The Shibutanis Thread 6: Paradise Found

[Spun Silver]

When I first saw that performance many years ago (I was so young and different then), it really blew me away. I hadn't been keeping up with skating post-Torino too often though I still semi-followed Daisuke, Buttle, Delobel/Schoenfelder (didn't even remember Virtue/Moir in real time), so I had no idea what was really going on in ice dance after 2008 Worlds. However, I visited FSU and I heard about the Shibs (maybe it was in Vash's thread) and so I decided to look them up and I think I now realize why I was so taken with them.

In their way, they changed my whole outlook and idea of what ice dancing could be. I grew up with ice dance from the late 90s to mid 2000s and it was just drama drama drama with Euro club beats to classical music at times. I wasn't prepared to see something so classic looking that was all about clean lines and posture, authentic music interpretation, and simply seeing the actual skaters rather than some character they were trying to portray or some heavy theme or concept. Like I said, I missed the whole V/M thing during that specific period and I didn't get into D/L (was more of a DenStavs fan) so the Shibs were the first team that did that for me.

One thing I didn't realize until these recent Olympic Games was that so many were taken with Alex and Maia's approach to ice dance in a similar way I was taken with them back in 2009 because many expressed what they saw were couples trying to sell the idea that they were in love with each other or wanted to do each other right then and there while the Shibs looked like they opened themselves up to the audience and shared their love of skating. If you think about it, that really is a different approach to ice dance.

I wasn't as interested in ice dance when I discovered them as I am now, but I think I was drawn to them by that same quality. I did love Del-Shoes but they are about as far from Maia and Alex as you can get.... unless I think about Dom-Shabs' aborigine dance. I was blown away by the classic beauty, refinement and ballroom style the Shibs presented, but also a graciousness of spirit that I found incredibly touching in such young skaters.

 

[VGThuy]

There is one thing I think the Shibs have in common with Del-Schoes and it's that soft knee action that both teams possess. I noticed it right away with DelSchoes and I became a fan because of that and that was the first thing I noticed with the Shibs.

Also, did anybody watch that lengthy US Weekly interview yet? They gave us some interesting things to talk about haha. Alex has opinions about the celebrity crush question. I noticed Alex does what I do all the time when people talk to me and my siblings. He naturally takes the lead and dominates the answering while Maia looks so used to deferring to Alex but doesn't seem annoyed by it because she's so used to it and then Alex remembers to give Maia space to answer questions. I think it's such an oldest sibling thing to do and I know I'm guilty of that. Maia gets around Alex's dominance by getting in lines here and there in the middle of his stream of consciousness. Their Shibling rivalry game is hilarious at the end and they are asked about Dancing with the Stars again just like with Kelly and Ryan.

 

[Spun Silver]

OK, I turned off my opera to watch the US Weekly interview. It was fun. What I can't help noticing is how Alex in particular is in his element in these interviews. They have such a great relationship with their back-and-forth and side eyes, LOL, but I feel that Alex has star quality when it comes to talking, and shows a remarkable comfort level with the talk show format considering that skaters don't get to do that much talking on camera. I loved it when he started to respond to the celebrity crush Q, then stopped, then said, "It's our show, we can do whatever we want with it,"and proceeded to critique the question. We noticed earlier that Maia is a gifted writer. I think Alex is a gifted on-camera presence. He could seriously go into acting or standup comedy.

ETA: That is very interesting about Del-Shoes' soft knees. I liked their uniqueness but didn't know enough at the time to appreciate their technique. I will have to go rewatch. (In the off-season I will be going back to that Essential Ice Dance thread!)

ETA#2: He also comes across as a natural leader. I can see Maia as a leader too, with a quieter style, but his is obvious.

 

[VGThuy]

Insider did a feature where one of their correspondents tried to replicate Maia's workout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4p-Umxr07Y

 

[chapis]

Also, did anybody watch that lengthy US Weekly interview yet? They gave us some interesting things to talk about haha. .

