Dmitri Aliev: I had an idea to do something classical but with a bit of rock
Interview with Dmitri Aliev about off-season, training camps and new programs.
by Andrei Simonenko for rsport.ria.ru
Dmitri, at the end of last season the whole country learned how much you dream to relax. Did the dream come true?
– Yes, lately it really was a dream, I needed to get a portion of vitamin D. After the Russian Cup Final, which, frankly, I didn’t want to remember, a skated a little, but then took a pause. I flew to Paris for a couple of days. In May went to Egypt with the guys from our group, had a good rest there. And then there was still time left, and I went to Turkey with my parents.
And then trainings camp started…
– Yes, we had three training camps – Italy, Kislovodsk and Latvia. In Italy, in Fondo, we broke into new boots, thought over the ideas of the programs. As a result, we put a short program there. Restored the jumps, because there was a long break, and it was necessary to get some shape in order to start working. Then we moved to Kislovodsk. This training camp, like the previous ones, we spent together with the team of Svetlana Sokolovskaya from CSKA. So there was competition and at the same time sharing experiences. We had a pleasant, interesting job and a good, friendly team.
There we started to work on the short program, started to work on the elements more seriously. Also did physical trainings, choreography. What we liked in Kislovodsk – there worked a lot of teams from different sports. For example, breakdance dancers, which is an Olympic sport now. And we took breakdance lessons.
Also in Kislovodsk, we had to make a decision about free program. We started working on one option, put half of the program, but then stopped. I realized that I didn’t enjoy what I skate. The music was too heavy, not my melody, not my piece.
As a result, nothing was put in Kislovodsk and we started to panic a little. But it so happened that we arrived at the third training camp in Latvia, quite spontaneously found the music and very quickly put the free program. In Latvia, there already was a full-fledged work, I was ready for serious workloads, I skated both programs, there were full run-throughs, with jumps, with all the elements. At the end of the training camp we had test skates – everything like in competitions.
Music for the short program is from the musical “Mozart. Rock Opera”. How did the idea of this program come?
– First, the idea was – classic, something from Nureyev, maybe something balletic. But I got the idea to do something classical but with a bit of rock. Our choreographer Olga Glinka advised to watch “Mozart”. I watched. Honestly, at first this music did not impress, there was no euphoria. But then I got it, and said – let’s do it. The theme of the program is exactly like in the rock opera. The more I skate this program, the more I feel it.
Is it more there – classical or rock?
– First, a classic melody, slow and a tougher part at the end.
Is your free program in a different style?
– Completely different. We have been choosing it for a long time … First, we wanted to try a new artistic image, maybe something dancing. Tried – it didn’t work. But then we thought – why refuse of your own advantages? In lyrical music, I’ll rather fulfill myself on the ice, show my skating. Of course, I want to develop, try new images, but in this off-season it didn;t work out. The were no moments connected with beauty of the skating.
Have you decided with the jumps? How many quads you do in the short and free program?
– Now I skate with two quads in the short and three quads in the free. But we want to make it four.
Which quads?
– Initially, we planned lutz and salchow for the short, but at the training camp in Kislovodsk there was some problem with the blade, I flew off the Salchow, so we temporarily removed it. Now I skate it with quad lutz and a toe loop.
In winter, a video appeared on the Internet where you do all quads in one practice. Can you repeat this trick now?
– I think I can, although I have not tried flip and loop for a long time. But I jump toe loop, salchow and lutz at every practice. But now my boots have broken, it is necessary to break into new ones, this, unfortunately, will take some time.
Critical?
– I think no. Just suddenly it happened. After all trainings camps, just a few days ago, they broke down. Maybe because I jumped lutz a lot. But I’ve already got new ones, and started to break into.
Do you know where you will start the season?
– Yes. This gonna be “Lombardia Trophy” in Bergamo. Before this competitions, there will be test skates in Moscow.
Dmitri, it seems to me that figure skating gets an enormous attention now. The Internet is full with catchy headlines, heated debate in comments. Do you feel this pressure?
– No. Maybe last season. Now I abstract from the media, from social networks. Everything comes from there. I try to notice only positive moments.
Has it become easier without social networks?
– Probably yes. After all, such things affect. An impressionable person they affect very strong, a cold-blooded not so much. I’m fifty-fifty, and sometimes it breaks me. But now I try not to follow anything. I work, I train, and everything goes on as usual.
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