Anna Pogorilaya: There are only you and program
Anna Pogorilaya commented on her performance in Finland, told about programs, growing up, relationship with coach and admitted that she has already forgotten about main success in her career.
Anna, how did it happen – no jumps with positive GOE in the free program?
– I wasn’t relax enough.
Waited too long? No one likes first starting number.
– No. With the last starting number it happens differently. The year before last season, at “Skate Canada” everything turned out well. Almost nothing depends on a starting number.
Maybe you wanted to win too much?
– No, I didn’t want to win! I wanted to skate the program clean.
Everyone says so. Like no one wants to beat competitors and to see his last name on the top line.
– When you skate, you don’t think about competitors. Go on the ice, stand into starting position – and you think neither about first place, nor with whom you fight for it. There are only you and program.
Why then skaters worry?
– The elements are difficult.
Why then they don’t worry at trainings? There are qlso difficult elements.
– I worry a lot at trainings. Sometimes even almost like at competitions.
Your free program is tragic. Doesn’t it press on you?
– No. On the contrary, it turns out that pains on the ice and my emotions are combined.
Aren’t it too much pains?
– Now it was too much. I went on the start a bit sullen. I’m almost never being such sullen.
Whose idea of the tragic free program?
– Anna Vladimirovna (Tsareva), my coach sent a few music options. My mother and I listened it, something was average, and one variant we liked. It turned out that Anna Vladimirovna also wanted to choose this music. Then we thought – why to take the whole music for the program? And our choreographer Victor Adoniev added his musical piece, and then the third part was added by Nikolai Morozov.
Is it more difficult, when three different pieces put together?
– It is difficult to combine the parts in such way, so the cuts won’t be noticeable. Therefore, Nikolai Morozov searched long enough for a third piece of music. The first piece is Victor Adonev’s, and the middle is that we chose first.
Is there any idea in this program?
– Surging emotions. The ocean, the wind, the waves beating against the rocks. Such feelings I have inside.
This year Evgenia Medvedeva skates a program, to which is necessary to give libretto or to guess what is it about.
– Yes, at the test skates in Sochi I saw this program. But I didn’t guess what she skates about. Apparently, I have bad associations. Mom then has read and told me.
It seems to me, no one guessed from the first time. Can you imagine yourself in such scene program?
– Where it is necessary to gesticulate? I like this idea. But the program with such meaning, that Evgenia skates, I wouldn’t have performed. When I found out that her program is about terrorist attack, I thought that it is possible, that someone, who is watching it, lost his relatives. It hurts.
The theme is too difficult.
– Yes, it affects to a goosebumps, but for me it’s too much.
Misha Ge did your short program to a music from the movie “Scent of a Woman”. Why he?
– I know him from the Olympics. Anna Vladimirovna showed Misha’s performances to our group and said: that’s how you should skate. So, I remembered him. We often met at competitions, I saw his programs. Then I found out that he did his programs himself. After the European Championships I started to think about choreographer and decided to risk.
After a happy World Championships in Boston, he wrote you a touching message on Instagram, and you thanked him for his support. Perhaps this case has helped?
– To some extent, yes. And there was a story at the World Championship. Before the free program I was sitting and rocking in the chair because it was so nervous. I almost broke it. Two people tried to calm me down. First was Goda Butkute, Lithuanian pair skater. The second was Misha. When I went to get a second cup of coffee, he stopped me and said – no more dope!
How Misha creates the program? He talks about movements or shows?
– Mostly shows. It’s more convenient for me when I see an example of what to do.
Did he ask you to imagine something in your head during your very expressive steps sequence?
– No. He showed specific positions that I should perform.
Is it emotionally the most mature program in your career?
– In fact, I can’t say. “Bolero” was mature, and “Scheherazade” too. But, of course, this program is the most mature of my previous tangos, I had three tangos.
Did you try tango on the floor?
– Yes. When I had tango in my first senior season, I worked with a ballroom dancer. Sergei Verbilo made that program and I worked with his friend dancer. I have some basis from those lessons. I also took a couple of lessons with a girl who was a ballroom dancer. When I was little and shy, it was uncomfortable for me to dance in pair with a man. So I decided to work with a woman.
Is it possible to take some position from tango the floor to the ice?
