Mao News - Off-Season 2011!

Alokya wrote:

http://www.asahi.com/sports/column/TKY201111080169.html

Um, can I say GORGEOUS PICTURE OF MAO?????? And could somebody please translate this?? Thanks!!

quick translation. the title "challenge~ in Mao own way"

Mao's new season start is the fourth of GPS , NHK trophy. There is new challenge to Sochi from unsatisfied result from last season.

she keeps practice with Takahiko Kozuka under Coach Sato before NHK Trophy. she said she is not thinking about GPF, she wants to have good performance first, then next competition is CoR. she wants to take each competition serious.

last season, she placed 8th in NHK trophy, placed 5 in TEB, and didn't qualify for GPF for last two seasons back to back. she was not on podium for GPS. then she placed 6th at Worlds during April.

she know fans are worried about her and she received letters and msg. she felt her status was not stable. she felt she was in good status until Feb 4CC, but adjustment after that was not well. Is that due to earthquake? she thought everyone was impacted by earthquake. (sorry, i am not sure about the last sentence but sounds like she need to think about that she should not let herself impact by things around her)

she started to train with Coach Sato from last September, he was watching her then started to make some change.

Coach Sato watched her and started to make some changes, but focus on some important things. Most important is skating. "using your knees to skating ","use deeper edge" he explained / taught me like this, very detail / specific. last season he she moved up and down when skating (maybe mean she used the knees to skate) , then she felt more stable when doing jump. (i dont' know the technical part...ppl correct me) . then she needs to keep doing to see what is going on next.

because they can communicate in Japanese, Coach Sato can teach her in nuance. when talking about Coach Sato, he is known for his serious.

she said if she has question, she will just ask Coach Sato. like the curve of jumping.... she said Coach Sato doesn't get angry / shut at her yet, or maybe Coach Sato did get angry with her but she didn't notice. (OMG...it's very Mao)

she started to drive herself to Chukyo rink after receiving her driver's license from July. it's something really different for her, who used to only focus on skating.

when you drive, you will show your real personality. even she said she drives safe but when someone in front of her driving slow, she can't help wonder what the person is doing (so slow).....she will murmur alone on her car...lol

conclusion is she wants to take step by step to Sochi and now it's the first step....


anyone~pls correct me since news article is still too hard for me

Thanks for all the updates and translations!!!

Just a couple of days more... can't wait! I don't care anymore. I just want to see Mao skate. I'm excited to see the changes made to her Liebestraum esp after seeing Adelina's version. When Adelina skated to it in CoC with her purple costume my mind can't help but wander back to Mao's version esp the 4CC one. And I'm also excited to see her Scheherazade. Hopefully her jumps will be more stable now. I want to see a confident Mao this weekend like the one we saw at The ICE.

Scheherazade... the more I think about it the more I think this is a good piece for Mao to skate to even if a bit overused. For me it can tell a similar story. Mao as Scheherazade and the judges/skeptics as king. She may not be on 100% yet this weekend but hopefully she shows us her improvements and give a performance better than last season (although I hope she nails everything) in every competition... getting better each time, making us want to see more of what she can do until the "king", instead of dismissing her as just another skater now, will finally give her the credit she deserves.

Not sure if I'm making myself clear... Too much stuff on my mind these days... deadlines, exams, pending tasks piling on my desk, etc but I'm definitely taking this weekend off from working and studying for Mao. 真央ちゃん、がんばって!!!

I found this on Tumblr:
http://tokitama.tumblr.com/post/12554918959/scheherazade
(Thank you for sharing, Tokitama! )

It looks like it could be the arrangement of Mao's "Scheherazade". The length is just about right, and the transitions from one section to another are similar those we could hear in the practice clips.

It looks like the performer(s) different, though. The version we could hear in the practice clips sounds like the original version by Esquivel intertwined with a short part from the original, orchestral arrangement Scheherazade. This version sounds like the entire cut was played by one band/orchestra; in the part arranged by Esquivel the drums and the flute sounds quite different, and the orchestral part is played by different instruments; the dominant melody is now played by a flute and it sounds a bit less powerful.
All in all I prefer the version we could hear in the practice clips, but this might give us some clue as to how Mao's program is structured. (From this arrangement and the practice clips, I'd guess 3A, 3F-2L, FSSp, 3L, CCoSp, StSq (serpentine or really wavy straight line ), LSp).

I wonder if it's taken from some sort of official CD (like the Mao&Mai CDs which contained Mao's and Mai's music, but played by different performers), or is it something arranged by musically talented fans..?

Okami wrote:

I found this on Tumblr:
http://tokitama.tumblr.com/post/12554918959/scheherazade
(Thank you for sharing, Tokitama! )

It looks like it could be the arrangement of Mao's "Scheherazade". The length is just about right, and the transitions from one section to another are similar those we could hear in the practice clips.

It looks like the performer(s) different, though. The version we could hear in the practice clips sounds like the original version by Esquivel intertwined with a short part from the original, orchestral arrangement Scheherazade. This version sounds like the entire cut was played by one band/orchestra; in the part arranged by Esquivel the drums and the flute sounds quite different, and the orchestral part is played by different instruments; the dominant melody is now played by a flute and it sounds a bit less powerful.
All in all I prefer the version we could hear in the practice clips, but this might give us some clue as to how Mao's program is structured. (From this arrangement and the practice clips, I'd guess 3A, 3F-2L, FSSp, 3L, CCoSp, StSq (serpentine or really wavy straight line ), LSp).

I wonder if it's taken from some sort of official CD (like the Mao&Mai CDs which contained Mao's and Mai's music, but played by different performers), or is it something arranged by musically talented fans..?

