“We often start with discussing “how many jumps do we want to include” but this time, we decided to focus on things like expression instead. I had my first real feeling of ‘expression is really fun'” Kaori Sakamoto about Fantasy on Ice 2024
Kaori Sakamoto about “Fantasy on Ice 2024” tour.
origianl source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd. 19th June 2024 by Yamamoto Yumek
Before the final performance of “Fantasy on Ice 2024”, Satoko Miyaha and Kaori Sakamoto give a joint interview about the show, shared some fun memories and behind-the-scenes stories and talked about the programs they show there.
Translation of Satoko Miyahara’s comments you can find here: Satoko Miyahara: “There was a time when Stephane Lambiel and Papadakis/Cizeron performed one after another. During those moments, my world view completely changed, and I truly felt “this is art.”
Here’s a translation of Kaori Sakamoto’s comments.
Q: From the perspective of a skater who has appeared in many ice shows, what kind of ice show is “Fantasy on Ice (FaOI)”?
Kaori Sakamoto: It’s not just collaborating with artists, but recently I think many ice shows have their cast heavily skewed towards either active competitors or mostly professional skaters. But FaOI always has a good mix of active and professional skaters, allowing us to perform alongside skaters we used to look up to. I think the age range is wider than in any other ice show. I’ve always felt that active competitors learn a lot from appearing in FaOI.
Q: FaOI has A and B tours, Sakamoto-san, did you feel the difference in the atmosphere between the two tours?
Kaori Sakamoto: I didn’t watch the A tour this year, but I saw the posts everyone uploaded on social media, and I felt that the A and B tours had completely different atmospheres. I think that’s one of the interesting aspects of FaOI. If I were in the audience, I wouldn’t become tired of watching it and would also be curious to see what the B tour is like.
Q: Is skating to a live song different?
Kaori Sakamoto: It is indeed completely different from a recorded one. Even if we practice to a given sound source, when it comes to the actual performance, the artist’s emotion rises, and there are sometimes arrangements added, so we also think, “Oh, here’s the arrangement!” We change according to the song. That’s fun too.
Q: Is there anything memorable or any episodes from your FaOI experience so far?
Kaori Sakamoto: Last year, I didn’t have a collab, so I finished my part in act one, and after that, I had unlimited viewing of everyone’s performances (laughs). Watching Papadakis & Cizeron’s “Roses” was shocking! It’s a program where they wore an all-blue one-piece outfit, and well…it was really just “Wow!” It took my breath away. I couldn’t miss “Roses” and went to see it at every performance. Its beauty made me forget to blink, and I found it truly splendid.
Q: The B tour of “Fantasy on Ice 2024” started with the Kobe performance on June 15-16. How did it go?
Kaori Sakamoto: This was my first time being the last performer in the “Fantasy on Ice” opening…This time, I realized how challenging it is to energize the audience!
Q: You had collaboration programs this time, right?
Kaori Sakamoto: Yes, “Shine” with Leo Ieiri! I think the highlight is definitely the lyrics, which always make one feel ‘shine!’ No matter what, I am always smiling, so I skate hoping that my smile will make the audience smile too.
Q: How are your solo programs? When did you create your exhibition program, Sakamoto-san?
Kaori Sakamoto: It was created around the end of February. When we usually create an exhibition program, we often start with discussing “how many jumps do we want to include” but this time we first decided to “let’s leave the jumps for now”. When it comes to competitions, I tend to primarily focus on jumps, so this time, we decided to focus on things like expressions instead of jumps. As we created the choreography, we put in jumps at moments that seemed fitting, and it ended up being only the first two jumps. But, I think that actually worked out pretty well. I had my first real feeling of ‘expression is really fun’ through this exhibition program, so I think it was a good opportunity for me.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto
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