Stepanova and Bukin: In any situation it is necessary to look for positive sides

Interview with Alexandra Stepanova – Ivan Bukin after Finlandia Trophy 2018.

How do you asses your first competition of the season?

Ivan: Speaking about short dance, we didn’t manage to show the audience and the judges the whole picture because there were some minor problems. And if we talk about free dance, today we skated very well. There were small mistakes, but this is our first competitions. Frankly, I was a little nervous. I’m glad that we have opened the season, this is a new stage for us. Great competition!

Alexandra: Our next competitions is also in Finland. This will be our first Grand Prix. Now we’ll get the feedback from the judges, go home and work. I hope we have time to add something and we will be even better at the next competitions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BomdJDrgTR2/?taken-by=ivan_bukin_

Force majeure happened in the short dance. What did this teach you?

Alexandra: That in any situation it is necessary to look for positive sides. I can’t say that we were very tired after the second element. But … we rested because of a forced pause. But seriously, it’s a pity that we couldn’t show the short dance completely, because we have tango and pasodoble and wanted to demonstrate the integrity of the program. And this pause? This happened to us for the first time. Now we know how it happens, what should be done in such situation, how this whistle sounds …

Ivan: I can’t say that it was a very unpleasant incident. Anything can happen.

Alexandra: Thank God that this wasn’t our fault. It worse when something fall from the costume and they stop the program and give a deduction.

But we are upset that we were given level 1 for twizzles and lost points. We will discuss with coaches why this happened, we will try to understand what is the matter. Twizzles are now counted for each of the partners separately, but in a short dance both Vanya and I got level 1. When we just tried these twizzles, then claims were made against one of the partners.

Ivan: Most often it was me.

Alexandra: And this time both of us. We haven’t yet learned why. There was the free dance ahead, it was necessary to skate it and then analyze mistakes.

The free dance turned out good, very emotional.

Alexandra: But we can skate this program more powerful. Like in training. And here we stopped ourselves a little. Not everything was perfect. Not everything turned out as we wanted. But as for the first competitions, we are really happy with the skate. For us it was the most important thing to skate emotionally. In terms of speed, in terms of the elements there were some small mistakes – this is understandable, it’s the first competitions. But the most important thing is not to be afraid to show programs.

Ivan: I really like our free dance. I think this is new for us. Peter Tchernyshev choreographed it. This season’s short program is also successful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BofDq6khuxJ/?taken-by=mihail_sharov

This season a lot has changed, new elements have appeared in ice dance. What do you think about it?

Ivan: Honestly, we still haven’t fully understood how the new system works, because everything has changed radically. Now the elements that got a low level can be compensated with something else.

Alexandra: It is not yet clear whether this is good or bad. It turns out that the athlete can fail the steps, but skate the program cool in terms of emotions and be close to the leaders.

Ivan: Or new items. A block of steps on one leg, a choreo step sequence … But I like it. I think it’s interesting. Programs are diluted with elements that make them more spectacular. Choreo step sequence this is not a full step sequence through the entire rink, on which you spend a lot of strength. But it is beautiful.

Alexandra: Because this, the programs have become more watchable.

Ivan: More harmonious.

Alexandra: There is more dance.

Ivan: Such new things is awesome. And this season will be interesting. Because new is always interesting. And it fits the program very well.

by Tatjana Flade for fsrussia.ru

Related topics: Alexandra Stepanova Ivan Bukin, Finlandia Trophy, interview