– Positions, how you hold a partner are the same on the ice. In my program there are a few moments when I had to stand in a certain posture. And there I had one hand on the shoulder of my imaginary partner.
Did you dance with Misha?
– No. She just showed how I need to move.
Are the relationships with a coach changing with your growing up? Anna Vladimirovna and you almost don’t have any difference in height.
– In height – yes, but in status there is. So, the relations are only: coach – athlete.
So, you can’t be called friends?
– No way! If we were, she wouldn’t be able to demand a result. A coach is a coach, he must demand.
I know many skaters, who are on the first-name basis with their coaches.
– Once, at the training camp, when I was a child, I was about eight, I called Anna Vladimirovna whether “Anya” or “Anna”. After that, I ran cross. Since then, I’ve never tried that again. Memories for a lifetime!
What has changed in your life after the bronze at World Championships?
– I’ve already forgotten about it. Only at our rink remind sometimes. There are posters with pictures of Evgenia Medvedeva, Julia Lipnitskaya and me. When I skate, I look up and see it all – and I think: Wow, I was third at the World Championship. Something like that. But it has been and gone. I must go further.
Where do you keep your medal?
– In a box.
Why?
– Because I live in a crazy house, with cat and dog. First, cat will bring it down, then a dog will eat it.
source: sovsport.ru
Related topics: Anna Pogorilaya, interview, ladies, Team Russia
Evgenia’s program is stupid. . She really does a need to USE a tragedy to skate a program? I am not offended by it, but she is ridicoulous.She wants to make of herself so oryginal ,sensitive Jesus. Did you hear the lines at her LP? Some “second plane” .. What is that supposed to mean? Because her choreo HAVE NO CONNECTION to the music. The “music” is one thing and movements is the other thing. Then she stands and does make such stupid, sad face looking into space and kniting brows (sic). Her pantomime moves make me sick already.
Evgenia’s program is stupid. SHe is pathetic. She really does a need to USE a tragedy to skate a program? I am not offended by it, but she is ridicoulous.She wants to make of herself so oryginal ,sensitive Jesus. Did you hear the lines at her LP? Some “second plane” .. What is that supposed to mean? Because her choreo HAVE NO CONNECTION to the music. The “music” is one thing and movements is the other thing. Then she stands and does make such stupid, sad face looking into space and kniting brows (sic). Her pantomime moves make me sick already.
I think this new FP in choreography looks almost the same with her lasr year’s((( I think she’s capable of much more. And completely agree, those sounds on the background should be removed.
I’m not offended by the theme, but it is really sad and I don’t like the noises in the middle of the step sequence.
It does look a lot like last year’s program.
Evgenia is so talented, I just wish they could do a program without so much miming and acting and drama. I think they need to take her somewhere else for choreography – Averbukh’s ideas aren’t working.
From all the free programs I’ve already seen this season my favorite are Ahley’s and Mao’s. I mean among single ladies.
Mao’s is gorgeous. I like the concept of Ashley’s and there’s a lot of room for it to grow.
Tsareva as old Julia,that’s funny!:))) I agree that psychologist can’t change person completely,but if you are mature enough,it can be very useful.I remember that Yagudin got his gold in Olympics with help of psychologist.
According to Anna.She is nice and so young girl,there is so much things to be happy about.I feel that there is too much drama in her programs.That is just my opinion,but when she skated last year gala program in white-red costume I switched off video,didn’t like it.
Have you read an interview with Yagudin? I did a translation recently. He explained there a role of psychologist. The main thing he distracted Alexei from thoughts about competitions.
Thank you for your translation of interview!Yagudin is very famous,I’m just a little bit tired of his and Tarasova’s success stories. That medal in Salt Lake City is full of mystery,but nothing happens by chance,he certainly deserved it.
I didn’t care much for the white and red gala program either. It was called “Tango in a Madhouse” and she was playing a girl gone insane. To me it seemed bizarre and not right for a young girl. I was thinking that she should skate to strong vocals and emotional pieces. Radionova tries to skate to strong vocals but doesn’t always deliver them, but I think Anna would be able to handle them. Maybe?
Just my thoughts!
