: Everyone is, but Stephane is different, right? He’s basically equally good in either direction. When making the program for someone, he’ll add things whether you’re good at them or not.
Shoma: He sure put in a lot of them…
Shizuka: Before Dai-chan had also thought, “ah he’s adding too much of them” [laugh]. But I think he made you do it because he knew you could.
Shoma: I think he knew I was bad at doing them in the other direction…
Shizuka: But he thinks you’ll be able to figure it out. He probably evaluated you and figured you could do it. Meanwhile he asks me which direction I prefer [laugh].
Shoma: He probably thinks I should be challenging myself more.
Shizuka: It turned out great.
Shoma: Yes. I want to do more collaborations next year with lots of different people.
Shizuka: I’ll have to think of something stimulating for you then.
How were things backstage?
Shizuka: It was quite calm this year wasn’t it?
Shoma: Yes. But Stephane wasn’t dressed yet 3 minutes before the performance.
Shizuka: But that’s just Stephane.
Shoma: It’s always like that right?
Shizuka: He has that kind of authority. There’s such a thing as Stephane Time. He starts putting his boots on right when it’s go time [laugh].
Shoma: I kept worrying, “is he going to make it??” And then while I was doing my part of the performance I’d see Stephane coming in and it was such a relief lol
Shizuka: You must’ve been worried you were going to end up alone. You’d have to do his part, too!