An Interview With Igor Shpilband

Translation of an Italian Interview with Igor Shpilband.  I've taken the two minutes to use a translator so you don't have to.

We introduce to you un' other interview made in occasion of the Trophée Bompard from our envoy. This time protagonist is the dance, with famous trainer Igor Shpilband who has very carried two braces on the podio olympic to Vancouver. 


Question: In order to begin, what thinks some about the beginning of this season? With the SD they have been of the great changes in the dance. 
Shpilband: I make the trainer of dance from vent'anni, and every year I have seen of the changes. Every change has need of time for being assimilated well. The dance is changed very many regarding vent'anni ago, therefore not creed that the SD is much various one from other modifications that have been made in the past. All the athletes are going well with this new segment of contest even if obviously they will have need of time in order to become familiar with the SD, is a various thing from what it was made in contest in the last years.





Question: From its point of view instead as it sees this new dance? Its athletes at the beginning of the season have had of the difficulties to catch up the levels demands, what think some? 
Shpilband: The SD is simple to understand, or at least, for we it has been. Some at the beginning were confused to care, but we have not had problems. The difficult part era like adapting the portion of Golden Waltz to the rest of the program without to make to lose the interest of the public regarding the SD. Since in passed many they were complained of the insufficient interest of the public regarding the CD, the challenge is to try to render the sequence of the GW for the public interesting. We were not worried from the technical aspect, but for the technical specialists it will a little want to us of time so that they get hold well of as the SD works. The majority of the callers has seen the SD for the first time in the Grand Prix, therefore it is a new aspect for all.


Question: It speaks us about the situation of its braces in this season. 
Shpilband: This season is detail especially for the two top teams. The post-olympic season is always difficult, especially for the athletes of elites that have caught up of the optimal result to the Olympic Games. In the olympic season the maximum of the preparation (or physical is caught up that lies them), it is arrived to the apex and then there is a period in which the or physical condition that lies they come down they. He is normal and we have left our athletes the time in order to elaborate all this. All the skaters, not only the dancers, of it suffer, Mao Asada of are an example.


Question: What can say to us with regard to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir? How goes the accident of Tessa, has begun to train itself? 
Shpilband: It weaves is returned from little on the ice, has begun to pattinare but not to train themselves. It is making of the fisioterapia sitting on the ice. Tessa and Scott have the national ones in their plans, but sure it will depend all from the guarigione of Tessa. It could little want time to us thus like much more time of the previewed one, cannot never be sure. In any case they have two splendid programs, since the operation has been made after the summer the phase of creation of the two dances was ended. Two years ago the surgeons had made a long solo long cut them the front part of the leg, while this time they have made more cuts them on the leg.


Question: Always speaking about the accident, the syndrome of Tessa is due to the sovrallenamento (chronic compartimentale syndrome from sovrallenamento, NdR), thinks to have store clerk some error in the planning of the preparation of the boys? Shpilband: The accident of Tessa is given from the state of its muscles, the muscular conformation of its legs is not apt to the training demanded to its level and is for that it has had this syndrome. It could not be prevented in some way. Much fort is a girl, has been brave to train itself with all that pain.


Question: What thinks some instead of Meryl Davis and Charlie White this year? Shpilband: Their objective for this first part of the season was to go to the end of the Grand Prix, and there are resolutions. They have trained a lot hardly this summer.


Question: Who has chosen music for the FD? We know that Meryl loves Italy very and is studying the Italian, has chosen she it music? 
Shpilband: Meryl speaks your language very well, even if is much timid one in Italian speaking. We had decided with using music of the film “the Postman” and, since the ISU had made to understand to more want programs based on the dance and less on the acrobatics, we have chosen only the part of the sonorous column that comprised the tango in place of telling the history of the postman. Creed that their FD is complicated of the season. If it is watched carefully famous that not is a pause moment, during every according to Meryl and Charlie is making a step, a transition, a spinning top. The choice of the tango has been made together: to try new things is the only way in order to go ahead, even if four years a lot along (like already said in other interviews, Meryl are a time and Charlie one for time wants to face the seasons programming them, NdR).


