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two videos of shoma as posted on nam nguyen's instagram stories

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The serotonin hit from this choreo will sustain me for days.

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Shoma UNO (JPN), during Men Short Program, at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2024, at Centre Bell, on March 21, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Raniero Corbelletti/AFLO)

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‼️ wasabi >_< I don’t like wasabi

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Shoma Uno @ Prince Ice World 2024

Shoma skated to Dancing on my own his 2019-2021 free skate as a surprise.

So glad he brought Domo back, this program holds a special place in my heart 🥹

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piw program pls be Loco pls pls pls

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Kiss & Cry vol.50 Shoma Uno x Stéphane Lambiel Special Cross Interview An "I love you" to figure skating

Shoma Uno is facing the 2023-2024 season with the goal of "pursuing expression". What does "expression" really mean to him, and what does he have in mind beyond that? We spoke to Uno and his coach Stéphane Lambiel.

[T/N: italics denote narration, regular text direct quotes. Please do not repost the translation elsewhere.]

What the two of them think about 'expression'. Shoma Uno won consecutive World Championships. In the 2023-2024 season, which is themed around the pursuit of expressiveness, he performs the short program from the movie 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'" choreographed by his coach Stéphane Lambiel, and the free program "Timelapse" choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto. How does Uno feel about his improvement in expressive ability now that he is more than halfway through the season? And as a coach, how does Lambiel see him? We talked to them on the day after the NHK Trophy FS.

To Coach Lambiel, what made you decide to use this song in the short program?

Stéphane: The program is a combination of three pieces from the movie soundtrack. The song I used at the beginning was originally in my big playlist, but what made me decide to use it for the program was when I was on a plane and watched the movie. I enjoyed the music from the film, enjoyed the movement, thought 'this is interesting,' and felt inspired. I originally had an idea that 'it would be interesting if Shoma moved like this', by mixing music with a bit of spirit to match the smoothness of his skating. When I started choreographing, he moved just as I had envisioned. That's how the program was created.

Shoma: Stéphane's choreography is difficult every year, but I have the impression that this season's choreography is easy for my body to get used to. Even without practicing it that much, my body got used to it from the beginning.

Stéphane: He projects the world I imagined into reality.

Shoma: The free is more difficult than the short. The music is unique and difficult. Up until now, in the second half of the program there was a part where the music got more exciting, but since this is not the case here, I have to practice much more to make up for it.

In the interview after the short, you said that you admired Coach Lambiel as an expressive performer. What specific aspects would you like to incorporate?

Shoma: I don't have the skills to incorporate Stéphane's performance, so it would be impossible for me to do so. As a coach, Stéphane gives me advice, saying, 'You should do this more,' and 'I want you to move with this kind of image.' I want to take in his words and do my best to embody them within what I can do.

Stéphane: There is no doubt that Shoma is a skater who naturally excels at expression. I think of 'expression' in this way; it may be something you are born with, or it may be something you cultivate. Either way, it's some kind of 'language'. Whether it's through words, music, or movement, I believe that it's about having a desire to convey something to the other person, conveying one's inner feelings, it's a communication between the person giving the message and the person receiving it. Shoma has that, and more importantly, he has the strength to move forward with determination in whatever he decides to do.

Speaking about expression, coach Lambiel touched upon the NHK Trophy.

Stéphane: There's one thing that remained in my heart from this NHK Trophy. The moment Shoma finished his performance, he first looked at me. I felt he conveyed a feeling of wanting to ask, 'How was my performance?' At that moment, from the bottom of my heart, I felt honored to have a student like this. I also felt that he treats figure skating with honesty, purity, and love. Inside me, there is no doubt that he's a hero.

[T/N: in-text narration of the NHK performances] Coach Lambiel's eyes were filled with tears as he reminisced about the NHK Trophy, as if deep, uncontrollable emotions were coming forth. At the NHK Trophy, Uno showed stunning performances that drew the audience in both the short and free skates. He captivated the audience with the emotion in his expression, creating a world of stillness or tranquillity. A standing ovation was inevitable. This showed the improvement of his expressive power, which he had been striving for this season. In the free skate, however, since all four of his quadruple jumps were marked with a "Q",  indicating a 90 degree underrotation, he finished in second place overall. The judgment of underrotation, which was clearly unusual compared to the way jumps were judged in previous competitions, put a damper on that good performance. Coach Lambiel must have felt that Uno's performance was excellent, as shown by the long hug he gave him after the free skate, and he could not hold back his emotions at the judging.

This is what Uno said about it.

Shoma: It had been a short time since Cup of China, but I was able to show the results of my practice, and I thought Stéphane must have been happy, so I was myself very happy when I finished my performance. Now, seeing how depressed Stéphane got [at the score] makes me feel glad he is my coach. However, no matter how good a performance is, if it doesn't get a good score, it will be seen as a bad performance. That saddens me too, and it also hurts to see Stéphane being sad. I don't like to put on a facade when I'm talking in public, but I think that saying exactly what you think isn't always a good thing, and it can also make you enemies. But I've been living my life this way, and the people around me, first of all those here like Stéphane, Demi-san, and my manager, understand my efforts and what I really value, and I'm really happy that there are people who can be happy with me. Figure skating competitions are scored by people, so I don't think there's anyone at fault. Right now I just feel so lucky to have been blessed with the people around me.

The All Japan Championship 2023 will begin on December 20th.

Shoma: "I believe that my performance at the NHK Trophy was wonderful, so I want to continue to do this kind of performance in the future. Otherwise, wouldn't this performance be wasted? People only pay attention to my statements and my scores, and don't realize that it was a good performance. I think it would be a waste for it to end like that, so I hope to perform as well as I did this time at the Japanese Nationals."

Stéphane: He is a person who can realize what he sets his mind to. He will decide for himself which direction he wants to take in life, and I don't doubt that he can succeed. That's an unshakeable conviction for me."

That was a praise grounded in unconditional love.

[T/N: yes they really ended the article like that]

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from Shoma Uno and Stéphane Lambiel special cross interview in Kiss&Cry magazine vol.50

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[id: Stéphane skating in black pants, a sequined black hooded jacket, and a mesh shirt. watermark reads © Attenais. /end id]

Stéphane Lambiel rehearsing Take Me to Church for Intimissimi on Ice 2016 (photo by Irina Teterina/Attenais)

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Shoma Uno — Practice at GPF 2023

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six flags and bacon, the two redeeming products of America’s cultural output

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Deniss Vasiljevs and coach Stéphane Lambiel in the mixed zone after the SP at the 2023 European Championships | 2023.01.10

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Naturally .

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Celebrating Shoma's win 🥳

Yuma ducking behind them to get out of the frame 🤣🤣🤣 Shoma's face when he is lifted 😂

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Kosho Oshima: The Super Mario Bros. Movie » 2023 Japanese Nationals

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[x]

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never change Steph, never change