Interesting points IMO (my English is bad, I am not sure if I understood everything or right):

Maia and Alex were roommates in the Olympic village, The girl was like: you can´t get a break from each other!!. Okay, I thought it always was girls with girls and boys with boys. Apparently, it is not like that or maybe they only make exceptions with siblings.

They have not seen I, Tonya!! How? I loved that movie.

Both are singles and Alex has not had a successful relationship so far

They are asked, who is more likely to win DWTS? Both: ME

Alex did not know that Maia eats cereal bars before the competitions? Even I knew that answer

Who of them is the most competitive? Maia: Alex, but I'm ready to surprise

Maia is the favorite child , it is the usual, right? in my family, the youngest is the favorite too.

 

[DreamsofBliss]

I hope someone record them!, I watched on twitter they did their rotational lift.

If you can watch it, the whole episode is available though probably not for long. The Shibs are close to the very end.

Also, they were at the Empire State Building yesterday. The Empire State Building tweeted and AP has more photos and Shutterstock has a few additional photos. I was disappointed not to see any photos from their performance today show up on Getty or any of the other agencies that don't require a log-in.

Alex tweeted that tomorrow they will be at the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo for a meet and greet.

 

[VGThuy]

If you can watch it,the whole episode is available though probably not for long. The Shibs are close to the very end.

Also, they were at the Empire State Building yesterday. The Empire State Building tweeted and AP has more photos and Shutterstock has a few additional photos. I was disappointed not to see any photos from their performance today show up on Getty or any of the other agencies that don't require a log-in.

Alex tweeted that tomorrow they will be at the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo for a meet and greet.

Thank you for sharing the link! Nice to know they're headed to L.A. after this for some Oscar parties.

 

[Laura4]

Jorik Hendrickx posted this cute pic of himself and his sister with the Shibs:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfoCILUBfOo/?hl=en&taken-by=jorik.hendrickx

 

[chapis]

If you can watch it,the whole episode is available though probably not for long. The Shibs are close to the very end.

Also, they were at the Empire State Building yesterday. The Empire State Building tweeted and AP has more photos and Shutterstock has a few additional photos. I was disappointed not to see any photos from their performance today show up on Getty or any of the other agencies that don't require a log-in.

Alex tweeted that tomorrow they will be at the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo for a meet and greet.

Thanks. How is it that I did not know that these pages existed? There are many cool photos!!.

And their performance on that rink looked great, When the woman was interviewing them it was obvious that they were freezing, but when they skated it was not noticed at all. Too bad the music was barely heard.

 

[Kuurisu]

ohhh, remember when i said there was a moment before they were preparing for their dance and alex and maia were waving at someone in the crowd? that was leslie jones!

i didn't know until alex posted about it here:http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/02/oly...ibutani-you-just-dont-disappoint-leslie-jones

 

[chapis]

Sports illustrated interview https://youtu.be/VUb66DwJ69E?t=1099, Alex's face lit up when they asked him about basketball

 

[Kuurisu]

i read their USA today interview and i cannot lie, i was surprised when they said they didn't live together. i thought they did for a number of reasons, one of the most important being that it would be easier to go to and from the rink for practise. but now that i think about it, it makes sense why maia complains alex is late all the time

 

[VGThuy]

i read their USA today interview and i cannot lie, i was surprised when they said they didn't live together. i thought they did for a number of reasons, one of the most important being that it would be easier to go to and from the rink for practise. but now that i think about it, it makes sense why maia complains alex is late all the time

I think they live in the same apartment complex but Alex has his own unit while Maia lives with her mom and grandma. Their dad I think commutes from New York every weekend.

New Vanity Fair article about the Shibs where it discusses their social media competition among other things:

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/20...-in-a-social-media-battle?mbid=social_twitter

 

[kittyjake5]

Thanks to everyone for sharing all the Shibs updates, you all are the best!

 

[VGThuy]

New Shibs article from Vogue:

https://www.vogue.com/article/shibutani-siblings

So it turns out Alex was the first male of Asian descent to win Nationals.

