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ceylonolivetree · 7 months ago

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If you met Tessa and Scott, what would you say to them or ask them? (Individually and together)

OOOFF!!

What a loaded question

I’m going to take this as “What would you ask if you got to interview them” because there’s no way in hell I would cope in a M+G situation I would be awkward AF, sweat, stutter, cry probably, most likely faint.. nah I need a few hours and half of that will be me trying not to sweat and cry.

You would not believe the amount of times I have fantasised about getting to interview them! I’m not saying I would be good at it but so often they always get asked the same questions and that’s partly the reason they give the same answers.. one thing I would manage to do though is not ask them about any “‘’’’’’’ relationship””””” stuff- at least the typical way it’s always asked

Also I have been secretly hoping someone would ask me this so I would have an excuse to post my answers coz honestly I feel like a dick just posting this fantasy of mine unprompted

I’m gonna say before hand that some of this stuff is probs too personal and I wouldn’t necessarily expect them to answer- like when I go to ask them I would likely say ‘if this is too personal you don’t have to answer’. I think if it was maybe asked in the right way or with the right intentions- which I don’t feel a lot of interviewers in general have, they would answer though. So anyway just saying that up front so I don’t have to say it in every third sentence below.

So for me there’s two main things I’m really interested to hear from them that I don’t feel they have ever discussed in depth.

1. I am really fascinated with their physical relationship. This is everything from technical partnering- dance, lifting etc, choreography and movement language, storytelling, and then physical intimacy including things like The Hug, their handhold (the handy holdy) and then just the way they handle each other- the softness, the gentlenesss, the heart eyes, the closeness. Then how all of this plays with their connection and communication and all the things they talk about that went into cultivating their partnership- how that manifests physically.

That is very wide reaching and I think I would need at least 3 hours just to talk about all of that stuff (I would legit need like 5 hours with both of them, then like an additional two hours each of them alone so they can brag about each other hahahahahahahah) but that’s where a lot of my fascination lies and none of those things I think they have really talked about in depth in any other interview. The first few points are because I’m (was) a dancer and worked a lot with partners, but I never had the opportunity to work with any one partner for a long time nor get to any kind of performance based physical intimacy/connection with (very few stage dancers do coz you never have just one partner your whole career, much less from the age of 7/9- you don’t usually start learning proper partnering till teenage years). The rest is the stuff we all go googly eyes about and you legit don’t see it with other couples (dance pairs and just couples in general). The way they handle each other is so insanely beautiful and I would want to know if they are aware of it or its just so natural they don’t realise.

So, lets break these down into actual questions/proper subsections/dot points to launch off from (coz if one of them starts saying something interesting I’m following them down that train of thought).

Q1:

A) Can you discuss the evolution of your partnering, how as you grew older, stronger and more mature that developed. B) In your book you talk about working with Cirque du Soleil performers to develop your lifts but is there more you can elaborate on that- how you created them, developing program/character specific lifts, transferring from floor to ice (maybe get them to talk about 3 examples of lifts: Pink Floyd serpentine lift, original Funny Face curve lift, Carmen/MR rotational lift). C) How much ballet/ballroom pdd/partnering training did you do off ice (throughout career) and how did that aid you on the ice- closeness and body positions, your movement in harmony is so superior, transferring those techniques to the ice and adapting them for the steps, turns, glide, physics etc.

Q2:

A) once you developed (and continued to develop) your partnering technique- your way of individually moving together as one along with things like lifts, as that trust, safety, comfort with each other grew as far as the physical, athletic component of the sport, how did you then develop your movement- I’m gonna say ‘language’ together? You have said that you felt you became known for having a certain ‘lyrical’ style, yet your body of work proves you are the most versatile team in history. Personally, watching you I feel your style really comes from a much deeper connection and understanding of this language in how you moved together- no matter the specific dance style. So what was developing that language like? Did you find it came naturally as you matured, found styles/music you latched (pun intended) onto? Did you have to refresh/refine/redefine it often/occasionally? (Like working with Jean Marc).

