Yuzuru Hanyu: “It took nearly two months to decide what I wanted to convey and to select the music for the programs that would form the story.”
Yuzuru Hanyu about writing scripts for his shows, music selections and performance.
original source: Hochi by Megumi Takagi
Yuzuru Hanyu (30) who performs and acts as the executive producer, is facing the final performance of his “Yuzuru Hanyu ICE STORY 3rd ‘Echoes of Life’ TOUR” in Chiba. In the interview posted on Hoche he speaks about writting a script for the show, music selection and performance itself. Here’s a translation. (Machine translation)
Script
“During that time, I was practicing for two days (laughs). The first day, I practiced. Then I went home and stayed up all night. After that, there was another practice session, and I continued writing without sleeping. ‘Ah, it’s already morning.’ Then, ‘Ah, it’s the third day, let’s practice.'” Hanyu described the script writing process.
“When the ideas came, I felt I had to write them down immediately, and simply because the deadline was dangerously close (laughs). But nothing was coming to mind. Although the general plot was decided, thinking of the settings was the hardest.”
“It took nearly two months to decide what I wanted to convey and to select the music for the programs that would form the story. From there, the settings were mostly decided, and the outline determined, and I knew I had to write it… I was writing bits and pieces, but I felt they were not well articulated. So I scrapped everything and started rewriting from scratch.”
This Ice Story delves into the philosophy of ‘what is life’ and ‘what am I’, adapting it into a narrative. The writing is always done by hand. Scribbling on paper. During the preparation, he read philosophical works like ‘The Calamity of Birth’ and novels. Among the novels was Osamu Dazai’s ‘No Longer Human’.
“I thought I should read Dazai. Up until now, I haven’t really engaged much with novels. The only serious book I’ve read is the ‘Kojiki.’ There was a reading time, and my mother had handed me the ‘Kojiki’ to read (laughs). I didn’t have many opportunities to encounter printed words or novels, nor was I very good at them. So this time, while I listened to an audiobook, I read ‘No Longer Human.'”
Music
“Initially, there was the issue of what to do with the six-minute warm-up.”
Hanyu has integrated the six-minute warm-up into his solo shows after turning professional. This innovative approach stems from a desire to capture the essence of competitions.
“This time, since I wanted to write it as a story, I found myself wanting to squeeze in the six-minute warm-up. However, when considering the content of the performances up until now, I realized that I had to create something well-structured, and that it could be beneficial to develop something that not only serves as a practice but also stands as a complete program.”
“Some people have said they like watching official practices, and I think the earnest and stoic effort towards a single goal is a form of expression itself. Initially, I thought about making it entirely out of practice pieces on the piano, very stoically, ending with ‘Ballade No. 1.’ That was the strong image I started with.”
“It was really difficult. I thought about arranging them chronologically. Like showing the evolutionary process of each composer leading up to Chopin, or conversely, starting with Chopin, going back in time, and then returning to Chopin. Or else having all the chords match. I kept thinking about various things, but I realized I was getting nowhere on my own, so I consulted with Mr. Shinya Kiyotsuka.”
“I communicated something like, ‘I have this image, how should I proceed?’ Since I initially wanted to string together several pieces each under a minute. ‘If it’s to be under a minute, it would turn into this kind of collection, what do you think?’, we discussed. But I didn’t really want to edit too much, though some parts certainly needed editing. Really groping our way through it, and definitely wanting to include Baroque. That’s how it turned out.”
Choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle, the fascinating set of five pieces poses a question: Which piece is the most challenging to skate?
“They’re all tough!”
Performance
After performing the “Piano Collection,” which consists of five pieces lasting about ten minutes, Hanyu skates to Chopin’s “Ballade No. 1” from the Pyeongchang Olympics SP. First comes the “Piano Collection.” As he said, “They’re all tough!” including quadruple and triple axel jumps, as well as spins and steps, making the physical demand immensely challenging.
“Muscle fatigue sets in during the preceding program, ‘Mass Destruction.’ Also, changing from the costume of ‘Mass Destruction’ is quite a hassle. I hastily change into the ‘Ballade No. 1’ costume, quickly put on my skates and head to the ice. Huffing and puffing, I try to focus as Brahms starts. I’ve had recent troubles with the triple loop — the first jump. I made a mistake once, and it seems to have become a trauma. Since I can’t quite nail the loop, I feel anxious when I reach the loop in Bach’s sequence. After that, a toe loop is next.”
“That toe loop is incredibly nerve-racking. The following (triple) axel also escalates the tension, and it’s exhausting. It feels like I’m constantly performing anaerobic exercise. Balancing out, then going anaerobic again, catching my breath and returning to anaerobic — this pattern continues.”
Then comes “Ballade No. 1.” The opening features a quadruple salchow, and the latter part includes both a triple axel and a quadruple-triple toe loop combination, making it a highly difficult composition.
“It’s tough, you know. I thought I could manage it easily at first. I thought, ‘I can do this,’ (laughs). But it turned out to be tougher than I expected. Initially, I thought of using the layout from the 2020 Four Continents Championships as it was considered the final form then. But when it became about the ‘sounds of fate,’ I felt it had to be the Pyeongchang version if I’m supposed to ‘play the sounds of my destiny.'”
“The ‘destiny’ I’ve reached not only pertains to the (Pyeongchang Olympic free program) ‘SEIMEI,’ which is crucial, but I believe winning was due to a flawless performance of ‘Ballade No. 1’ there. There’s a ritual in the (Piano Collection) that leads to that moment, tracing the destiny that brought me here. It’s challenging, but I’m committed to executing the latter half with two major jumps.”
Challenging the gold medal performance after skating for more than 30 minutes. Performing in a smaller rink than in competitions, in a dimly-lit show setting.
“I had to alter my trajectories and adjust the choreography since tighter curves mean more strain on my legs. It’s been tough experimenting with various changes. But at the (Saitama performance), I managed a flawless performance. I’ll give it my all.”
Related topics: Yuzuru Hanyu
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