Alexei Mishin about Carolina Kostner’s new programs
Alexei Mishin told about Carolina Kostner’s new programs and preparation for Olympic season.
How goes the work on the new programs for Carolina Kostner?
– When at the beginning of the season we discussed this with Carolina we chose the music “Afternoon rest of the faun” by Claude Debussy for the free program, the fragment of which we have already used in Zhenya Plushenko’s programs. If you look at her characteristic arms, the spirit and intellectual content, the richness of her program, then this is the performance of the “Afternoon of the Faun” by Václav Nijinsky. When we were working with Zhenya, we went to the theater’s museum, took books from Nijinsky’s wife and sister, looked wonderful sketches of costumes by (Leon) Bakst. It’s amazing, it would be so modern now – costumes according to the sketches of Bakst! And the program too! I think that, of course, by idea, by its depth, by its grandeur, this program can become one of the most significant works in women’s figure skating of recent years. What do think about this claim?
I want to see the program with my own eyes as soon as possible.
– Look in the Internet “Nijinsky dancing Debussy”, and you’ll see. Egyptian palms, this whole idea …Lori did a very good job, relying on Diaghilev’s seasons and the choreography that was modern then, ultra-modern. Now it also looks very modern!
What about the short program?
– Modern, interesting. But in a short program, as I always say, it is difficult to win a lot, but you can lose a lot. Therefore, the main task in the short program is to withstabd, withstand and once again withstand. A good program, but it’s different, which is also encouraging.
When will Carolina join your group?
– In the nearest time. This season she will come to me from time to time. We will meet with her at the next training cam, which will begin after vacations, on June 15 in Courchevel. She came in the spring, she was in Tartu. I want to emphasize that now the world community does not always adequately treat both subjectively and objectively our national sport. So, I think that such cooperation, when an Italian specialist works with Russian athletes, and Russian with foreign ones, this is the best way to bring the system of relationships into the right state. And, secondly, the presence of such a person as Carolina Kostner in the group it’s wonderful!
Have you discussed with her whether the upcoming season will be the last in her career?
– I would loke not to touch on this topic. This is her own decision. Journalists often asked me: “Well, who persuaded Plushenko to return? Wife, mother, you, sponsors?” You know, I often quote a two-time Olympic champion in synchronized swimming, who said: “Having an Olympic medal around your neck, it’s a feat to return to big sport again!” So I want to say that the feat can not be repeated by incitation. If she decided on this, she has already accomplished this feat, and the previous season was certainly successful for her. So it’s her, who should discuss when she will perform a feat or repeat it.
by Elena Diyachkova for rsport.ru
Related topics: Alexei Mishin, Carolina Kostner, ladies
It will be great to see Carolina’s next season SP in modern style. I immensely enjoyed “God of thunder”, so I hope to see the next.