B) Did that language change a bit with each program or was it this constant that you took with you into each new piece? How did the process of developing characters affect the choreographic process- say with something like Carmen or MR, more character driven, and how did that differ to looser themed programs like say Mahler or Latch- where the story is less obvious but very important to the two of you in how you convey movement together. What role did improvisation play in discovering movement?From personal experience I know its always different, but did you find there was a natural rhythm and process to how you found movement together- when one of you move did the other naturally find how to hold or complement the other? I imagine after so long together less and less verbal communication was needed to find movement and your bodies just naturally found each other and moved for each other.

C) You’ve mentioned briefly previously about working with acting coaches, and how especially in the comeback you found this… slightly method-ish approach of starting your movement, interactions and emotion from within- letting how you each feel inform how you interact- along with using character driven prompts, and this allowed each time you danced/practiced it to feel different and in the moment, and like you were really having an experience with each other in the world of your program.. can you elaborate more on that- what was entailed in working with the acting coach, what kind of things did you do, what other acting techniques did you employ? Would you say, speak to each other as your characters, obviously dancing you are communicating through movement but did these kind of things help you in discovering and learning about your characters? I find the way you two dance everything is so informed by what the other does, in a somewhat spontaneous way as if you are really living it in the moment like it hasn’t happened yet (sorry I’m trailing off).

Q3:

A) So there’s these two things you guys do that is pretty unique to you as a team: First thing is The Hug. I know you’ve been asked about it a few times before and it became this quite fascinating process to watch. It must be such a hard thing to verbalise because, the meaning is so internal and emotional, what you’re doing is quite simple but I imagine there’s really a lot going on. So I know how that sort of ritual started but, I’m sure like your dancing and skating and partnership as a whole as you went through more and more experiences together, if you can put it into words what did that ritual of the hug come to symbolise? What else was going on within it? The idea of getting your heartbeats to synchronise is I think maybe the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard, so did you ever get them to and maybe in your desire for achieving that… I don’t know I just have this idea in my head that when you started working with B2Ten through heart rate and blood pressure monitoring or whatever they were able to get you to synch up so quickly and efficiently- not so it became robotic, but so it became more automatic and you knew it was gonna be there but then also I can imagine it being your special ritual that was your’s and no one was allowed to touch it and whether some days its was easier or not it had to be this completely natural process.

B) The second thing is, and I’m fully aware this seems like an odd thing to notice and have thoughts about, but within the kind of nature and traditional ‘rules’ within your sport, is often when you guys would be stroking around the ice on like a practice or warm up, is you hold hands, like properly rather than dance hold like, pretty much all other teams do. And, on first glance it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when you notice no one else does it its quite obvious. Then when you watch more, you notice that you guys have to change back to dance hold for things like bows and getting into partnering, so it’s not super convenient-that’s why dance hold exists. But I also just think it’s so indicative of you guys being this TEAM.. like it just makes you appear so strong and together, and less like this distanced dance pair. I know you’ve said- in relation to your IWTHYH exhibition, that “holding each other’s hand is the most intimate thing two people can share”, and I thought that was so inspiring, and I think really says a lot about your partnership- that you can show your love for each other through the most simple of gestures. So I’m wondering was this a conscious decision to start holding hands like this, and progressively more and almost exclusively when you came back in 2016, or was it like with the hug it just happened one day and you found you really liked it a lot more than dance hold? Was it ever noticed by coaches or judges or officials etc and frowned upon? What do you feel that hand hold gave you? It feels like watching you there was just this sense of empowerment and invincibility- not immune to failure or anything, but you were just stronger. It feels very empowering.

