Dando uno sguardo al blog
Comulsory Dances ho notato che l'admin,
Misha, insieme ad altre ragazze di FSU,
Cherub e Sahararainfall, hanno realizzato un progetto chiamato
"Citazioni" e contiene appunto tutte citazioni di atleti, coreografi, allenatori, commentatori, giornalisti e stilisti che si sono espressi su Tessa e Scott in questi 17 anni. Dato che l'idea mi è piaciuta tanto e le ringrazio per il lavoro di ricerca
ho pensato che sarebbe stato bello averle anche qui a portata di mano
Inserirò tutte quelle che mi hanno colpita maggiormente, per la lista completa potete consultare la pagina
QUI"CITAZIONI"
Esordi
“They had an uncanny sense of unison. And there was a sense of something in their ankles and knees that told you they had musicality and a sense of rhythm. Once in a lifetime you get kids like that.”
- Paul MacIntosh, their first coach, reflects on Tessa and Scott's first year of partnership
“They had a musicality that was different than any other kids I had ever taught. Whether in simple dances or more complex ones, you could see the music was fuller to them than to the other kids. It wasn’t just the (time) count. It was the character and the way they played off each other. … And Tessa, of course, would add her flair.”
Suzanne Killing-Wood, Tessa and Scott's first coach, reflects on their partnership
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Stagione 2006-2007
“Here’s a team that has been together for ten years. So you take a couple kids. You put them together at seven and nine. Anything can happen. You gotta hope they’ll grow the same sizes and things will work. Well it just so happened that they grew perfectly together. Look at the way their bodies are able to work as one. They’re a perfect match for each other. There is incredible difficulty in this program but they make it look easy.”
Tracy Wilson at 2007 Canadian Nationals
“The quality of skating from these two is just beautiful … The youngest couple going after the age old value of pure dance. ... They really dance with each other. They know where each other is all the time. They don’t have to look or second guess.”
British Eurosport commentators at 2007 Worlds
"Q: In your opinion, can anyone in the near future repeat your achievement with Oksana, two gold medals in ice dancing at the Olympics?
"A: It’s possible. There are interesting young pairs. For example, the CanadiansVirtue & Moir. Their ability to go from juniors to 6th at seniors is impressive! Moir, in my opinion, is a real find, a true talent, quite unique. He has a gift to make each movement beautiful. The coach does not have to invent anything – everything is done by nature. The only thing is not to spoil it.
"Do you know how you can tell how a pair will advance? If it starts in the 20s at seniors, its limit is 6th at the finish of the career. In the best case scenario – podium. If a team starts at 6th right away, it’s clear there is potential and talent and that the team will go a long way."
Yevgeny Platov in a Russian interview
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Stagione 2007-2008
"They are skating so well together and know how to use their knees so they can generate and keep the speed and power throughout the entire dance. The lean of their bodies the whole time. Very strong and excellently done. Look at them, what an expression. Deep edges bring them all out to the shortsides. Very strong skating. She's lifting her leg higher than him, if you have to find anything that can improve. But apart from that it's a great performed dance. Fantastic. Perhaps the best dance today."
Swedish commentators after the compulsory dance at 2008 Worlds
"Power and speed from start to finish. Except in the circular steps, there the tempo and speed slowed down. Apart from that this couple is wonderful with their speed, and the deep lean on the edges which is so special with these two. Effortless in feet and up and down in knee makes their skating look so easy. Lifts are easy and quick - complicated lift positions but they get into them so quickly and it doesn't look elaborate. They lose unison in the twizzles."
Swedish commentators after the original dance at 2008 Worlds
"They skate a wonderful program. What is special for this couple is their body lean when they pick up speed and how they use that lean on very deep edges and curves. The effortless lift entrances, spectacular lifts but in a soft, beautiful and graceful way. They really express the mood of this music and have a connection between each other that makes you involved as a viewer. Think they involved the whole arena, all 9000, in this love story, and that is an art. Both artistically and technically high quality."
Swedish commentators after the free dance at 2008 Worlds
“It’s flawless but the difficulty in some of the moves and transitions into the dance holds, gosh. I couldn’t talk in it because it was just taking my breath away.”
Nicky Slater, reflecting on the 2008 Worlds free dance
“It’s one thing to hear they won a silver medal, but it’s an entirely different thing to watch the routines that earned them that silver. The streaming-video quality is poor, but I still get goose bumps watching it . . . They are as sweet as they are stunning”
Myra Klarman in her Relish blog
"Q: Prognosis for Olympics?