 

[chapis]

New Vanity Fair article about the Shibs where it discusses their social media competition among other things:

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/20...-in-a-social-media-battle?mbid=social_twitter

When I read: a renewed sense of competition, I thought they would be confirming another Olympic cycle but it turned to be they are competing for followers, LOL.

“People ask us if we’re competitive, and probably the only time we were competitive is with social media,” he said. “Maia’s always been kicking my butt with Instagram. But on Twitter, I had a larger following until like day eight of the Games, so I just freaked out a little bit.” To this, his sister gave him a knowing look and a slight eye-roll. “You’re fine. He’s back ahead on the Twitter followers.”

New Shibs article from Vogue:

https://www.vogue.com/article/shibutani-siblings

So it turns out Alex was the first male of Asian descent to win Nationals.

Alex: I’d just tell people that I won rose gold instead of bronze.

Alex: A snowboarder who won bronze just said, “Guys, welcome to the dirty gold club.”

That’s right—you have at least another Olympics in you.

Alex: What do you mean one? We’re going to do five(laughs).

-------------

NBC San Diego https://www.nbcsandiego.com/enterta...edal-Winning-Duo-Visit-30-Rock-475440443.html

Reading and watching some of their interviews, it seems to me that they really want to go to Beijing

 

[VGThuy]

Lacey Schwimmer wants the Shibs on DWTS.

https://twitter.com/LaceySchwimmer/status/969398421630013440

I don't like the idea of two sets of siblings switching partners and competing against one another, but I would be interested in seeing Alex and Maia on DWTS.

 

[chapis]

Lacey Schwimmer wants the Shibs on DWTS.

https://twitter.com/LaceySchwimmer/status/969398421630013440

I don't like the idea of two sets of siblings switching partners and competing against one another, but I would be interested in seeing Alex and Maia on DWTS.

So, she has a dancer brother and she wants to switch partners to compete? I love the idea!

 

[VGThuy]

I was looking at the roster of pros that have been on DWTS in recent seasons, and I like the idea of Maia with Alan Bersten. He's her age and I'd like to see Maia dance with someone who isn't much older than her and I think that youthful energy could really work. I'd like the same for Alex as well but it seems he has a lot more choices.

 

[chapis]

I was looking at the roster of pros that have been on DWTS in recent seasons, and I like the idea of Maia with Alan Bersten. He's her age and I'd like to see Maia dance with someone who isn't much older than her and I think that youthful energy could really work. I'd like the same for Alex as well but it seems he has a lot more choices.

I wonder how they choose the teams
-----------

Someone knows if the Olympic medals are personalized? Has it their names or something? because I see how everyone take their medals and revolve them.

 

[Kuurisu]

I think they live in the same apartment complex but Alex has his own unit while Maia lives with her mom and grandma. Their dad I think commutes from New York every weekend.

ah i see. that makes more sense. i was thinking something crazy like they lived in separate houses and separate locations.

 

[Spun Silver]

I just love how baby Shibs are everywhere. And in the NBC San Diego clip they even showed them skating. Sorry if I've said this 10x but I love it every time.

I finally got a Shib Sib Minute Maid. Love the carton and adore the commercial. But that sugary water "lemonade" is even worse than I expected!

 

[Kuurisu]

Interesting points IMO (my English is bad, I am not sure if I understood everything or right):

Maia and Alex were roommates in the Olympic village, The girl was like: you can´t get a break from each other!!. Okay, I thought it always was girls with girls and boys with boys. Apparently, it is not like that or maybe they only make exceptions with siblings.

They have not seen I, Tonya!! How? I loved that movie.

Both are singles and Alex has not had a successful relationship so far

They are asked, who is more likely to win DWTS? Both: ME

Alex did not know that Maia eats cereal bars before the competitions? Even I knew that answer

Who of them is the most competitive? Maia: Alex, but I'm ready to surprise

Maia is the favorite child , it is the usual, right? in my family, the youngest is the favorite too.

