Evgenia Medvedeva: As figure skaters, we have composers whose music really touches our souls. They belong to the golden list of figure skating.”
Evgenia Medvedeva about trips to Japan and her program to the “Memoirs of a Geisha”.
source: Vgeek
Evgenia Medvedeva: I’ve been to Japan many times, and I’ve been very lucky in that regard. I’ve been there over 15 times and have traveled, it seems, all over the country.
I have a list of Japanese cities where I’ve been in my notes, and there are more than 20 cities on that list. Akihabara, Harajuku, Radio Kaikan, the Miyazaki Museum, all those beautiful scenic temples, grand buildings…
When you go to Akihabara, there’s a huge banner with all kinds of anime, and there’s a multi-story building where you can buy any figurine. And you run around with tears and drool, saying, ‘Aaaaah!’
I bought a few things there, but I received more gifts from Japanese fans. Almost everything I have is from them. Japanese fans are just so passionate about what you like that they start showering you with it.
If you like a particular figurine, every Japanese fan considers it their duty to give you that exact one. That’s why you end up with ten identical ones.
Has it ever happened that I received so many things that they didn’t fit in my luggage? Absolutely. I would put away duplicates, give some away.
You can’t take such a huge amount of stuffed toys with you. You can’t even carry them from Moscow to your home. They are given to children, sent to orphanages or kindergartens, so they don’t go to waste.
The tradition of throwing toys onto the ice began in the 1950s, specifically for charity purposes. The toys are sold, and the proceeds are donated to charity. That’s the tradition.
Evgenia Medvedeva also shared how the idea for her program “Memoirs of a Geisha” came about.
Evgenia Medvedeva: I watched the movie a long time ago. I liked it, but I didn’t delve into it much. Then I heard the music and thought, ‘Wow, this music is amazing.’ Yo-Yo Ma is a really cool composer who has created music for many movies.
As figure skaters, we have composers whose music really touches our souls. They belong to the golden list of figure skating music.
I rewatched the movie, and I liked it. As I grew older, I noticed the director’s work, the incredible screenplay, the visuals — everything was filmed in Kyoto. I thought I should read the book.
I read the book and thought I should rewatch the movie again. I alternated between reading and watching, and I did it four times. Eventually, I developed a program based on it.
The costume for the program was made by a Japanese designer, Satomi Ito. It turned out to be an incredible costume, following all the canons of traditional Japanese kimono.
When I stepped onto the ice wearing that costume, the Japanese people were like, ‘Wow, this is really cool!’ They were grateful that we respected their culture and didn’t disrespect it.
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