Here is the whole translation of NEWS Post-Seven “Interview of Kenji Miyamoto”
http://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20130721_201393.html高橋大輔の振付師「日本人が美しく見えるプログラム」を語る
"Choreogragher of Daisuke Takahashi talks about the programs which make the Japanese skaters look beautiful"
Choreographers and the music of Daisuke Takahashi for Sochi Olympics season were announced the other day. The choreographer for SP is Kenji Miyamoto who choreographed Takahashi’s Vancouver Olympics program and catapulted into the limelight of the world.
The impression of the performance might be changed by the program, which music they skate to, how they jump, how they show their steps.....so the program might change the scores. We can say the program might control the results of the game. And it is choreographer who creates that. We asked Miyamoto who has been working with world top skaters, not only Japanese but also like Plushenko of Russia, about the secrets of choreography.....what choreographer does and what kind of choreography will suit the skater.
(First of all, please tell us the procedure how to create the choreography.)
An offer comes from a skater or his/her coach. He/She gives me a note which describes the jumps, steps and the order of them. This is a starting point. As for the music, it depends. It’s set already or I suggest and consult with him/her and decide. Before we start, I ask the skater about his/her aim of this season, challenge something or raise the rank. If he/she wants to challenge, I pick up the music not used for him/her before. If he/she wants to get the result, I consider the past performances and pick up the music to make use of his/her good points and arrange the elements. I pick up music which the skater looks the best.
(Do you think the points will change depending on the program?)
Now, the kinds of the jumps are getting similar. So if everybody doesn’t fail, the difference of the points will be almost nothing. How they make a difference will be a program. I believe the attitude and the thought of the skater for the program will effect on the evaluation.
(You choreographed Kevin Raynolds’s FP last season. He won the 4CC. It was a wonderful program and worked to draw out his potential.)
For Kevin, the music was set already, but I created from almost zero. I wanted to make good use of the thinness of his body line, his long limbs and the gracious touch to the ice. Delicate piano music was very suitable to him.
(You choreographed the program for Plushenko, also. Maybe because of his injuries, he has not performed it yet.)
I feel sorry, too. But it was fun. We, Plushenko, Mishin and I discussed a lot and created one. Same as Mishin, I’m a person who doesn’t give in. So we started argument easily. We negotiated constructively, “OK, I understand you want to do this. I accept it but take that instead.....”. When we became too heated, Plushenko came between, saying “easy, easy”.
On off day, Plushenko and I went to play golf together. I had very fulfilling days.
(I think some skaters look good with piano, some look good with violin. Do you think what is the factor for that?)
Main factor is skating, I think. When I choreograph for the first time, I watch the skating of the skater first. Of course, I also watch the jumps and spins but the skating I watch the most. Step and strength. Big step size look good with piano, but with the same reason look good with violin. Impression of his/her skating influence on his/her whole impression greatly.
There are many other important things like facial expressions, how he/she show one’s limbs and his/her body lines. If I know him/her well, I also take his/her personality into consideration. In terms of body, I think the shoulder line through the neck line and the neck line through the back line decide the impression of the skater.
(What kind of choreography can make use of the good point and feature of Japanese skaters?)
Most beautiful posture of the Japanese lady is “Looking Back Beauty” by Moronobu Hishikawa, I think. The curves, what is called S-curve, is very beautiful. That beauty I don’t see in non-Japanese skaters. It depends on the music, of course, but I try to use that kind of curves for posing.
For male skater, I think Spanish-like pose, drawing in his chin a little and throwing out his chest, looks cool. So I was conscious of that pose when choreograghing "Eye" for Daisuke.
However, his case, he was so excellent in showing himself very attractive and his ability for that had completed already. So what I did was only a little to draw out something from him."
(What do you advise to the skater who has an inferiority complex to dance or his/her figure?)
If the skater feels inferior, I’ll cover that by choreography. The part he/she thinks his/her weak point will disappear by the movement completely. I’m creating the choreography considering that, so no need to worry about. On the contrary, the good point turns to be disadvantage so easily. If you have long limbs, and loose them a little, they stand out conspicuously, look so ugly.
There are many skaters who can dance well from the beginning. It doesn’t matter he/she has the talent or not. No skaters can’t dance. It’s because we will practice till master. I’m very strict. I check every details and interpose against everything. So they will definitely be able to dance.
(Where your inspiration for choreography, poses and movement, comes from?)
I sometimes got the idea unexpectedly when I watch the movement of the animals at the zoo and the aquarium. I like to see curvings, stained glasses, flowers and things which remind me of a particular season. Not only seeing, I check the language of flowers and the background of the music. The influence in choreographing by knowing such things…..it’s very difficult to explain in words…..it is “vaguely” but changes certainly.
My ideal choreography is to express colors or sounds.
(When choreographing, do you have the whole image in your head already?)
Yes. Basically. I think my memory is just or under the average. But what I saw will remain deeply. What I saw is memorized just like a picture taken by a camera. Many images which I saw everywhere have accumulated in my head and it might work for my choreographing.
I remember all the programs which I choreographed. So when I find a difference, no matter how little it is, I point it out immediately. So the skaters are always surprising this.
And I’m not good at remembering one’s face but I can remember whole image of the body and his/her movement. So after seeing the skating, I remember it’s him/her.
(Do you have any music you want to use in the future? And do you have anything want to challenge to choreograph except figure skating?)
I'd like to choreogragh using the sounds of nature like "Rain". Or choreogragh to hand-clapping only. And I'd like to try with "No sound"."
I’ll just get on with my work now, however, if I have to find something except figure skating, I’d like to choreograph for CM. By moving the camere, it looks fun that people also moves. And I’d like to draw pictures on the rink and take pictures/videos from the ceiling. I’m sometimes given to wild fancies.
Anyway, I love my choreographing job.
(July 21, 2013)
Sorry, if there are mistranslations….
masy