A: Virtue and Moir have advanced into the world elite so directly and quickly but they have earned it. What those guys do is hard to wrap your brain around."
Evgeny Platov from Smena's interview
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Stagione 2008-2009
“They have the potential to go to Torvill and Dean status," said Wilson, invoking the names of the Britons revered in many quarters as the greatest ice dance duo the world has ever seen. "They have the technical requirements, the natural rhythm, the natural grace, the perfect body types and the unison.”
Tracy Wilson in the IFS article, "Dancing with Greatness"
"Canada has a rare gem. They are like a diamond, a rare diamond, and they are already ready to be ahead of everybody in the world. ... They are the Gordeeva and Grinkov of ice dance. That’s what I see"
Marina Zoueva in the IFS article, "Dancing with Greatness"
"It’s like they were born to skate with each other. Even when they are walking through brand-new footwork, it looks like they’ve been doing it for years."
Charlie White in the IFS article, "Dancing with Greatness"
"Skating comes very naturally to them. They make it look incredibly easy. They complement each other so well. Scott’s passion for skating is undeniable. [Tessa] always looks so elegant. The combination of the two is undeniable. They really are great together."
Meryl Davis in the IFS article, "Dancing with Greatness"
"For sure, they could win Worlds or win Olympics. How could they not?" Bourne asked. "When you look at them, they look like a magic team. They create magic on the ice. That’s what’s special [about them]. They don’t hold back. They take you into a trance; they take you into their little world. It’s beautiful, it really is."
Shae-Lynn Bourne in the IFS article, "Dancing with Greatness"
"His desire and passion for the sport is unbelievable. Anything he does is 100 percent. He is charismatic, he has personality, everything ... He really is the whole package."
Tessa on Scott in that same article
"She’s extremely talented. I think she’s the best female figure skater in the world. Her personality is what puts her over the top. She’s a great girl."
Scott on Tessa in the same article
"That dance they created was beautiful. You forget that it’s a competition. You forget the technical requirements and the difficulty that they’re doing. It just all works with the overall impact. … For me, it’s like Torvill and Dean. That’s how I felt watching Torvill and Dean. I’ve seen greatness. I’ve seen something that’s magical and that’s what I see when I watch them ... and they’re [still] kids."
David Wilson after watching Tessa and Scott in Vancouver at Nationals, same article
"Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (CAN), Vice World Champions, enter the arena. They skate a Paso Doble to the height of the event, powerful, strong, simple but correct interpretation. The marks: 39.37 pts."
Olivier Schoenfelder commenting at Worlds
"I prefer V-M more, not just because I love them, but because they are real innovators, because they find something new for their programs. I want ice dance to go in this direction. Without innovators ice dance will be killed soon. Judges must understand this.”
Tatiana Tarasova
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Stagione 2009-2010
"I cannot refrain from expressing my admiration of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir for their unforgettable performance. Skating to the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony, they showed a beautiful, flowing and romantic performance, capable of stirring up a real artistic emotion, so rare these days. Thank you, Tessa and Scott! "
Sonia Bianchetti in her article "Lights and Shadows in Paris"
"They have such a good connection, and everything they do is very soft and very clean"
Sinead Kerr to the press after the Paris debut of Mahler
“It's possible to watch a figure skating program for the first time and believe it's the one that will win Olympic gold.”
Kurt Browning before Vancouver
“There was something strange about them even from the very beginning. They were so gifted musically. They have such a great connection. I think their heartbeats are in sync.”
Paul MacIntosh after Tessa and Scott skated at 2009 Skate Canada
“Divine! That was a skating by Olympic Champions! It is the real art! They let me be in heaven for a while and I was so grateful for that. They showed us the highest level of the artistry. They used technical element to express the music."
Tatiana Tarasova cried after the final pose in Vancouver.
"The hockey game was good, but this was greatest figure skating performance I’ve ever seen. I felt like I had a $200 theatre ticket watching them last night. I get chills thinking about it. They brought the house down, and they did it with the expression and character of the music. I would absolutely put this dance up against (Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’s 1984 Olympic Gold Medal performance).”
Peter Carruthers
"I ran into [1980 Olympic men's champion] Robin Cousins after the original dance, and he said, 'Tracy, if you took Torvill and Dean and blended them with [legendary Soviet pair] Gordeeva and Grinkov, you'd have Virtue and Moir. What a compliment.'"
