“It is important for me that I watch the program and see that the skater is comfortable in this program” – choreographer Radionova

Choreographer of the Academy “Angels Plushenko” Elena Radionova compared the approach of staging programs in Russia and the United States and noted that it was important to her that the skater was comfortable in his program.

Radionova is a bronze medalist at the 2015 World Championships, twice European vice-champion (2015, 2016).

– I also noticed a long time ago that, say, the main thing in skating is to stretch your legs, lift them high. If you have a hook or a bracket, you have to craft them as you have on the tests. When I came to America, the first thing that surprised me about my work was when (choreographer) She-Lynn (Bourne) said, “Why do you lift your leg so high? Do as you like. You should feel comfortable in this position. We can set you stages as much as you want, but if you feel uncomfortable it will look ridiculous. It’s probably the most important thing I’ve brought to my skating, to my performance.

In our country, as a rule, they like to say it very pretentiously, in order to sit lower, raise their legs higher, hands should be on the side. I still like free skating more. It’s important to me that I watch the program and see that the skater is comfortable in that program. If it’s uncomfortable to fix, then no matter how you do it, no matter how you memorize it, everything will look out of harmony, something will be missing. And Nikolai Morozov told me that you should do what you feel comfortable with. If you want to make the body in a certain direction, do it. You have to feel the arc, not resist the laws of physics. If the arc pulls you in and you want to get the body inside, do it. I am more for individuality, for free skating, – quotes the words of Radionova “Championship”.

Championship