Oh,yes.Delivering is key point.When I first heard Radionova skated to fragment of song of J Lopez-I thought-oh,no,this song was popular about 10 years ago,on every corner you could hear it,everyone is tired of it.Or Lara Fabian’s song didn’t really pass for me,skated by Elena. For me it’s also important when I can understand story without knowing who and what composed.And why it is so popular to skate madness?Do they really know what it means?
To play someone who is really “mad”, you need to understand the character. You can’t just put on a Phantom of the Opera costume and appear obsessed with something to the point of insanity.
Most of all, I want Anna to skate to something that she feels comfortable with.
Yes,I also think that skater should choose comfortable characters for him or her and think also about audience,do we need all the time think about terrorists,insanity and so on.
I would like to see something that fits the young girls who are skating. Evgenia for example is 16 – she should be skating to things about first love and coming of age, not being a widow from a tragic attack. Even Julia Lipnitskaya’s Schindler’s List program was at least about a young girl. But just once, I’d like to see a Russian teenager playing a normal teenager – young, trying to find their place in the world, but hopeful. You have plenty of time to be old – be young while you can!
Just my thoughts.
In the SP Evgenia is jumping on a rope)) Too childish as for my taste.
I just want something that fits a 16-year-old girl. Not a novice skater, not a 30-year-old woman.
And why it is so popular to skate madness?
I think we should ask Zhulin)
Yes, everyone is copying Bobrova and Soloviev’s madness program! That would explain everything!
No, I mean, maybe Zhulin can explain why he likes “mad program” so much)
I just wish people could skate like normal people! Sane, beautiful people!
She skated to Rise like a phoenix by Conchita Wurst)
I liked the concept of the program very much, the rebirth on the ice. She looked very pretty when she was wearing the gold dress with her hair long and down.
She seems nice!
I’d be a little scared of her coach Tsareva, she sounds so cross and harsh. Tutberidze, Nina Mozer, Tatiana Tarasova…all those Russian lady coaches are terrifying. No wonder why they have so many good skaters – they’re scared to death of their coaches!
I would be only afraid of Tarasova.From the shows’Ice age’ I learned she can be very harsh. Nina Mozer seems quite kind-hearted woman.
Mozer looks really intimidating at the boards, but I don’t think she’s much of a yeller. The only thing I really don’t like about her is that 1. if her skaters don’t perform well, she makes excuses like “It was an early practice”, “The flight was delayed”, “He got new boots”, and 2. she attacks the way other people skate or do things. I get that she wants only the best for her own students, but she doesn’t have to pick apart the other pairs. Just my opinion. I don’t think she’s a bad coach, and I like her pair group very much, but there are a few things about her that bother me.
Tarasova scares me even when she’s just commentating. I don’t understand much Russian, but when she starts hollering what I think means “it’s crazy!” I can easily picture her shouting at a student.
Tutberidze should probably be the most-feared coach…while she looks like a lovely woman, she runs her rink like an army camp! After watching a documentary about her, I can fairly say that she is harsh, and not even a normal “tough coach”. She criticizes her students all the time – not like, “Your axel technique needs work” but “You really suck as a skater.” I don’t feel like that’s productive or helpful.
In my mind, the ideal coach is Frank Carroll. Tough enough to get the job done, but not mean or overly critical to the point that the skaters feel worthless.
Oh, you are so well-informed about coaches!I also have seen some interviews with coaches, and can say only that Russian people differ very much from American, even not connected with sports. But Pogarilaya’s coach always has such strange face expression. In fact I think that sports psychologist could help Pogorilaya a lot. Maybe then there would be more cheerful programs from Anna.
Russia and America are two very different countries. Each have their flaws and strong points.
I agree that a sports psychologist might be a good idea, but I’m not sure if it would make her suddenly as consistent as Medvedeva. For example, Gracie Gold works with a sports psychologist, but still struggles with consistency because of nerves. A psychologist can be helpful, but they can’t take your nerves away.
For some reason, Anna’s coach reminds me of an older version of Julia Lipnitskaya.
I think the tragic programs fit Anna well, because she has very intense eyes and can skate dramatically. I think Radionova does better with cheerful programs, Medvedeva does best with subtle characters (I feel like her FS this year is a little overdone), and Pogorilaya can fill that dramatic performer slot that Sotnikova left open.
Just my thoughts; feel free to contradict!
You forgot Inna Goncharenko with her “Go and work!”
Inna is tough, but I think she still cares about her students.