Maia e Alex Shibutani: i fratelli "Shibs", Info, news, foto e video

sono sempre più delusa. Questo non è più sport. E' solo schifo. A questo punto non credo proprio di voler rivedere tessa e scott nell'agonismo, vedersi magari terzi se non addirittura fuori dal podio anche no.
Maia e Alex mi sono piaciuti, evidentemente sui coldplay sono bravi. Sarei curiosa di vedere come la affineranno ma a questo punto non credo seguirò più.

Shibutanis remain dedicated to exploring new styles
Sibling ice dancers' 2015-16 programs highlight playful, emotional sides

Posted 10/28/15 by Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork

In June, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani were already drilling sections of the new competitive programs they'd choreographed in the spring. Months of 10-hour days refining elements and grinding out run-throughs lay ahead. A shot of espresso would have been welcome.

It came in an unlikely place: Almaty, the financial and cultural capital of Kazakhstan, where longtime friend Denis Ten invited them to perform in his show.

"We met Denis at our first-ever Junior Grand Prix, but I can't say I ever planned on traveling to Kazakhstan in my life," Maia said. "We spent time with skaters we hadn't spent time with before: Stéphane Lambiel, Tatiana [Volosozhar] and Max [Trankov]. It was eye-opening for us."

"Seeing Stéphane skate live was truly a noteworthy moment; he is really a skater's skater," Alex said. "Talking to Tatiana and Max about skating and life, and what motivates them, was very encouraging for us. It was a great turning point for our summer."

The on-ice group choreography and late-night gab sessions strengthened feelings the siblings already had: We're still young. Our skating is still growing. We've got a lot left to give.

This week marks the Shibutanis' first-ever trek to Skate Canada, held this season in Lethbridge, Alberta. Once there, they will match twizzles with favorites Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, the Canadian world bronze medalists, as well as four-time Russian champions Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev. And they're going for gold.

"We're all in on our efforts to become the very best we can be," Alex said. "We're spending more time at the rink this season than we've ever spent before. We're taking the semester off of school (University of Michigan). That's the level of our commitment."

The siblings have confidence in this season's vehicles: a short dance to Delibes' comic ballet Coppélia and free dance to Coldplay's "Fix You." Work on the programs -- Peter Tchernyshev choreographed the free dance, while Zoueva did the short -- began right after the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships.

"The Shibutanis are very picky; it is not easy to choreograph for them," Zoueva said. "They have done Japanese technique (2012-13), Michael Jackson hits (2013-14) and last season nice, soft movements in the Strauss waltzes. Each year, they want to show an extremely different style. I hope people can appreciate this."

The Coppélia short dance, with its mischievous "doll" that seemingly comes to life, gives the siblings a chance to show humor, a key ingredient of their social media posts and vlogs.

"The story really allows us to connect to our characters, and use our own connection as brother and sister," Alex said. "The playfulness is there."

Cheryl Yeager performed the Coppélia/Swanilda role in her years as a principal with American Ballet Theatre. Now a teaching professional at Ballet Academy East, she worked with the Shibutanis to help them bring the ballet to ice.

"I think Coppélia is perfectly suited to Maia and Alex because it capitalizes on their playful relationship and sunny humor," Yeager said. "Maia's looks epitomize the beautiful Coppélia doll, and Alex's stature compliments her perfectly. They have the artistic capability to portray both the characters and the essence of the story."

Yeager helped both skaters -- especially Maia -- create their characters and stay true to the ballet.

"On stage, the Coppélia doll moves with a static, mechanical quality that is more difficult on ice skates because of the gliding factor," Yeager said. "We worked a lot on the 'port de bras' (upper body movement) to reflect the character."

"Cheryl was really able to guide me on how to handle all the arms and expressions, because the challenge in this program is seamlessly transitioning between the doll and the girl," Maia said. "The girl is playful, and for the doll, there is a complete stillness and accuracy that needs to be there."

Working with Tchernyshev, the Russian-born ice dancer who won five U.S. titles with partner Naomi Lang, was nothing short of a revelation.

"It feels like he came into our lives at the perfect time," Maia said. "I don't know if we would have been ready to work with him in a previous season. He is an incredibly dedicated artist and has been able to help us unlock more of that in ourselves."

The free dance music's sense of abandon and bittersweet lyrics -- "When you try your best but you don't succeed ... When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep" -- resonated with the skaters. When they proposed it to Tchernyshev, he was on board right away.

"Our free dance explores different ways of moving for us, different ways of expressing ourselves," Alex said. "I think it shows a much more emotional and personal side of us. The song 'Fix You' is very special, because it means so much to different people with their respective life experiences."

The Shibutanis debuted at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy in Bratislava, Slovakia, early this month, placing third behind Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, and Brits Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland. Lower than desired levels, particularly on step sequences, took a toll on the siblings' score. They are confident people will see an improvement at Skate Canada.

"We know we're headed in the right direction," Maia said. "We have great technicians (in Canton), so it's really about continuing to make sure that everything is as clear as possible, so [the technical panel] has no reason to doubt anything."

The skaters have faith that Zoueva, along with coaches Massimo Scali, Oleg Epstein and Johnny Johns, will take them where they want to go.

"Marina has been our rock for years; she has always believed in our talent, and she loves us as people," Alex said. "Everyone is more committed right now. The belief has always been there, but now it's even stronger."

Grazie Ice.
Niente, potrei nominare un sacco di pattinatori che a medaglie hanno raccolto poco ma che sono amatissimi e seguitissimi. L'arte si vede, si percepisce. L'arte.