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Andrey Simonenko's interview with Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin for ria.ru
Simonenko: Alexandra, Ivan, I wanted to begin with a question about January-February when you were not allowed to participate the Olympics. Was there a chance that the disappointment would cause you to retire?
Stepanova: Of course not. Who would be punished by that? We ourselves. I think none of the athlete has such thoughts when they are just going up their career.
Simonenko: Did you hold grudge for a long time?
Stepanova: Frankly, it's hard to recall. We left it behind and forgot. There is nothing we can say about it - it's past. Yes, it happened, we are still clueless why, we were still not given any explanations. But it's done and gone.
Simonenko: Let's go back to the skating: It was the post Olympic season 4 years ago that Papadakis/Cizeron had their breakthrough. A team you were beating in juniors. Were you thinking this season you must do something special so all will be left with the jaws dropped and you would be the breakthrough?
Stepanova: We set ourselves every season to surprise, show something new, improve. Of course the coaches had thoughts about what should be done in the first season of the new Olympic cycle and how important it is. Of course they thought which programmes to give us and which music to use. We trust them and know they want only the best for use.
Simonenko: I.e. the FD music was their idea and you loved it at instance?
Bukin: Yes, they were the ones to offer, it happened they put the music on the rink and we loved it. When you hear a piece for the first time and try to imagine what can you do with it, we were first taken aback. But then we heard it again and thought it's very interesting. When we started choreographing and saw how comfortable Petr Tchernyshev is with this music, who much he likes it and how right he moves to it. Working was fun and interesting.
Simonenko: What is the hardest part of that dance?
Stepanova: Guess showing some mature emotions. Which will not only show, but feel real. Blues is a sensual dance, full of expression. The emotions are born, there is some flirting, i.e. stuff that happens in real life. We had to show the emotions, a theatre on the ice to make people believe us.
Simonenko: Are you feeling uncomfortable flirting on the ice but not in the real life?
Bukin: I think it's a different flirt. We are actually working on it on the ice.
Stepanova: You do live the role. Yes, we have to be the actors and make people believe us. We love it, we chose it. If you take two random people on the street and ask them to depict love it will be hard and uncomfortable. The actors are sometimes not comfortable in their roles. I watched an interview where real professionals said how uncomfortable they were. Yet when they go on the stage we believe them. We have exactly the same goals.
Simonenko: Do you take acting classes?
Stepanova: Not anymore. We now work with the choreographers and the coaches. We are grown up and mature. Though I can ask what is the meaning of this or that move. And the choreographer Alena Sarmarskaya will explain.
Bukin: We already know how to do it. Just that sometimes we need some explanations on where we are under or over playing.
Simonenko: As a kid I watched your father Andrey Bukin with Natalia Bestemianova. I recall many were sure they were a pair off the ice as well, even though each was happily married to someone else.
Alexandra: Its' the same for us. We are often asked whether we are a pair off the ice. It's nice, because it shows we are doing our job well and people believe us. It's great.
Simonenko: When you are depicting love what about the elements? An autopilot?
Alexandra: Not entirely. There are things that you don't think about, but we have to show a full picture. We can't really think before the element `ok, concentrate now, do the element with a stone face, no emotions and no arms'. The element has to be part of a programme and not stand out. According to the new rules one step sequence was taken away and we can dance more, I think our programme is well balanced. The only place we can't really add any emotions are the twizzles - when you spin all the time you hold it. Yet between the positions you still think what you are depicting and projecting.
Simonenko: Your trade mark twizzles shoot the duck. Will you always integrate them?
Alexandra: I don't know whether always or not, but we like it, it's unusual and the audience loves it. Sometimes it seems people are waiting for that element. For example in the FD we put the twizzle at the end as a choreo element. I heard screaming when we were performing them. But the most important is doing them well, on the level you need and holding the right position. Despite the complexity we have no right not being in sync. No one will give us discounts just because we do that super cool element.
Simonenko: Indeed you had troubles the first season you were doing the shoot the duck twizzle.
Bukin: Yes and they continue sometimes. But we try solving it fast.