Q4:

(this would be prefaced with “if its too personal…..”) So I’m really curious about the physical intimacy you guys share- not only on the ice but somewhat off ice too. From the outside it’s obvious you guys have this beautiful, caring loving relationship- that’s obviously more, or deeper then a normal friendship, but also because it’s platonic… it’s just so unique. And don’t know if you guys realise it.. I mean you know the way you are is not like other ID couples, and I’m not asking this from the pov of what most portrayed as ‘romance’ but the way you guys are with each other is so beautiful, like you’re so gentle with each other and just the way you hold each other and look at each other like the world could be ending around you and you wouldn’t blink. And when I see it I don’t think ‘romance’ I just see these two people, living so artistically and you just have this aura as if your souls are connected, when you’re together it’s like the air is thinner, or as you’ve said creating this bubble where you only see each other and that’s such a safe space. So I guess what I’m curious to know is what does that mean to both or you? Being able to be that way, so unashamedly, was it always that easy or when did it become easy? Whether it’s kinda in the context of a program practice or just, I guess it’s being each other’s support system and confidant. I know you’ve kinda called bs in the past at the idea that anything that you do is played up for the crowd or the judges- I mean there is that in ice dance of convincing the judges of chemistry- but you guys never needed to, so it really just seems like it comes from this place of overwhelming love and care for each other. I know you’ve both said that you are very sensitive people and I can kinda see that in the way you treat each other that your always so aware of the others feelings and energy. Its just really beautiful, and then you see that gentleness in your partnering as well. It’s an odd thing to explain.. S I remember you saying how when T came back after surgery and you were being so gentle with her, afraid she would break. I think that’s so sweet, but then in a way, it’s like that softness continued and you’re both that way with each other and it’s not out of fear of the other breaking, its just this care and kind of, protection of each other, almost on a spiritual level. I’m sorry this rambled on forever, so I guess this was just a long complement for the both of you but if you may I’d love to know what your thoughts on that are, if you were consciously aware of it, and I guess, if you miss it- being able to be that close and physically caring of each other. To watch from the outside it’s very emotional and, if I’m reading it right, the care you have for each other is so visceral, I just wonder if it felt that magical for the two of you, after so long it still seemed just as special and emotional.

Follow up: how do you reconcile the physical nature of your relationship - all that in between stuff- the not choreography or the performing, with how you are removed from that. I think the way you treat each other off ice- out of that ‘athletic partnership’ just as best friends is so beautiful, unique and full of love as well, but it is different- it inevitably is out of that athletic/artistic space. Do any of those moments linger with you once you leave the ice for the day? Do they cause conflicting emotions? Is it something that you feel content with keeping in your safe space on the ice or the studio?

*this question/comment would be something I would want to ask them separately as well- obviously word it more specifically for each of them. Full disclosure I would one million% feel awkward AF asking them this but I still really want to know and since there’s a 0.000000001% change of me actually getting to interview them I can just be here feeling my usual amount of awkward.

2. The other thing I’m really curious about is their unwavering commitment to each other. Their unbreakable loyalty. Truly why skating with someone else was never an option- like at all. Why they wouldn’t do DWTS or BOTB or perform one-off with other partners, let alone form a new competitive partnership. When that really started to set in that they would only do this with each other. Beyond the work they put in starting at a really young age of cultivating respect and strong work ethic, why they chose so early on to only be with each other. Do they consider their partnership to be this exclusive thing like that of making a vow to each other. The way they often talked and still talk about how special it was…

So I think these questions maybe a little briefer. These again are questions I would ask them both together and separately. There’s something interesting about this/these questions, the topic of them, I think this is something they would often discuss privately together, but feel less comfortable answering together. I’m not sure, I just know based on things they’ve said how they would talk openly about how they felt about each other and things like.. that they told each other their biggest fear was letting the other down, that they are happier for each other then themselves, or they care more for each other than themselves. Yes they have admitted saying this stuff (that’s how I know) but I wonder would a question like this- their commitment to each other be more openly answered separately then together- that they would discuss this stuff, how they feel privately together but not publicly together. Does that make sense??