Tracy Wilson after the Olympic win in Vancouver
“This (flamenco program) is going to become an iconic performance with stunning costumes. I felt like I was in Madrid, everything about (the costume design) was flawless, just like their performance.”
Nick Verreos (Stylist) after the original dance at the Olympics
“She can do things some of the other dancers can’t. She is so proficient. I have new respect for her.”
Susie Wynne after the original dance at the Olympics
"I'm proud of ice dancing tonight”
Gwendal Peizerat after the free dance and Tessa and Scott's win
"I once said to Moir - you could be two time Olympic Champion, like I am. But it will be only if they will not retire. It’s really hard now to make all the elements level 4. It could be hard for your knees, that’s why I think they will retire. But if they could skate for the next 4 years, they could have the same results I have (to be two time Olympic Champions). It’s very hard with new system, but they have a chance.
They are incredible champions. Look at their elements, their skating. A lot of people didn’t like this new system, because it’s not seen as real dance. I don’t think so - if people have a creative vision of the ice dance, watch the dance they skated at the Games. To be honest I had goose-bumps during their performance. I forget - it was new system or it was old system - it was DANCE. You didn’t see all these awkward step sequences you saw only dance"
Platov after the Olympics
“They’re not skating, they just ARE… Scott was doing things with his blades that I don’t think are allowed in physics class!”
Kurt Browning during the original dance at nationals
“It was just magical, a perfect blend (of skating and artistry). They really put ice dancing back on the map…Olympic pressure is different from any other championship.”
Peggy Fleming to Universal sports after the free dance
“Absolutely in that class (of British Ice Dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and their 1984 Olympic Gold Medal performance). (But) different styles. And I think they’re going to blaze their own trail.”
Kristi Yamaguchi to Universal Sports as well after the free dance
“It reminded me of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall—the love between a man and a woman. That’s what it should be; that’s what it should feel like. It was a new level of ice dancing we’ve never seen before.”
Peter Carruthers to Universal Sports after the free dance
"Even the first time they came to Detroit seven years ago just to try us as coaches, I felt their spirit, the same spirit, the same image as Katia and Sergei. Man and woman on ice. The chemistry. Man and woman in sync. It has never happened in ice dance before like this. Our sport in the new judging system is 50 per cent sport, 50 per cent art, and this pair represents harmony."
Marina Zoueva to the Canadian press
"Q: Do you agree with others that the superiority of the Canadians and Americans [in Vancouver] was undeniable?
A: The Canadians were head and shoulders above everybody else. They won on merit."
Irina Lobacheva
"It was the pair’s chemistry that caught the world’s eye—“a trust, and connection that you can’t buy.”
Victor Kraatz told Maclean’s
"Figure skating - this sport [is] very subjective. I must say that the Canadians [are] a new world in the ice dance. When I saw them three years ago, it was clear that in the future this is the most dangerous rival. But they were then somewhat immature. Very talented, even brilliant, but immature. And I was really hoping that they will ripen after Vancouver. And last year, they were not ready to win.
According to my calculations, their Olympics would be held in Sochi [they were a team aiming at 2014]. But I was wrong. I find it hard to say that they were better than us, but I must admit they are worthy of their gold."
Maxim Shabalin on his blog
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Stagione 2010-2011
"I just think, 'Beautiful'. I just think that their quality, their abilities, their presence… everything about them… they seem to have captured a spirit, and I think indeed they have that connection and people identify with that."
Christopher Dean in a documentary
“As of today — a practically ideal partner in ice dance is Scott Moir. He has it all - expressiveness, physical ability, fantastic capability for work. It is obvious - this man is fanatic. I take my hat off to Igor Spilband who brought him up. His partner Tessa Virtue is also good."
Alexander Zhulin to the Russian press
"We are so happy, that Tessa and Scott managed to come because even to watch them train is something unreal! You just see where you should aim because they are brilliant — a true couple."
Elena Ilinykh after World's short dance
“I have to admit that I did not expect such a strong performance from the Olympic Champions Tessa Virtue and Scot Moir. Every time I see these guys I can't quite believe how good they are and the scary thing for the other competitors is that they are getting better! The connection they have in their dancing is second to none in the history of Ice dancing in my opinion. This routine had so many layers to it that I had to watch it twice to catch some of it."
John Kerr after the short dance
“It starts very fast and hot. It's true that in Russia it's about 25 degrees every day but with this miss on the ice... This dance is very appreciated and I think we will enjoy the moment. We see immediately the difference from the previous couple with the level of execution of the steps, the virtuosity (he made a joke with Tessa's name).”