Stepanova: So we don't get deductions and know all is well. We can't take a break.
Simonenko: For a very long time you were asked in the mixed zone `why are your marks so low' and both you and your coaches had to answer you don't understand. Do you feel relieved these times are over?
Stepanova: Well, we didn't score that much in the SD and you can ask `why'
Bukin: The judges always see some mistakes. If we left some points on the table it means we didn't work hard enough.
Stepanova: Besides, you have to gain the judges confidence and it takes years. No one is emotionless - some like you, some don't. You must prove how good you are, show yourself. It's not as if you landed a quad and everyone understands it all. In athletics - you jumped the longest and that's it. We have to prove. It's subjective. Some manage, some don't.
Simonenko: Were there times when you thought about giving up?
Stepanova: No, we never even said between us `oh, screw it'. Indeed there are athletes who tell about the times when they wanted to retire. We never had such thoughts.
Simonenko: I can recall many skaters saying they want to become coaches, yet I never heard anyone saying they want to become a judge. Would you?
Bukin: No. It's very hard and full of responsibility to decide on human fates.
Stepanova: Think no. Your karma will be ruined. But seriously no, it's really hard to decide who is better. Even when we watch figure skating we sometimes think `great guys, but the others beat them'. Probably the judges also have that `like/dislike' thing. It's hard.
Simonenko: You become older and probably have thoughts what is next, after you achieve all you want in the sports.
Stepanova: Think I can answer for both of us: we often participate Ilya Averbukh's show. When you come there, dwell into that atmosphere, see the full rinks - you understand those champions are known by every person. They are great. You want to become a champion and not just for one competition, but like they are. I love coming to the show and sometimes watch the same show several times and we would love to participate it.
Bukin: we are junkies in a way. When the audience cheers for us and supports us it's so great that you understand that all that time you spent on the ice was not in vain.
Stepanova: After every competition we get more and more messages. We become more popular on the social networks. I used to try to reply every message, but it's hard now. Impossible. Hence I would love to say a huge thanks to everyone, it's very important for us. We want to continue making people happy and never let them down.
Simonenko: Alexandra, Ivan, I wanted to begin with a question about January-February when you were not allowed to participate the Olympics. Was there a chance that the disappointment would cause you to retire?
Stepanova: Of course not. Who would be punished by that? We ourselves. I think none of the athlete has such thoughts when they are just going up their career.
Simonenko: Did you hold grudge for a long time?
Stepanova: Frankly, it's hard to recall. We left it behind and forgot. There is nothing we can say about it - it's past. Yes, it happened, we are still clueless why, we were still not given any explanations. But it's done and gone.
Simonenko: Let's go back to the skating: It was the post Olympic season 4 years ago that Papadakis/Cizeron had their breakthrough. A team you were beating in juniors. Were you thinking this season you must do something special so all will be left with the jaws dropped and you would be the breakthrough?
Stepanova: We set ourselves every season to surprise, show something new, improve. Of course the coaches had thoughts about what should be done in the first season of the new Olympic cycle and how important it is. Of course they thought which programmes to give us and which music to use. We trust them and know they want only the best for use.
Simonenko: I.e. the FD music was their idea and you loved it at instance?
Bukin: Yes, they were the ones to offer, it happened they put the music on the rink and we loved it. When you hear a piece for the first time and try to imagine what can you do with it, we were first taken aback. But then we heard it again and thought it's very interesting. When we started choreographing and saw how comfortable Petr Tchernyshev is with this music, who much he likes it and how right he moves to it. Working was fun and interesting.
Simonenko: What is the hardest part of that dance?
Stepanova: Guess showing some mature emotions. Which will not only show, but feel real. Blues is a sensual dance, full of expression. The emotions are born, there is some flirting, i.e. stuff that happens in real life. We had to show the emotions, a theatre on the ice to make people believe us.
Simonenko: Are you feeling uncomfortable flirting on the ice but not in the real life?
Bukin: I think it's a different flirt. We are actually working on it on the ice.
