Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev

[Spun Silver]

The choreographer was Alexander Matveev

Who was he? I just googled him and found almost nothing. What an injustice! This bugs me so much about skating - how the contribution of choreographers is so little recognized and hard to even look up. It's getting better though.

Anyway his name should be engraved in skating history even if that program were all he did. (Which it's not... I did find that he and Tchernyshev choreographed K/S's "February" FS in 2012-2013, but it wasn't that great.) This is a case for The Skating Guard -- @N_Halifax, are you listening?

 

[clairecloutier]

I really liked "February." It's not a classic on the level of M/D's "Liebestraum," but I always enjoyed watching it.

 

[Spun Silver]

Maybe I saw an early performance of it? No, take that back - I saw the GPF perf. Do you know what was their best outing off the top of your head?

 

[clairecloutier]

Sorry, but I really have no idea, Spun. I just remember seeing it and liking it at various points in the season.

 

[Japanfan]

Could someone post a link to "Liebestraum"? I don't think I've ever seen it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[gk_891]

Could someone post a link to "Liebestraum"? I don't think I've ever seen it.

Thanks in advance.

Here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9j0jrUADG0

 

[Spun Silver]

Warning: it is addictive.

 

[nguyhm]

Warning: it is addictive.

All of M&D's programs are addictive . I remember the time before Youtube and all I had was their programs on VCR and the time of the week that I most looked forward to was Sunday night after I had put the kids to bed - ready for a new week - and me sitting in front of the TV rewatching their programs over and over - that was my escape of the week.

 

[Cachoo]

In all of this I wonder about Moskvina now: When you as a coach are at a creative peak with a dream team like M/D how do you continue to go forward with everyone else? Do you think there is another M/D out there or do you concede that they are the best, that life will never be quite the same and move on? Thank God they all found each other.

 

[Vash01]

Who was he? I just googled him and found almost nothing. What an injustice! This bugs me so much about skating - how the contribution of choreographers is so little recognized and hard to even look up. It's getting better though.

Anyway his name should be engraved in skating history even if that program were all he did. (Which it's not... I did find that he and Tchernyshev choreographed K/S's "February" FS in 2012-2013, but it wasn't that great.) This is a case for The Skating Guard -- @N_Halifax, are you listening?

I loved Matveev's choreography for B&S's early programs- in 98 (Dark Eyes) & 99 (Happy Valley and Concert for Coloratura). He used their speed and power very effectively when they were a relatively new pair with a lot of talent, and later (esp. in Coloratura) he used their improved artistry and refinement.

 

[Spun Silver]

Thanks, Vash. I will look up those programs. I can find so little about him online. Someone needs to write a good Wikipedia article on him! Or interview him!

 

[Minou]

Thanks, Vash. I will look up those programs. I can find so little about him online. Someone needs to write a good Wikipedia article on him! Or interview him!

There's a bit more coverage in the Russian forums. Try a search on
Александр Матвеев хореографию (it's a common name.)

 

[Vash01]

I am looking for a very good quality yt link for M&D's 92 Olympic performance (91 worlds is my second choice, if I can't find a really good 92 Oly). I looked up several but it's hard to find a really good quality. May be because it was due to VHS and not DVD/DVR. Some were very unclear, except in close up. One looked sharper but the camera angle was bad, as if you are looking down from the top. If anyone comes across a really good quality yt link, could you please post it in this thread? Thanks.

 

[VGThuy]

You may like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGlG3Hus-KQ

 

[Vash01]

You may like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGlG3Hus-KQ

Thanks but I had seen this. The picture is sharp but I hate the camera angle, recorded from the top in the first part. I prefer recording from the same level as them. It seems to be better later, but then it goes back to viewing from the top, which I absolutely hate. Mercifully there is no commentary to disrupt the music.

 

[Limonite]

My favorite pairs team! I clearly remember them back in the 1994 Olympics; I was completely fascinated with their Rachmaninoff LP: I still think they deserved the gold that night. I recently started to watch all their performances on youtube and I also wanted to know more about their lives and careers. When I started to look around the web I was disappointed because there’s so little information about them in English. Then I got the idea to search their names in Russian and this is what I found about Natalia’s early years:

Contrary to popular belief (Minsk), she was born in the Russian city of Yaroslav; her father was a highway constructor (he died when she was little) working for a company. When the project ended, the family went back to Belarus. She started skating when she was around 5 with skates given to her by an aunt. Her first coach in Minsk remembered her mother's dedication for her daughter's passion: raising two daughters with her salary as a nurse, she always made sure Natalia had a brand new dress for her skating programs.

 

[Vash01]

In all of this I wonder about Moskvina now: When you as a coach are at a creative peak with a dream team like M/D how do you continue to go forward with everyone else? Do you think there is another M/D out there or do you concede that they are the best, that life will never be quite the same and move on? Thank God they all found each other.

She went forward with B&S who had great talent and together the trio created many beautiful programs.

 

[VGThuy]

Moskvina seriously believed in B/S and probably thought they had the potential to be the greatest Russian pairs team of all time. I think she saw a brilliant mix of the St. Petersburg and Moscow school in them. She even tried hard to make them stars in the U.S. The rise of the charismatic and audience-friendly Sale/Pelletieir and B/S's inconsistency and S/P's ability to take advantage of those openings and then becoming the team to beat heading to SLC and S/Z's gasp-inducing throws were real obstacles to that.

