Stepanova / Bukin: short dance consists of hip-hop and blues

Alexandra Stepanova – Ivan Bukin told about working with Peter Tchernyshev on new programs and changes that happened with them after the World Championships in Boston.

Guys, this time you worked on the free dance with Peter Tchernyshev. What are your impressions from working with him?

Ivan: We really enjoyed working with Peter, and despite the fact that everything was new, we quickly joined the process. Prior to that, for 10 years our coaches have been doing our programs. The programs were different, interesting, but this year Irina Zhuk and Alexander Svinin offered to try a new choreographer for the free dance. I think that it’s only for the best. We’re growing up, changing, we need to expand our range, because it all gives an additional experience.

Alexandra: It was really interesting to work with Peter. Now I look at him quite differently. I’ve already known Peter. He was at the competitions, was constantly showed on television. But when you face him at work, communicate closely, you realize that this man has a crazy energy. He’s not just doing the program, he involves you into the process, you get his energy, a desire to work and work.

There were moments during the creation of program when Vanya was doing his laces and Peter picked me up and started to show something. Not just to show, he skated with me in full force.

Ivan: He skated with me too, explaining to Sasha, how to do best. Was evident that it was very interesting for him.

How long did you do the program?

Ivan: Three weeks. We started to work in April, immediately after the end of the season and continued even when everyone was on vacation. But we had to finish everything. And we left to vacations very happy.

Did you work at nights?

Alexandra: Yes, because Peter has a very busy schedule, and we are very happy that he managed to find time for us. He even came to us during training camp in Novogorsk, to work on some things, to change something  – steps, turns. It’s nice that he didn’t just created the program and that’s all, he continues to think, trys to improve.

Ivan: We like a free program a lot. According to our feelings, it’s different from those that we skated in the past. This was the main goal, that is why our coaches had the idea to invite a new choreographer. I think coaches liked Peter’s programs, he worked a lot with singles, pairs, dancers. It seems to me that his programs are not shallow, there is a mood in them. Moreover, Peter is a dancer, and it’s very important for the choreography. If in the program everything is convenient and logical, you can skate on maximum. Otherwise, you start to clip  and expressiveness, emotions go away.

Alexandra: The program turned out really unusual. We feel and understand it a lot.

Ivan: We can say we live in it.

Perhaps these feelings came because you become adults?

Ivan: Sure. After the World Championships in Boston we’ve changed. We have repeatedly said that we want to change, to show something else, but as long as you haven’t grown up and you don’t understand some things, it will not happen. And now we started to want it ourselves, to to change in the new season, to be different, ready to fight.

Alexandra: All skaters – juniors and seniors, reaching the level of the national team, have technique, know how to skate. But adult skating differs by depth, some details that stand them out the numbers of others. And we pay a lot of attention to this.

Ivan: We work a lot on skating, upper-body, choreography, relationships between the partners in the dance, because we understand that we lacked this, and everyone was telling us this. Now a big team is helping us. Natalia Bestemyanova has joined …

Alexandra: Vanya’s dad. We have been often asked whether Bestemyanova and Bukin are helping us, and we were answering that they don’t want to interfere in the training process. But this time, they offered to help. And it’s great, because they will be with us on the ice in the skates too. And, given their experience and skills, these advises are very valuable.

Both programs have already been done?

Ivan: The free dance turned out very replete, so we need to polish it a lot, to work a lot, so, everything to go as planned. We have to work on everything. A short dance is little more prepared, because we started to work on blues earlier.

Alexandra: Short dance consists of hip-hop and blues. Coaches have found an interesting music, and somehow everything went right. We thought that short program will be different from what Peter did. But Irina did such a dance that we were surprised. Such transitions, everything is beautiful.

This summer you had a training camp in Novogorsk not in Italy. Everything was good?

Alexandera: I don’t know which is better – Novogorsk or Italy. There is all conditions for athletes in Novogorsk. We had a lot of ice, a lot of gyms for other work, a lot of recovery procedures, daily swimming pool … Everything is close by – a hotel, an ice rink, you don’t have to stand in traffic jams. So thank you so much, that we had this training camp.

A certain part of the work we have already done, now we need to do polishing. We want to work, want more ice, because, as I said, the senior skating requires careful work on the nuances, details, and you don’t always have enough time for this at trainings.

Ivan: The main thing -we want this very much. We want to change, we want to work. We really like what we are doing now. And I hope that this season will succeed.

the source: fsrussia.ru

Related topics: Alexandra Stepanova Ivan Bukin, ice dance, interview, Team Russia