Stepanova: You do live the role. Yes, we have to be the actors and make people believe us. We love it, we chose it. If you take two random people on the street and ask them to depict love it will be hard and uncomfortable. The actors are sometimes not comfortable in their roles. I watched an interview where real professionals said how uncomfortable they were. Yet when they go on the stage we believe them. We have exactly the same goals.
Simonenko: Do you take acting classes?
Stepanova: Not anymore. We now work with the choreographers and the coaches. We are grown up and mature. Though I can ask what is the meaning of this or that move. And the choreographer Alena Sarmarskaya will explain.
Bukin: We already know how to do it. Just that sometimes we need some explanations on where we are under or over playing.
Simonenko: As a kid I watched your father Andrey Bukin with Natalia Bestemianova. I recall many were sure they were a pair off the ice as well, even though each was happily married to someone else.
Alexandra: Its' the same for us. We are often asked whether we are a pair off the ice. It's nice, because it shows we are doing our job well and people believe us. It's great.
Simonenko: When you are depicting love what about the elements? An autopilot?
Alexandra: Not entirely. There are things that you don't think about, but we have to show a full picture. We can't really think before the element `ok, concentrate now, do the element with a stone face, no emotions and no arms'. The element has to be part of a programme and not stand out. According to the new rules one step sequence was taken away and we can dance more, I think our programme is well balanced. The only place we can't really add any emotions are the twizzles - when you spin all the time you hold it. Yet between the positions you still think what you are depicting and projecting.
Simonenko: Your trade mark twizzles shoot the duck. Will you always integrate them?
Alexandra: I don't know whether always or not, but we like it, it's unusual and the audience loves it. Sometimes it seems people are waiting for that element. For example in the FD we put the twizzle at the end as a choreo element. I heard screaming when we were performing them. But the most important is doing them well, on the level you need and holding the right position. Despite the complexity we have no right not being in sync. No one will give us discounts just because we do that super cool element.
Simonenko: Indeed you had troubles the first season you were doing the shoot the duck twizzle.
Bukin: Yes and they continue sometimes. But we try solving it fast.
Stepanova: So we don't get deductions and know all is well. We can't take a break.
Simonenko: For a very long time you were asked in the mixed zone `why are your marks so low' and both you and your coaches had to answer you don't understand. Do you feel relieved these times are over?
Stepanova: Well, we didn't score that much in the SD and you can ask `why'
Bukin: The judges always see some mistakes. If we left some points on the table it means we didn't work hard enough.
Stepanova: Besides, you have to gain the judges confidence and it takes years. No one is emotionless - some like you, some don't. You must prove how good you are, show yourself. It's not as if you landed a quad and everyone understands it all. In athletics - you jumped the longest and that's it. We have to prove. It's subjective. Some manage, some don't.
Simonenko: Were there times when you thought about giving up?
Stepanova: No, we never even said between us `oh, screw it'. Indeed there are athletes who tell about the times when they wanted to retire. We never had such thoughts.
Simonenko: I can recall many skaters saying they want to become coaches, yet I never heard anyone saying they want to become a judge. Would you?
Bukin: No. It's very hard and full of responsibility to decide on human fates.
Stepanova: Think no. Your karma will be ruined. But seriously no, it's really hard to decide who is better. Even when we watch figure skating we sometimes think `great guys, but the others beat them'. Probably the judges also have that `like/dislike' thing. It's hard.
Simonenko: You become older and probably have thoughts what is next, after you achieve all you want in the sports.
Stepanova: Think I can answer for both of us: we often participate Ilya Averbukh's show. When you come there, dwell into that atmosphere, see the full rinks - you understand those champions are known by every person. They are great. You want to become a champion and not just for one competition, but like they are. I love coming to the show and sometimes watch the same show several times and we would love to participate it.
Bukin: we are junkies in a way. When the audience cheers for us and supports us it's so great that you understand that all that time you spent on the ice was not in vain.
Stepanova: After every competition we get more and more messages. We become more popular on the social networks. I used to try to reply every message, but it's hard now. Impossible. Hence I would love to say a huge thanks to everyone, it's very important for us. We want to continue making people happy and never let them down.