Philippe Candeloro after the free dance at worlds
“To stay another four years, that's when you're learning who you really are. Can you take the pressure? Everyone knows right now they're the best and everyone's looking at them. So what do they do? What kind of program? What kind of costumes? It's much easier to climb on the top of Everest or any mountain. It's very hard to hold that position, because everybody wants that place. It will be great if they stay another four years until Sochi. Then they will be recognizable as super champions.”
Evgeni Platov
"I had no idea what to expect from Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, but they totally blew me away with their performance. They took themselves completely out of their comfort zone (Mahler, etc.), and they succeeded brilliantly.
Latin is not always the easiest style to take on the ice because it is basically a static dance (i.e. it does not use a lot of space on the dance floor). I honestly thought their performance might give them the gold medal."
John Kerr after the free dance
"Kudos to the Russian ice dancers. Nevertheless, I was most impressed by Virtue/Moir. Their skating is above praising. They are so talented! I think their biggest secret is what is going on between them on the ice. I can't take my eyes off them and keep thinking what will happen next. It's magic."
Tatiana Volosozhar
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Stagione 2011-2012
"They entertained the crowd as Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire set to the soundtrack from the 1957 movie Funny Face. Their movements and choreography were styled to reflect the golden age of musicals. An extraordinary program of a very high technical level skated with class and elegance ... With their class and elegance, both in the choreography of their programs and their sober costumes, they have set a new trend in ice dancing worldwide."
Sonia Bianchetti, writing about the 2011 Grand Prix Final
“There is no soul in ice dance, there should be projection. Of course, the Canadians are a unique pair. Scott Moir is an enormous talent. They tried to attune to this system. For me, they are number one. "
Anjelica Krylova in a Russian interview
"When you watch ice dance they will have almost the same beginning of the footwork, because they have to do those deep edges with difficult turns; the twizzles. On the other hand I think it's interesting because the fantastic champions still, even with all those rules, find new things and bring more than just the elements. That's why I love Tessa and Scott (Virtue/Moir), because when you watch them you don't see the rules, you see the story, the emotion.”
Stéphane Lambiel in an interview with Absolute Skating
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Stagione 2012-2013
"My coach taught me that performance is not just a set of memorized gestures and movements, but must reflect my internal soul. In this regard, I consider Scott Moir the perfect partner - everything he does is great! When you see him on the ice - he's the rock, the man, the pillar. Any female skater would skate with him! He doesn't need any particular choreography to attract the viewers, just his energy, his mesmerizing power, is enough."
Nikita Katsalapov, speaking to a the Russian press
"Wow. From the off, she was carmen. ... She is the star of the show because it’s about her… sensuous, languid, tempting, seductive. I forgot to watch the elements. the difficulty and the danger of those elements going wrong. A couple of glitches perhaps, but my word they acted the part. She's spectacular in this. It's the best carmen on ice i've ever seen”
British Eurosport during Skate Canada
"I loved everything about these looks. Tessa's plunging neckline and open-back dress looked like a Balenciaga Paris cocktail dress one could find at Barney's. And I loved that she looked like Kristen Stewart with her darker hair and ponytail extensions. I also liked Scott's solid and sheer top. This was Figure Skating Male Costume Fashion Chic at its best. But my favorite part was that they made the choice--and risk--to skate to "Carmen" and NOT wear RED! Modern and Chic! They really moved me...with their Free Dance Program and these very 2012 costumes. GO CANADA. And GO Virtue and Moir."
Nick Verreos (Stlylist) on Carmen's costumes
"I like their free dance based on Carmen. There have been many attempts to present a classic theme in certain modern way. Such things are not always acceptable, especially when we're used to the classics and any other interpretation looks, let's say, unusual. It gets uncomfortable.
But in the Canadian's choreography, you can see their own approach and their own vision. It has maybe more sexuality, more rough movements for Tessa and unnatural positions in dance [than we're used to]. It was a very interesting dance to watch. And I can't even say that Virtue and Moir performed all elements as they should be done. I consider them the leaders today. They are strongest in choreography and skating”
Maxim Stavisky to the Russian press
"Recently, I was at Cup of Russia, of course, I am sorry to say that there are all the other skaters, and then there are Canadians — Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. What an extraordinary couple, just awesome. Emotion overwhelmed me from the beginning to the end. I just stayed in the wild delight of how they relate to each other, how they relate to the ice, as they relate to the program."