I think Moskvina is part idealist and part realist. Sure it would be great if she could get another M/D who were so beautiful and creative to watch, but she also wants to pay the bills and loves coaching and skating. I don't think it's hard for her to be motivated even if a follow-up team was not on the same level as M/D and B/S. Most skaters are not on that level but she continued on, and quite happily too. It's like Frank Carroll said. People only see him with the big name skaters, but his bread and butter was actually with the lower-level skaters and the adult skaters. He even said the adult skaters were his favorite students to teach.

 

[nguyhm]

A bit off topic I saw Artur at Skate America last year and he has not aged well. Such nostalgia seeing him although a bit sad (without Natalia). He was coaching Astakhova/Rogonov. A bit disappointed for not seeing the kind of magic that he had with Natalia in this pair.

 

[Japanfan]

Moskvina seriously believed in B/S and probably thought they had the potential to be the greatest Russian pairs team of all time. I think she saw a brilliant mix of the St. Petersburg and Moscow school in them. She even tried hard to make them stars in the U.S. The rise of the charismatic and audience-friendly Sale/Pelletieir and B/S's inconsistency and S/P's ability to take advantage of those openings and then becoming the team to beat heading to SLC and S/Z's gasp-inducing throws were real obstacles to that.

'Greatest Russian team of all time' is a tall order.

The P's and G&G are the two pairs vying for the 'greatest ever' title, particularly in terms of Russian pairs. IMO.

Nonetheless, B/S did have magic. Their 'Meditation' at SLC was a true work of art IMO, regardless of their having to share the gold medal.

Elena had a fragility about her, like a china doll, and Anton treated her as such. I think this was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it made the pair exquisite. But on the other hand, it made them vulnerable. It didn't help that she was as expressionless as a china doll - which did emphasize her fragility, but again, that worked both for and against her.

I think B/S will be remembered as one of the great Russian pairs, if not the greatest.

S/P may be remembered by some as one of the great pairs, as well, but in my view, their career was cut too short for them to qualify as such. Even though I was a huge fan.

Ultimately the SLC scandal cut the careers of both pairs short, and that's a shame in retrospect.

 

[SmallFairy]

I went to the ballet to see Don Quixote recently, it was marvelous, and of course I had to go back and watch M/Ds sp from Lillehammer (like I haven't watched it enough already) I find it truly fascinating that Artur in all his rough glory is such a ballet dancer. I love him to death. I want to see him leap through the air some more (like in the final of Rach). Of course, I 100% approve of his white tights. At what point was the "no tights on men"-rule put into action? Get rid of it! (Of course, my first attempt on spelling tights was misspelled thighs....) Wow, is that program good!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I just came across my Favorite M&D performance.

Thought Id share it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhz3b_tA9ps

 

[gk_891]

I just came across my Favorite M&D performance.

Thought Id share it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhz3b_tA9ps

Fanstastic. I wish there were more programs from these 2.

 

[Japanfan]

I just came across my Favorite M&D performance.

Thought Id share it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhz3b_tA9ps

Beautiful! Thanks for posting it.

 

[Limonite]

I just came across my Favorite M&D performance.

Thought Id share it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhz3b_tA9ps

Beautiful program; is it from late 1994? because Natalia's hair was longer. I get emotional watching this routine because it was probably one of their last performances. I never get tired of watching these two; fantastic couple.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Beautiful program; is it from late 1994? because Natalia's hair was longer. I get emotional watching this routine because it was probably one of their last performances. I never get tired of watching these two; fantastic couple.

Yes was one of their last performances from 94. Just so passionate.

I could watch this program every day as if it were the first time I was seeing it!!

 

[Japanfan]

I could watch this program every day as if it were the first time I was seeing it!!

I feel that way about S/Z's 2003 Turandot. I have watched it hundreds of times it seems, and I've got the moves and choreography entirely memorized. Nonetheless, the program never fails to move and enchant me. I particularly love the ending, particularly with the last lift - as he puts her down they spread their arms way way up and the expression on their faces is one of rapture.

This M/D program definitely has a similar appeal.

 

[livetoskate]

I was wondering if Natalia were still married to the hockey player and did some googling. Guess I haven't been following the news about her closely. Her second husband passed away over a year ago, and from the obituary it seems like they had gotten divorced too, since Natalia is not mentioned as being his wife. That is sad-- I hope her daughter is ok having lost her father at an early age.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^^ SO sad, I did not know the last part.

Here is his obit where their daughter is mentioned.

https://www.wileyfuneralhome.com/obituary/alan-hainline/

 

[Limonite]

I was wondering if Natalia were still married to the hockey player and did some googling. Guess I haven't been following the news about her closely. Her second husband passed away over a year ago, and from the obituary it seems like they had gotten divorced too, since Natalia is not mentioned as being his wife. That is sad-- I hope her daughter is ok having lost her father at an early age.

I knew about his death when I started looking for her life around the web. Very sad for both Natasha and Natalia, because she also lost her father when she was very young. I think Natalia and Alan were divorced by the time of his passing because when I was looking for public pics of Natalia on Facebook, there was one posted by a man back in 2012, where he talks about going on a date with her.