@ the relationship part, i actually have an idea on how he is struggling with a relationship. you see, there are these other dance sibling duo i follow called les twins and they have some of the same closeness vibes that the shibs give off. they have tried multiple relationships and they even have girlfriends, but their relationship is always strained because they are still so very close with each other (just to give you an idea of what i am talking about, the older twin was complaining on one valentine's day that his brother wasn't spending any time with him). they can't help it but nonetheless thew girlfriends complain. i think unfortunately it may be that way with alex. his closeness with maia could get in the way and could set his partner off.

i'll give another example. when my brother was hanging out with his female friend at the movies were were texting each other in the middle of it (i was at home). it was only after it ended for a while that i realized we probably shouldn't have done that and it was rude. i don't know if the female friend found out or anything but cases similar to that could happen with maia and alex.

yet another example in the spoiler:


BUT this is pure speculation and guessing, i would never probe into anyone' private life. it's gross and disrespectful. as i said before i just speculating and really just getting my thoughts out on this occurring problem with close siblings.

 

[chapis]

@ the relationship part, i actually have an idea on how he is struggling with a relationship. you see, there are these other dance sibling duo i follow called les twins and they have some of the same closeness vibes that the shibs give off. they have tried multiple relationships and they even have girlfriends, but their relationship is always strained because they are still so very close with each other (just to give you an idea of what i am talking about, the older twin was complaining on one valentine's day that his brother wasn't spending any time with him). they can't help it but nonetheless thew girlfriends complain. i think unfortunately it may be that way with alex. his closeness with maia could get in the way and could set his partner off.

i'll give another example. when my brother was hanging out with his female friend at the movies were were texting each other in the middle of it (i was at home). it was only after it ended for a while that i realized we probably shouldn't have done that and it was rude. i don't know if the female friend found out or anything but cases similar to that could happen with maia and alex.

yet another example in the spoiler:


BUT this is pure speculation and guessing, i would never probe into anyone' private life. it's gross and disrespectful. as i said before i just speculating and really just getting my thoughts out on this occurring problem with close siblings.

Yes, all of that could be a problem but I think the biggest problem is their busy schedule. They travel a lot and when they are at home they are training on and off the ice, and after training, usually they are working on their music and they maintain contact with all their collaborators. I guess something informal is the best in that case, that the person can´t demand much time.

No wonder why many relationships in figure skating are between partners or between figure skaters, choreographers, training mates, I guess they are more comprehensive with their busy schedule and travels.

 

[Sylvia]

https://twitter.com/BUILDseriesNYC/status/969581245347848192

https://www.buildseries.com

MARCH 2, 1:30PM EST
MAIA & ALEX SHIBUTANI
Hot off their Olympic Bronze medal win in PyeongChang, join the brother-sister ice dance team of Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, two-time U.S. National champions, as they take the BUILD stage to chat about their PyeongChang Olympic experience. The “ShibSibs” – a combination of their last name and the word “siblings” – are beloved throughout the skating community.

 

[Sylvia]

Looks like Maia & Alex have elected not to go to Worlds (Hawayek/Baker have replaced them on the ISU list): http://www.isuresults.com/events/cat03108713.htm

ETA link to USFS' press release today: http://www.usfigureskating.org/story?id=91354&type=media

 

[kittyjake5]

Not surprised but I will miss seeing their programs one last time.
Thank goodness for youtube.

 

[caitie]

I’m sad their season is over, but I’m excited for Hawayek and Baker to finally be able to go to Worlds. It’s crazy to think this their first opportunity to go despite winning junior world championships four years ago.

 

[Spun Silver]

Darn. But they know what they are doing.

As for the relationships, I imagine the hours they keep alone would be a turnoff for most. Imagine telling a normal person, "I need to go to bed by 8 because I get up at 4 and need a full 8 hours sleep." Every day.

Maybe they are skipping Worlds so they can both date a little!

 

[Mrs. P]

I'm not surprised they're not going. I would have loved to see them again this season, but it was obvious that they put everything in the Olympics and I think it's nice they get to enjoy the media and marketing opportunities that come their way in the coming weeks.