Daniil Gleikhengauz: “Every athlete is unique in how they adjust the program to themselves, removing everything they consider unnecessary. You have to watch that. If you let things take their course, only about 30% of the program remains.”
Daniil Gleikhengauz about Olympics, programs and quintuple jumps.
original source: MatchTV dd 31st August by Maria Strogacheva
Russian coach and choreographer for Eteri Tutberidze’s group, Daniil Gleikhengauz, spoke about Olympics, suspension of Russian athletes, programs and quintuple jumps. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Daniil Gleikhengauz: I followed the Olympics, but only a little. I watched some gymnastics, a bit of tennis. There was a lot of work, this is the first Olympics that I watched so little.
There was a beautiful moment with the flag at the opening of the Olympics, but other than that, it’s not for me. Not everything there pleased me.
Hope for participating in the Olympics dies last. The athletes don’t deserve what’s happening to them. Of course, it’s tough for them now. Previously, they had the opportunity to participate in World Championships, Olympics, but now they don’t. They want to show themselves.
If they allow only one athlete to perform at the Olympics then the one who qualifies will go. But you have to go. If there’s an opportunity, you definitely need to go.
Q: What would you say to Thomas Bach?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: These are athletes who have dedicated their lives to sports since the age of four. They have always dreamed of becoming Olympic champions or at least representing their country at the Olympics. I believe, regardless of the circumstances, it is wrong not to give them this opportunity.”
About changing of sport citizenship
“Daniil Gleikhengauz: We do not prohibit anyone from changing their sports citizenship, but the desire must come from both the athlete and their parent. It’s their life, their decision. So far, there have been no talks about changing citizenship in our group; everyone is heading into the season, aiming to compete in the Russian Nationals.”
About quintuple jumps
“Q: Would you like someone from your group to be the first to perform a quintuple jump?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Honestly, I am not sure yet if it will be the same as with quads. Like Ilia Malinin’s quadruple axel, it’s something incredible. If everyone starts doing the quad axel, then I would be more surprised.
Regarding quintuple jumps, I don’t see the possibility of performing them regularly in the programs. Overall, it seems far off. Perhaps I am just behind the times and at some point, quintuple jumps will need to be attempted. So far, we haven’t proposed it to anyone, not even tried it on a harness.”
About programs
“Q: How many programs have you choreographed this summer, and is there any record in your group?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: Eteri Georgievna keeps a notebook where she ticks off against the names of athletes for whom programs are choreographed. One tick for the short and another for the free skate. I haven’t counted exactly, but it’s definitely not a record. There have been years when we did many more programs. This year there was enough energy, ideas, and music too.
Q: Are ideas sought during the season, or do you give your brain a rest, for example, in May?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: The process of choreographing goes on all year round, any time of day. As soon as I finish all the programs, I try not to listen to music in the car for a while. I drive and enjoy the silence. It’s not like I’m actively searching all year round. I’m so accustomed to it… You drive in the car you either hear something on the radio or you deliberately listen to artists’ albums. You go to the movies to relax and have fun and you hear music, immediately it’s in Shazam. I’m in this process all year long. It’s great, I’m not complaining.
Q: Many people think that once a program is choreographed, that’s the end of it. But ahead lies the season, and there’s ongoing work on the program.
Daniil Gleikhengauz: It even goes like this. We finish the program in the evening, Eteri Georgievna and I liked everything. We come to the morning practice and think: ‘What is this at all? Where is all that we liked yesterday?’ So, it doesn’t work like you choreographed a program and never see it again and don’t work with the athlete on every movement. Anyway, something settles in, something wears off. Every athlete is unique in how they adjust the program to themselves, removing everything they consider unnecessary, excessive, and uncomfortable. You have to watch that. If you let things take their course, only about 30% of the program remains.
Q: Do you ask athletes why they changed something in the program?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: We have a different level of communication with athletes. We don’t need to ask why they removed something in the program. It’s intricate, uncomfortable.
The first attempts at performing the programs are very challenging. Collecting 3-4 elements with new combinations is hard work. Athletes look for loopholes to get through the program to the end. We make the programs very intense, with little room for rest, so we work a lot on them to ensure that fatigue doesn’t interfere with athletes during competitions.
Q: What needs to happen to change a top athlete’s program in the middle of the competitive season?
Daniil Gleikhengauz: I understand you’re referring to the Olympic season? That was one of the cases when I was already at the competitions in Budapest with Anna Shcherbakova and Maya Khromykh. After the short program or after practice, I don’t quite remember, I was on the bus and came across this track (Dangerous Affairs — Shcherbakova’s Olympic short program). I really liked it.
I started to come up with an idea — with strings, with soul, we later talked about it. I thought it was a program for the next season. But it happened that way, and I think we changed the short program mid-season for a reason. It worked out well, it helped Anna, I remember our discussions on this matter.
Sometimes everything is good with the program, the athlete likes it, we chose the music and choreography together, some new features. But sometimes it just doesn’t work — it doesn’t settle and doesn’t create the right atmosphere.
In any case, I believe that no matter how great a program looks during its creation, it becomes memorable during its performance in competitions in a full venue. A crucial moment and, God willing, a clean skate — tremendous emotions, the audience.
Such performances are what we review again: victorious skates, Olympic ones. In that case, I felt there was a lack of connection between the athlete and the audience and the judges. That’s why we decided to change the short program mid-season.”
Related topics: Daniil Gleichengauz
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