Tatiana Navka on Carmen
“They have single handedly changed what I thought was possible in Ice Dance in terms of their technical ability and then the risks they take artistically which make their technical requirements all the more risky, really boggles the mind. It's wonderful for the sport the way they're pushing the limits technically and artistically, and just reinventing themselves. The versatility they're showing is just wonderful for all the dancers coming up”
Tracy Wilson on Carmen
“They searched deeper than anyone has before them. And not only into the darkness of the character, whom we are used to seeing shining brightly.”
Swiss eurosport
"When it's done like that we can only appreciate it. Not much to say except that there's a real harmony, a real cohesion between the partners in this performance. There's a tenderness in their waltz and we have a soft and light polka. Nothing is heavy-handed.
"Everything is done with suppleness, everything is done smoothly, and that's the strength of this couple. Everything appeared easy, everything appeared fluid and it was very well interpreted, and very musical, especially at the end with the big symphonic accents. This was a very, very, very pleasant program and my favourite of the competition."
Nathalie Pechalat's commentary at 4cc
“I think that it’s important artistically that you can show contrast and I think the strength of Scott and Tessa lies in the fact that they can truly approach their art through a variety of different characterizations and that those characterizations actually can find a home inside their body, their physicality.”
Jennifer Swan on Carmen
“And obviously growing up watching Tessa [Virtue] and Scott [Moir] has been such a motivator for, I think, anyone in Canada, really. Even though, of course, they’re competitors, you’ve got to kind of look up to them. They’re probably one of the greatest dance teams of all time, so it’s definitely been a pleasure to be in kind of the same era as them, and just to see what they do.”
Mitchell Islam in an interview
“What they do is, to be honest, truly amazing.”
Patrick Chan to the CBC
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Stagione 2013-2014
“Well, I loved Tessa and Scott’s Carmen last year, but the first one that I really loved was their Umbrellas of Cherbourg program. For me, like when I watch them do those programs, it just looks so effortless and easy, and very light and balletic and dance-like. I find with a lot of teams now, it gets so wrapped up in the acrobatic nature of lifts that all you see is the same flailing, and it isn’t dance any more.”
Kharis Ralph in an interview
“Like Kharis, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, especially at [2008] Nationals. That was the first time I actually probably really watched them, and it was amazing to see live. I was sitting kind of front row because I was just about to go compete for my junior men’s free skate, and their event was right before mine, and I got to watch it and it was really awesome.”
Asher Hill in the same interview as Kharis
“I like Tessa and Scott the most. They have some kind of unbreakable connection that exists all the time. You look at one of them and understand you can't imagine them without the other. I like the way they glide, how one element comes out from the previous.”
Ksenia Monko's comment to the Russian press
@Virtue_Moir 's beautiful #Finnstep at the #Finlandia Trophy. Makes its founders proud :-)
Petri Kokko, 1995 European Ice Dance Champion and World Silver Medalist on whose OD the FinnStep pattern dance is based
“There’s a rhythmic rise and fall in the knees that allows a skater to create momentum on the ice, so it looks like they’re floating. And there’s no scratching of the blades because their balance is right on. The way they moved together you could just see they had an uncanny ability to match and create body line and unison. They were never two skaters trying to come together. They were always a partnership.”
Tracy Wilson's comments in a pre-Olympic article
“I remember watching them as little kids dancing together and seeing them directly change the face of ice dance. They changed the sport and made it younger. They brought it to a whole new athletic degree. They were just perfect. They were unbelievable.”
Dylan Moscovitch in the same pre-Olympic interview
“Will we have the likes of a Tessa and Scott again? We never know. The fact that we were fortunate to have them come through the program at this time and the success they had has really made a lasting impression on the development of ice dance in Canada. ... “We’ve been very fortunate in Canada, we’ve had a lot of successful dance teams, but I think the impact with Tessa and Scott will be one of the top”
Mike Slipchuk in that pre-Olympic article
“Virtue & Moir have a quality about them, a chemistry and a connection that nobody else has.”
Joannie Rochette
"I like all the programs of Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir. They usually don't tell a story in their programs, but show a story of the souls with shades and undertones. And honestly, if we are talking about the two top teams, for me they are uncomparable."
Ilia Averbukh in a Russian inteview
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QUI la traduzione di tutto
Edited by *Ice Princess* - 27/12/2013, 13:34