“Part of me really wants to see Stephane skate these demanding programs. At the same time, another part of me is thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m making him do such tough routines!’ (laughs)” Shoma Uno about producing “Ice Brave” show
Shoma Uno about producing his own ice show.
original source: number.bunshun.jp dd. May 8th 2025 by Mina Fujimori
At a recently held Number PREMIER special talk show, Shoma Uno revealed his role as the producer of the ice show “Ice Brave,” sharing his honest thoughts in front of 200 fans gathered from across the country. Here’s a translation of his comments made in an interview with Mie Noguchi, posted on Sports Graphic Number Web.
“Shoma Uno: When I decided to create my own show, the first thing I thought about was: what is my unique strength, something different from Daisuke Takahashi, Mao Asada, or Yuzuru Hanyu? During the process of selecting the show’s set list, I realized that the programs that stayed in the lineup were more powerful, dynamic performances. This made me realize that my confidence lies in those kinds of programs.
Q: When you were younger, your performances were often perceived as cute, emotional, and seamlessly expressive in softer, lyrical programs. But, internally, your strength seems to lie in power and intensity.
Shoma Uno: While I was still competing, when asked, ‘What is your strength?’ I would respond, ‘I don’t have any weaknesses.’ I didn’t explain my own imagery when it came to expression. Honestly, I didn’t think much about it and approached each day as an extension of repetitive training.
However, more recently, I’ve started thinking about why certain programs appear the way they do. I’ve begun shifting the passion I used to direct solely toward jumps into expression as well. This has made it easier for me to explain my intentions to others. At the same time, I’ve also become better at distinguishing between what I lack and what my strengths are.
Q: You haven’t had many opportunities to work collaboratively on creating something with others before. How has the experience been for you?
Shoma Uno: Everything has been completely new for me. Communication hasn’t been my strong suit, so I struggled at first. But I think I’ve gradually gotten the hang of it. I’ve come to understand the role of a producer in an ice show — what needs to be done and how far I need to take responsibility.
By teaching the cast, I’ve started to discover aspects of my own performances that I previously skated through unconsciously. This process has been eye-opening and has helped me think about how I can apply these elements when creating new choreography in the future. It’s been really enjoyable.
Q: How do you interact with the cast members? Do you scold them if they don’t remember the choreography?
Shoma Uno: Not at all. I don’t think I’m capable of doing something like that, but to create something great, there are times when a bit of strictness is necessary, don’t you think? In my case, I feel most comfortable talking to Kushi (Kazuki Kushida). I’ll say something like, ‘Hey, if you can work on this part, it might inspire the others skating with you — and me as well — to step up. Could you give it a try?’ I ask indirectly like that because I can’t bring myself to say it directly.
Q: It sounds like you’re gradually working toward raising the overall level of the show.
Shoma Uno: I want to keep raising the standard as much as possible moving forward. For this show, I first want to make it an enjoyable time for all of us involved. Beyond that, I want to present it to a wider audience and create a performance that leaves those who attend thinking, ‘Wow, I just witnessed something incredible.’”
Q: Can we look forward to seeing some jumps in the performance?
Shoma Uno: There are only a few programs where I’ll be skating solo, but yes, they’ll include jumps that fit the program and its themes perfectly. That said, I won’t attempt the quadruple flip. Even during my competitive career, that jump often led to injuries, so it’s best to avoid it here.
Q: It’s a small, select group of cast members, which means they’ll likely be performing non-stop. Would that include Stephane Lambiel?
Shoma Uno: Yes, I’m honestly the most worried about Stephane (Lambiel, his former coach and one of the cast members).
Q: He’s the oldest among the cast, isn’t he? Are you asking him to push quite hard?
Shoma Uno: That’s currently my biggest concern. Stephane has quite a few numbers in the program, and it would be a real problem if he gets injured. Figuring out how to balance that is a challenge for me. But there’s an excitement about seeing what kind of magic Stephane will bring to certain performances, so we just can’t take him out of the setlist.
Part of me really wants to see him skate these demanding programs. At the same time, another part of me is thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m making him do such tough routines!’ (laughs). But in the end, I’ve told Stephane that I’ll leave it to him, so I don’t know exactly what he’ll bring out. I’m looking forward to seeing it as much as everyone else.”
Related topics: Shoma Uno
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