Ok so some specific questions:

Q1: Can you discuss your commitment to each other? It’s so obvious based on the fact you never wanted to change partners, stuck with each other through injuries and semi-retirement, actual retirement, all the pressure and outside people nit picking at your partnership and off-ice relationship, protecting your amazing friendship and kinda companionship in each other for so much of your lives. The strength of your bond and commitment to each other just seems stronger then steel. You wouldn’t even do DWTS or BOTB- dance/skate professionally with other partners. Is your partnership to the both of you, somewhat of an exclusive- “marriage”- like commitment to each other-not an actual marriage but a commitment to each other that you would never break? Was it this combination of the work you put in and learning to care for and respect one another for the success and growth of your partnership, and along with that developed this genuine emotional connection?

Follow up: the way you often talk about it, not just what you say but the emotion with which you say it, it really feels like it was just so special to you and it was in a sense, like this love language- a language only the two of you spoke, and it was this thing that was so necessary you take care- that you took care of each other, and this partnership. This connection where it seemed like if one of you felt broken the other could feel it to. It’s sometimes like when I hear you get asked about dancing/skating with other people there’s this hurt and fear in your voices about the thought of having to do this without each other. You’ve said how the thought of singles skating is terrifying and what gave you so much strength was having each other. So what was that like? Can you describe some of the emotional factors behind protecting your partnership throughout your skating career?

Follow up: how important is it to the both of you that each other is the one that you have in a sense, for a huge part of your life, trusted with your life- your emotions, your wellbeing, your insecurities, your body, your heart. And how important is it to you that even now, you protect that bond and keep it as this incredibly strong and loving relationship even though your life circumstances are very different?

Follow up: do you consider yourselves to be part of each others family?

(I’m aware these questions are very long winded. In an interview situation I would try to cut them down- I hate when the interviewer talks too much- but that’s when it’s about themselves and not the interviewee- for me I just want to give them so much praise and complements and- not talk about myself but tell them how they make me feel- maybe give them a glimpse at what it’s like to witness from the outside these smaller things others haven’t brought up before).

Ok, now for some individual questions. As I said a lot of the stuff above I would also ask them individually because of the way they gush about each other there is stuff you would maybe get when the other is not there- this being a huge dilemma is they just think the freaking world of each other that the whole interview may be spent complementing each other. However I will say it’s amazing how good they are at accepting complements to their face- so often that can be cringy (unless you’re a narcissist) but I think they can take it so maturely because they DO think the world of each other so its easy to look each other in the eye and say think is what I think and feel about you because they know it is honest and they feel the same way.

Some questions first for Tessa: (I’m not gonna go in depth on these ones)

Her ballet/dance upbringing. Did she do exams (if so what syllabus) when did she go on/how long was she on pointe for (I doubt when they moved away and were skating full time she bothered with pointe shoes in the ballet she did do, not often at least) did she compete in solo/group dance competitions like with skating. What’s her favourite ballet/dance production, if she could perform one principal ballet role what would it be

Preparing skates: breaking in, care etc (compared to say pointe shoes- there is a whole process I imagine there would also be with skates I would just want to know everything about that coz I find it interesting) - I could ask either of them this really

I would like to ask her about that physical intimacy stuff without Scott- just from a female pov and being in a dance/performance environment- so it’s not your actual ‘SO’ partner, being so beautifully treated in that ‘dance partner’ relationship so there’s that element of friendship but mostly professionalism and a bit of presentation, what that felt like and yeh…. Does she miss it.

Scott:

I would probably just geek out over The Office with him. Bond over Modern Family quotes and being able to remember really random lines of dialogue.

This was touched on in the KOP podcast but I would go into more depth about his artistic journey. His relationship with the artistry side of the sport, other topics of that nature. Also that period in their teens when they made two big moves/coaching changes, how that affected him on top of puberty- as he says he could be a bit of a dick (and could’ve been nicer to Tessa) back then. How did he manage that then and how does he reconcile it now- its not a bad thing, we all go through shitty stages through our teens and when they were legit training for the olympics (2006) and winning international juniors comps- the pressure both from the outside and on themselves would be challenging to deal with- also the affect moving away from his family had on him.

One final question for both of them: WTF was that water bottle shit they had going on at that press conference at Finlandia Trophy in 2011??

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