OCTOBER 2019 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 31PH
OT
OS
:^ TA
TJA
NA
FL
AD
E
talented choreographer.
“I am very happy that this program was
seen at international events, that I won
medals on the Grand Prix with it and made
it to the Grand Prix Final. When all this
happened — maybe it sounds banal — but
at each of my competitions when I took my
starting position I thought, ‘Denis, if you are
watching, help me a bit’ because it was a big
responsibility and a lot of pressure.
“But basically, I feel I fulfilled my mission
with it in a decent way so
that the worldwide society
of figure skating saw Denis
not only as a skater, but
also as a choreographer.
Although we were not close
friends, he helped me a lot
and I am grateful.”
For his second number,
Voronov chose “February”
by Russian composer
Leonid Levashkevich. “I’ve
known this music for a long
time, but you don’t build a
program to it quickly. First
of all, this music ... you
feel it when you listen to it.
To me, this music is tragic
and I think these are the
feelings I wanted to convey
in honor of Denis. I had the
choice of many pieces, but
I chose this because I felt
it was exactly what was
needed here.”
Canadian ice dancers
Weaver and Poje skated last
in the show and performed
their free dance from last
season, “S.O.S d’un terrien
en détresse” from the rock
opera “Starmania.” Ten
had used this music for his
long program the previous
season, and Weaver and
Poje decided to use it after
hearing it at Ten’s show in
May 2018.
“Our goal and energy
was to honor his spirit
and memory and we were all united in
that project. It was very, very sad so it was
nice to feel uplifted after going through
those emotions. For me personally, I feel
like this is something I never could have
imagined when we started choreographing
this program while Denis was still alive.
Now, I feel like this is where this programwas meant to be performed. To have
the perspective and to see the full circle
is overwhelming.
“It was an honor to be invited many
times in the past, and then finally to be
able to attend this show was phenomenal.
I only hold love for Kazakhstan. It was not
a question to come back, ever. It was an
honor to be asked. And it was an honor to
perform our free dance one last time. To do
that was an emotion I don’t think I’ll everbe able to process.”
Radionova chose to perform “Mi
Mancherai,” which Ten had once used as an
exhibition program. “I am performing here
with not so light feelings,” she said. “On one
hand, a show is always a celebration, but
on the other hand, I cannot enjoy skating
100 percent.“This is a serious show in memory of
Denis, and all the athletes approached it
in a serious manner.”
Mura was happy that he was able to
be part of the show and also that skating
fans from Japan were in attendance. He
performed to one of Ten’s signature pieces,
“The Artist,” from the 2012-2013 season.
Choi, who was good friends with Ten,
interpreted “Tu Sei,” the last short program
he competed.
Russian ice dancers
Alexandra Stepanova and
Ivan Bukin were unable
to attend. The World
junior bronze medalists,
Sofia Shevchenko and
Igor Eremenko, came
in their place. They
performed to “The Lady
and the Hooligan,” the
long program music
Ten used for the 2013-
2014 season.
Their teammate
Roman Savosin, the
2019 World junior
silver medalist, had also
trained at the CSKA
club as a child and always
looked up to Ten. He
presented his new short
program, set to Russian
gypsy music.
Other performers
included the ice acrobat
duo of Alexander
Lubchenko and Philip
Warren and the French
aerialist Marie-Pierre
Leray, who had been cast
members in shows Ten
had produced in the past.
Ten’s parents intend
to continue holding an
annual show with all
proceeds going to the
Denis Ten Foundation.
They have also published
a book of poems written
by their son.
The Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, a
competition that has been sanctioned by
the International Skating Union, will take
place in Almaty, Oct. 10-13.
A biography, which will be published in
Russian and English, and a documentary
on Ten’s life and career are scheduled for
release at the end of 2019. IFSKaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje