Ice Olympus 26.09.04
This is the only authorized translation of the interview, video of which you can find at www.gordeeva.ru. The interview was taken by Elena Vaitsekhovskaya and appears here with her permission. It is not for publishing at other sites or any other media.
I have a question for Artur and Katia. For two days, I've been watching your children skate. It is a pleasure. Now I have a question, have any of you thought of paring them?
Artur: Well. Firstly, it is too early to pair them in any case. Pair skating is a very difficult sport, technically and physically. Kids should grow up. They are great single skaters now, therefore pairing them is premature. We'll see what life shows.
Katia: I agree. Life will show.
Katia, is your younger daughter skating?
Not yet, she is too little. She is only three.
When did Dasha start skating?
She started at three, but then she didn't want to skate any more. She started again at seven-and-a-half -- eight.
Did you skate at any shows?
Yes, I skated at some shows this fall.
Are there any shows where you always skate?
Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton make their shows. Last year I skated at their shows. Also Belgium Stars on Ice. I appeared in 20 SOI shows, not all of them, just 20, because I can't skate there for four months.
What do you do when you don't skate?
Stay home with kids.
Do you coach?
No, I don't coach, I do coach Dasha a little bit, and Ilyusha coaches Dasha. I have lots of things to do at home.
How much does Ilia skate?
He skates. There are many shows in Japan, there is a yearly tour. They always invite him. He doesn't skate with SOI or Collins. Some different shows. He skated at Boitano show last year. Also, he appears at professional competitions.
Won't he choreograph a program for you?
There is no time.
Are you going to go to Moscow?
Yes, tomorrow.
Katyusha, who is choreographing your programs? Are you doing it yourself?
I choreographed one program, but then I had some help with it. But usually I don't choreograph my programs. Always somebody else is doing it.
Different choreographers?
Yes, different ones. I don't have a constant one.
What is your day like when you don't have a show?
Let me tell you. I wake up at seven, drive Dasha to school. Then I come back home.
Does she go to a regular school?
Yes, the regular school. Then I take Liza, she goes to a day care now. I come back home again, have some breakfast and go to practice. Then I come back. Ilyushka gets Liza home, and goes to practice. I prepare lunch with Liza, then with Dasha.
Do you do everything separately?
Well, if we will practice together, we won't be able to.. Someone always should stay at home.
Do you have time to be together?
Yes, sometimes.
Like some family time?
Family time is usually four of us.
Do you go anywhere?
Yes. During the summer. There are many friends living close by. Zhenya Shishkova and Vadim Naumov have a son, Maksim, he is the same age as Liza. We always go to their house and kids play together. It is very convenient. Our houses are five minutes from each other. Nina and Vitya (Petrenko), now they've moved a bit further from us, but before we lived very close by. Their daughter, Vika, is seven. We have many friends there. Where we live, there are many Russian friends.
What do you feel when you see Dasha skate?
Well, what do I say. I see her as my daughter, I complain all the time about everything that she does. Of course I'm proud inside, but I don't overestimate the situation.
I felt that Tarasova talked to her strictly?
Well, she is a coach, she talks strictly. Dasha doesn't listen to her mom, maybe she'll listen to the coach?
Did she teach her something?
Tatiana Anatolievna? Of course. Some spins that she had time for.