Tuktamysheva’s issue explored humanity, life, and mortality
There was heavy drama and a cloud of gloom hanging over this year’s showbiz tournament. The question on many lips was why the mood tilted so somberly, and the answer lay in several intertwined factors. The production relied on a single, material-based concept drawn from Russian art, with Evgeny Semenenko hoping for something joyful and festive. Yet the atmosphere of the moment in world history seemed to seep into the project, guiding the choice of direction. When Lisa selected the poem, the team checked in on her satisfaction and the overall impression. The skaters in this program are independent souls with their own perspectives on life, skating to reflect what resonates with them. Source: socialbites.ca
Was the earlier freedom still intact, or did it become a constraint? It proved to be a delicate balance. The struggle mainly surfaced around the music choice. The team briefly considered a piece by Chopin, which clashed with the Russian Challenge rule that the musical accompaniment should root itself in Russian tradition. The collaborative decision moved Chopin into a vocalized version before a later adjustment by Zhenya Medvedeva to lean toward an instrumental rendition with vocal elements removed. Source: socialbites.ca
Regarding the character Lisa embodied, the question was whether she personified Marina Tsvetaeva directly, or merely drew inspiration from her as a creative spark. The initial impulse came from Lisa herself, drawn to what she heard. As the visual concept took shape, a more solid voice emerged, leading to a dress that felt almost like an evening gown. The outfit was chosen to accentuate femininity, maturity, and a touch of tragedy, presenting Lisa in a new and striking light. The team emphasized that the task was not to imitate Tsvetaeva but to let Lisa be a creative artist who channels broader themes. The performance allowed multiple readings, inviting audiences to see Lisa as a person negotiating life and death. Source: socialbites.ca
Figure skating, much like ballet, offers a broad field of interpretation. Some viewers perceived Lisa as Tsvetaeva, others as a symbolic creator, and still others as a personal portrait. The shared thread was a focus on a human relationship with existence and its limits. Source: socialbites.ca
There was a complete epic with the lighthouse
Lamps and lanterns played a pivotal role in the production. Lisa revealed that a force majeure moment arose just before the tournament that threatened these props. A unique lantern had been crafted in a single workshop in a very short window, and the plan was for it to glow as if thousands of candles were burning. In the end, the intended light effect was achieved through projection rather than a physical flame. Source: socialbites.ca
The moment was tense, but coach Alexey Mishin remained calm and helped the team regain perspective. The lantern issue was not about blame; it became a test of adaptation. The idea remained clear, with the possibility of lighting the prop remotely so that Lisa could reposition the number if needed. A three-day rush to find a replacement in St. Petersburg proved challenging, yet the team persisted. Source: socialbites.ca
The jury reception was a consideration from the start. Lisa intuited which programs would resonate and which would not. In a candid exchange, she asked whether the program would likely engage the judges, and Mishin framed the goal as delivering a well-executed, efficient performance rather than chasing victory. The room setup for Zhenya Semenenko and Lisa was meticulously crafted, down to small details like a pen bearing wear marks to suggest lived experience. These nuances built atmosphere, even if they were not immediately apparent to observers. Source: socialbites.ca
Was the room initially built from scratch? It was built with care for the moment, and Lisa’s path includes substantial experience that informed the design. The presence of the jury, including Boris Yakovlevich (Eifman) and Mishin, meant that both creative and technical sides had to land a balanced, favorable impression. The production faced occasional criticism for seeming staged quickly, yet the counterpoint is that some works come together in months while others take years. What matters is the depth of preparation, the knowledge of the material, and the amount of pre-work that informs the execution. Source: socialbites.ca
The speaker’s early training as an actor shaped the approach, with stage speaking lessons drawn from the era of Vladimir Vysotsky’s collaborator. A poetic study of the Silver Age was undertaken, including poems by Tsvetaeva, Akhmatova, Gippius, Mandelstam, and Yesenin, all of which were learned by heart. Chopin’s music immediately resonates with audiences, offering an instant emotional connection, while the vocal and instrumental choices for the piece were refined by Alisa Brunovna Freundlich’s clear, immediate expression. The routine for the concept was envisioned before stepping onto the ice, and translating ideas into movement required inventive, effective means of communication. Source: socialbites.ca
Alexey Mishin suggested starting the work at a table, a choice that allowed the image to develop slowly, and then transition to candlelight forming a funeral-like glow. Much of the groundwork happened before skating began, including music arrangement and track cleanup. Some numbers can be choreographed in seven rehearsals yet still lack the precision of a two-rehearsal approach, depending on the inner readiness and the depth of preparation. Source: socialbites.ca
I really don’t want Semenenko to feel this all his life
When turning to Zhenya Semenenko’s number, the team noted his inclination toward humorous concepts and asked why the Cranes emerged as the winning choice. A four-person brainstorming session gathered ideas from Alexey Mishin, choreographer Nikita Mikhailov, Zhenya, and a collaborator who helped refine the concept. They sifted through multiple musical options, eventually selecting Cranes, with a full realization of the version once offered by Hvorostovsky and later discussed by Garifullina. The baritone’s weighty voice did not suit the young performer’s lighter timbre, so a version featuring Bernes was used, presenting a slightly different texture. Source: socialbites.ca
Crane-themed performances have appeared before in skating shows, including the Ice Age program and past tours by Evgeni Plushenko and Ilya Averbukh. The team used it as a base, but expanded through collaborative ideation. Ideas like making wings emerge or letting photographs fly were explored, with some concepts evolving differently before the final staging took shape. Source: socialbites.ca
The Cranes number was developed in a few days with multiple practice sessions. The team adapted when one member was temporarily unavailable, and the rest continued to refine the performance. The process was not about fear but about conveying difficult themes with sensitivity, avoiding exaggerated emotion or clichés. The key guiding principle was to depict good and evil with honesty, keeping the portrayal within a reasonable, truthful frame. This required careful calibration so that the jury would read truth rather than theatrical exaggeration. Source: socialbites.ca
There were delicate moments where a subtle touch was necessary to respect the gravity of the themes. Lisa’s portion carried a quiet depth, and Zhenya’s role needed reinforcement in certain places while remaining restrained elsewhere. The overall effect demonstrated that the performance should be felt rather than overplayed. The team recognized that perfection might come with time, and there was a possibility that the idea could be revisited in the future with greater maturity. Music arrangements were ready, and the option to realize the concept again remains open. Source: socialbites.ca