Anjelika Krylova: Trying to follow the fashion doesn’t lead to anything good

Anjelika Krylova about her possible return to Russia.

– While it is early to talk about this. I just shared my plans with a well-known journalist, but this information was not for general discussion. In the summer I will come home to look around. I’ll look how my son and daughter will feel there, who are already accustomed to the American way of life and American school. It will also be important what conditions of trainings will be offered for my students.

You have two children, a girl and a boy. Did you tried to make a dance duet?

– No way! The boy is doing hockey and he really likes it, the girl is engaged in synchronized figure skating so I can see her more often. Her team trains on the same rink where I work.

Why, living in America, did you insist on Russian nannies for your children?

– I have living in America for 25 years, but I still have been drawn back home. At all competitions I communicate with my Russian colleagues. Most of all in the United States I miss Russian culture and possibility to communicate with people of such caliber with whom I could communicate in Moscow. Although my children went to a Russian kindergarten and they have Russian babysitters, so the language isn’t lost.

During the time you have been working in America, many duets left you, many came to you.

– I myself was an athlete of a high level, but only after becoming a coach, I have realized how ungrateful this work is. It seemed to me that Oleg (Ovsyannikov) and I work hard, get injures, get disappointed and coaches just stand behind the board. Once I got on the other side of the board, I started to perceive things otherwise.

Quickly figured out the realities of American life, Natalia Linichuk insisted on contractual relations with her athletes …

-Oleg and I also signed such an agreement. This is normal, in America you have to pay for everything: for ice, for music, for coach. Although the know-how of Linichuk did not develop. I do not have contracts with my skaters. I do not think that Shpilband or Zueva have them.

What if you see a tremendous talent in a young skater, but his parents do not have money to pay for your work?

– With Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali I have worked for free for three years just to show my coaching potential. If there is no material for the work, then it’s impossible to show how you can work. Now I can make some financial concessions in negotiations with the national skating federation, but I will not work for free. After all, tomorrow skaters can go to another coach with everything they got from you.

Is it possible to say that ice dance have changed dramatically since the time when you and Oleg Ovsyannikov became world champions?

– Now there are almost no programs to a slow and even just romantic music. Although the head of the International Skating Union constantly emphasizes: “Dances should remain dances.” Now the style of the French Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron is in fashion. Impressionism is generally is fashionable now.

Who dictates fashion in ice dance?

–  Marie-France Dubreuil Patrice Lauzon. They train World champions and vice-champions, as well as Olympic champions Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. But what can be done by the French, the rest simply can not do, and trying to follow the fashion does not lead to anything good. Pairs should be different, then watching competitions in the ice dance will be more interesting not only for the audience, but even for the judges.

You and Ovsyannikov could perform classical “Masquerade” on the ice and an innovative dance inspired by the choreography of Jiri Kylian, and the French are still samey…

– Four years ago they found their direction, which was one hundred percent innovative and brought them well-deserved awards. They are not underscored in judge’s marks, they are met with delight by the audience and in their dances they are incomparable. In this style it is easier to perform difficult elements than to a fast rhythmic music, and now all duets are concentrated on elements.

Is there now such a coaching rivalry, close to military confrontation, that Natalia Linichuk and Tatyana Tarasova had?

– There used to be a different relationship between coaches. Soviet traditions affected. The war on the ice will always be, and every coach will worry for his pair and do everything possible for its success. Yes, and politics in ice dance will always be present. Only now everything is softer. You can say, more civilized. I can celebrate the success at the World Championships with both the Montreal coaches and with Marina Zueva and Igor Shpilband. We can ask each other questions and get answers. And I’m very happy about that.

How to explain for general public the term “fight for his skater”?

–  Figure skating in general is a subjective sport, especially ice dance. If there are no obvious mistakes, the judge may gave the marks according to his own taste. Of course in this case, not only the coach, but also the federation must fight for their athletes. I do not think that all these undercurrents should be for general discussion.

You and Oleg, and all the other duos who trained in the Linichuk’s group, understood the music and the essence of the artistic image embodied in the dance. Now this is a rare case …

– Russian figure skaters were mostly brought up on classical music, and Americans on jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. They simply did not understand classics before the arrival of Russian coaches. Sometimes we take our students to a Russian ballet and they are surprised to find out who Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev is.

In your time in the Russian team there was a strict graduation of duets. Someone was considered the leader and the third in rank often were a bargaining chip in big behind-the-scenes games …

– Perhaps, only in the US national team, three duets representing the country at international competitions can be placed in the final protocol in any order. In Canada, the graduation of duets is even more tough than in the Russian team. It exists in Italy and in France. But the Americans decided that their duets should fight not only against rivals from other countries, but also among themselves.

by Kosntantin Balskyi for sportsdaily.ru

Related topics: Anjelika Krylova, ice dance, interview