I think you are right about it's taken from the official CD which was starting delivered to ppl pre-ordered it.
here is someone use the music to match the clip
https://youtu.be/lRkh7tEXsR0 in the middle, they put the practice clip in.

shikure wrote:

I think you are right about it's taken from the official CD which was starting delivered to ppl pre-ordered it.

Do you have a link to the page where people can order it?

Quote :

here is someone use the music to match the clip
https://youtu.be/lRkh7tEXsR0 in the middle, they put the practice clip in.

I've seen it already, it was posted shortly after Mao's practice slip was posted on her blog. The arrangement is different, though - wice2019 used a shortened version of Adelina's LP music. Mao's version sounds much softer than Adelina's - it has only one 'intense' part at the moment when Mao does the combination spin. Adelina's version used the soft part (strings + dulcimer..? which is used as the finale in Mao's edit) as the middle part - then (for the step sequence) the music switched to the fast, powerful version borrowed from the orchestral arrangement.

Meanwhile, judging from this clip ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCwYfXAO3js ) it looks like Mao's footwork is actually placed during the gentler part from Esquivel's arrangement.

Okami wrote:

I found this on Tumblr:
http://tokitama.tumblr.com/post/12554918959/scheherazade
(Thank you for sharing, Tokitama! )

Oh this sounds really nice! Far from your typical Scheherazade as well. I love it! It's an interesting interpretation and there are variations in rythm and feel, something that has been sorely missing from Tat's recent works for Mao.

Okami, the footwork part at the end... Does the Esquivel arrangement have the same beat in the background? It almost sounds like a waltz. I can't hear it in the short practice clip. It sounds interesting but I think the melody is also nice on it's own.

If this is it, I'm very excited to see Mao's SP. I liked the idea of Scheherazade, but I was a bit meh at Mao reusing such a warhorse. But this is definitely not the warhorse we're used to hearing!

ETA: Ah! I actually found his arrangement on iTunes and the beat is there. So far, I really like it. I'd say, depending on the way the program is built, this could be one of the most interesting shorts this year with Carolina's.

Another article of gallagher:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/sp20111109it.html

I just noticed someone posted it before in other thread

chiyori wrote:

Okami, the footwork part at the end... Does the Esquivel arrangement have the same beat in the background? It almost sounds like a waltz. I can't to hear it in the short practice clip. It sounds interesting but I think the melody is also nice on it's own.

Yes. The rhythm sounds a bit softer though (or perhaps it's the strings that sound a tiny bit more powerful).
I used Esquivel's version (albeit I cut it differently) in a montage: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlecev_mao-asada-scheherazade-okami_sport
The "footwork" part starts at 2:29.

Okami wrote:

chiyori wrote:

Okami, the footwork part at the end... Does the Esquivel arrangement have the same beat in the background? It almost sounds like a waltz. I can't to hear it in the short practice clip. It sounds interesting but I think the melody is also nice on it's own.

Yes. The rhythm sounds a bit softer though (or perhaps it's the strings that sound a tiny bit more powerful).
I used Esquivel's version (albeit I cut it differently) in a montage: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlecev_mao-asada-scheherazade-okami_sport
The "footwork" part starts at 2:29.

I the ending... it's so light and fresh. It would look wonderful if she ended with a scratch spin too... though she's never done that in competition because her programs are so busy she barely has time to get the levels on her spins. I remember reading the scratch spin did not bring high levels so I hope they spared a bit of time at the end for it. The music calls for a spin that accelerates.

chiyori wrote:

Okami wrote:

I found this on Tumblr:
http://tokitama.tumblr.com/post/12554918959/scheherazade
(Thank you for sharing, Tokitama! )

Oh this sounds really nice! Far from your typical Scheherazade as well. I love it! It's an interesting interpretation and there are variations in rythm and feel, something that has been sorely missing from Tat's recent works for Mao.

My thoughts exactly. So familiar, yet so different.

I can't wait to see the whole program (and the costume).

haha yeah hthe costume will also be interesting lol, when i think that it's something mao has never worn before hehe..
wahhh time is sooo slow, wonder what Mao is doing right now!!! but i can 't imagine the pressure she is under... does anyone know how much the japanese media have been covering this event?

Okami wrote:

I found this on Tumblr:
http://tokitama.tumblr.com/post/12554918959/scheherazade
(Thank you for sharing, Tokitama! )

It looks like it could be the arrangement of Mao's "Scheherazade". The length is just about right, and the transitions from one section to another are similar those we could hear in the practice clips.
Yes. The rhythm sounds a bit softer though (or perhaps it's the strings that sound a tiny bit more powerful).

I used Esquivel's version (albeit I cut it differently) in a montage: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlecev_mao-asada-scheherazade-okami_sport
The "footwork" part starts at 2:29.

Thank you, sounds wonderful.
Beautiful montage as well. The stars in the background accentuates Mao's ethereal skating.

Okami wrote:

I think you are right about it's taken from the official CD which was starting delivered to ppl pre-ordered it.

Do you have a link to the page where people can order it?

for ppl are interested and want to order it
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B005G66WFU/ref=s9_newr_gw_g15_ir01?pf_rd_m=AN1VRQENFRJN5&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1J1FCEFC1HHEFZ1NV4VJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463376756&pf_rd_i=489986
They can ship offshore but the fare is pretty expensive

we should probably change this thread to Mao's on season now

ballerinamao wrote:

we should probably change this thread to Mao's on season now

haha agreed!! I am so excited I can't wait to see her skate!! Best of luck to dear Mao!!!

I just want to share this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzdduRBprE0&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9gVfo20AA0&feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y62DQ1edhhM&sns=em