Question: It does not think that the fact that Meryl and Charlie have begun late to train themselves (because of Stars on Ice, NdR), and that therefore the programs must still be perfected penalizes, them? 
Shpilband: Not, because they are of the extraordinary skaters and in fact they are resolutions to approach the end also with minor the preparation that had this year. The important however is that the programs are perfect for the world-wide ones, the preparation of the season is focused on that one. The changes that we are tutt'ora making the FD are necessary in order to render it still more interesting.


Question: With regard to the SD on “Amélie” instead, what has happened? Many news has not been had since your team tries to maintain the secret on the programs of its athletes more over a long time span possible during the summer and little after that it had been rendered famous music of the SD of Meryl and Charlie you have decided to change it. 
Shpilband: The problem with the old SD was that music did not have a good end. The end of a program is an aspect a lot important of a program, and we did not want to leave the public the feeling that lacked something. Moreover we did not want to use parts of other musics for the end, if the SD had to be on Amélie had to use only that music. Therefore we have decided (of common agreement with Meryl and Charlie obviously) to change music and to use that of the Traviata, an Italian work that to my opinion works very well for they.


Question: We speak now about an other American brace: the Shibutani siblings. Why it has chosen those musics for they? 
Shpilband: Maia and Alex have of the optimal bases of skating. This year the ISU wanted to see programs with musics that they more transmitted happiness and based on the real dance, therefore which musics would have been better than “Let's face the music and dance” and “Smile”? The incident that they have had with the costume in Japan has been an indeed ill-fated event, many times with those customs had been trained and they had not never had problems.


Question: Regarding Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein? 
Shpilband: The objective of this year is to show to the judges and the public who can compete to high level. Up to now they have gone well, they have arrived thirds party to Skate Canada and they have the possibility to go to the end (are second substitutes, NdR). Their programs have been received from judges and public well, therefore for the time being all good is going. Their FD is much detail and they are much good to interpret it, “Cabaret” never had not been made in this key on the ice before hour.


Question: What thinks some about Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates? It can say something to us on the accident of Evan? 
Shpilband: First of all I hold to us to say that I was much content of being able to work with they. They are of the good persons and of the optimal students and I did not see the hour to begin the season with they, therefore they are remained motion dispiaciuto for their accident. Evan however now walks well, up to now has had a fast resumption. It hopes to go to national but sincerely the creed that this is a possibility much remote one, and in more it would be much difficult one for they because enough they would not be trained. Emily is managing the situation well and the same one can be said of Evan. During these three months in which Evan it could not be trained it has worked hardly, is improved a lot like pattinatrice. Also it feels a better pattinatrice now, its lines, its speed and scivolamento abilities are improved. They are content because it has used these well three months, was a lot motivated.


Question: In this moment it has many students of elite, between which very four Americans. Them it does not seem strange to have thus many students to the same level? Other trainers dedicate themselves to a single student of elite, she seem to think it in an other way. 
Shpilband: In 1998 I had the first five braces of the USA, therefore this situation is not certainly new for me. They are happy for working with these great skaters. Creed that we succeed to having thus many students because at the same time Marina (Zueva, NdR) has an approach characterizes them for every team. We try not to favor no brace and creed that to our feel it athletes. Moreover in an atmosphere like what we offer we can learn one from the other; the boys support themselves and they stimulate themselves. If a brace makes an element difficult, the others want to try the same thing in order to demonstrate that they are in a position to making it also. If Tessa, Scott, Meryl and Charlie every day competes from each other, it is for that are thus good. And the same one obviously is worth for the other braces.


Question: How fairies to manage all these athletes? It can describe to a its day type to us? 
Shpilband: Beh first of all I hold to say to us that I adore my job and that I and Navy do not train the saturday and Sunday, therefore we have the time in order to rest itself. Marina it is the much best one than me and succeeds to being in track to the six of morning in order to train Maia and Alex. I arrive to the seven, before that hour I do not succeed! We end to train in the afternoon: of summer till the five and winter till three or the four. Sometimes we can ourselves be stopped more, but the times of training are more or less these.


Intervista di Laura Sciarrillo