Azumi visited Mr Takahashi in the middle of his practice.
Now he is changing his shoes so he can experience figure skating.
Thank you for your waiting.
Oh, no.
Did you laugh a little?
What?
You're laughing a bit.
No I'm not.
I saw you shining.
Thanks in advance, let's go. Yes, let's.
How well can you skate?
How well? I am quite fine going straight.
Please show me.
Then I'll go around the rink following you.
You behind me? I will follow you.
Oh will you? OK. Don't laugh, please?
Going now, OK? All right.
Oh, great!
He's good.
You do great.
You may put down your... Need to put out my arms to balance.
Let me go after you. OK.
Your face!!
You being serious? I am serious.
Very serious.
Scary.
I am not scary.
Your face was awesome.
Then Azumi is going to learn how to jump from Mr Takahashi.
A 1/2 rotating jump.
This is the start. I see.
Left foot.. You start on your left foot
and swing your right leg upward. Oh, all right.
Going this way.
Right, right.
Just about that but it's harder to go straight.
If you make a curve, to sweep and jump, you can use power of your body more easily. I got it.
And next,
May I try ice dancing with you?
It goes like this. This way, right?
Then, And then?
1, 2, 3...
Just about this.
I'm having very much fun!
Oh we go 'whiz'? OK, "whiiiiiizzz."
It's just about this. Good. It's very good.
Can you stop? Yes, I can.
OK. Wow.
This way.
I'll be the girl. Oh, OK.
Like this.
It was fun. Thank you.
This was my first time so I couldn't do ice dancing well.
Really?
But I think the way you bring your body close to me shows that you're a natural.
No,no,no.
After Azumi took a trial lesson,
the next place they went to was---
We came to town of Ebisu.
I heard that Now that you came to Tokyo you want to see someone?
I want to see Mr Tetsuya Kumakawa, the ballet dancer.
I believe that Ms Mao Asada is looking for a ballet instructor.
Yes. A lot of figure skaters take ballet lessons.
Mr Takahashi wanted to get some advices from the ballet dancer Tetsuya Kumakawa
so that he can improve his figure skating skills.
But we kind of have an image of Mr Kumakawa that he's too stoic and hard to approach.
Right. I get a little afraid.
I feel that I'd get scolded.
So now they have come to Mr Kumakawa's ballet company
"K Ballet Company".
It also puts special energy into nurturing children, the future ballet dancers.
What a surprise!
Congratulations for your achievement this time. Thank you.
Everyone. Congratulations!
You all, make a good effort to become like Mr Takahashi.
What are you guys drinking? It's juice.
We bring these from home.
Hey there, stop trying to stand out!
We got scolded.
In fact Mr Kumakawa is in practice for the next show.
so they will wait till he finishes.
[10 minutes later]
And then,
I am getting nervous.
Hi!
Hello. How do you do? How do you do?
Hello, it's been a while. How are you?
You froze up? Yes, very much.
Kumakawa Tetsuya, the most renowned Japanese ballet dancer.
The first Asian who joined The Royal Ballet, London.
After that he set up K Ballet Company.
He also had his right anterior ligament injured like Takahashi
and his career was threatened to end, but he overcame it.
We'll see what advice can Mr Takahashi get from him who shares the same experience.
So today, you got some questions you want to ask Mr Kumakawa.
Go ahead, let’s hear about it.
Well, since the ice wasn't broken yet for good communication.
So I talked loud trying to change the air.
I keep catching his eyes all this time
and his eyes are overpowering mine. Right. I know.
Mr Kumakawa, you're radiating too much an aura!
No I'm not.. You are!
You keep your aura down a little.
How?
Have glazed eyes to listen to what he says.
My shoulders are stiff.
They are stiff. I try different ways to raise up my arms easily and look nice.
(K) To raise them up easily... (T) Is it diffi... not possible?
(K) Oh, maybe you are stiff. (T) Right. All of my body.
I guess you're stiff. They are very forward.
(A) Oh yeah? (K) Yeah, completely forward.
(K) Dancers have to put them up to next to their ears.
(T) Shouldn't they, though?
How can I make them flexible?
You can only swing your arms around. Swing around?
And when you do the warm-up always do this, hold hands and...
You always have to... you don't do it?
I don't. That's very tough on my shoulders.
You kidding. I'm extra stiff.
How could you get the bronze medal with that?
Oh, these are outstanding muscles.
Ahh, you'd better make your muscles loosen up.
Skate has a great impact of power.
You gain such a speed to prepare for a jump
and the hangtime in the air and the range of transfer.
They compel the audience.
I stamp on the floor to jump up here I can easily rotate 3 times.
If I have that speed I may be able to turn about 8 times.
(A) Here you go! (K) 8 may be too many.
Here, a ballet dancer presents a challenge to an ice skater.
Well, let's sit down.
(T) And also, (K) Hip joints?
I can't open them at all, especially since the injury.
Don't you get scared to open?
I do. You do, don't you?
If you try to open with this part, Later you'll get them twisted.
So you have to open from the hip joints down.
Thought so. Is there any trick?
Practicing is the only way? No, not practicing.
Stretching. Stretching?
I want to do a movement called 'eagle'. Eagle?
There is a movement like this. Skating this way.
Oh, like this? Yes.
I can't. My bottom sticks out. Oh.
I'm very stiff all along.
Don't you do Ina Bauer? I can't do it.
Show me.
Pose #4, right? Like this. Right. I'm really stiff.
Is it OK to do on this side? Oh so Ina Bauer is Pose #4.
Well, in ballet. Yes, in ballet.
Then you lean back a lot?
That . . . This is Ina Bauer.
Leaning back is Ms Arakawa's specialty. Ohh, I see.
This is Ina Bauer. That's right.
Skate this way.
Then leaning back with it. . . Seems that I can do that.
(A) Here you go. (T) You can. Absolutely.
So you lean your upper body back, it's Arakawa? That's right.
Wow!
I'm sure he had practiced watching it on TV.
The rest of the time, while he still kept being overwhelmed by Mr Kumakawa
Mr Takahashi got many different advices for his performance in figure skating.
What do you think about Mr Kumakawa?
It was awesome.
Really, I wanted him to turn off his aura.
He got me like "don’t know what to do" when I caught his eyes.
No, no, no.
I almost fell In love.
Thought, "he was very cool!"
Thank you very much, Mr Takahashi!
What is your goal from now?
I can't think about 4 years from now at all.
I'd like to find something I really want to do.
I owe a lot of people who helped me to come this far.
Now I'd like to look for what I can do for the next generation skaters
While I continue my competing career.
I truly wish you great work. Thank you very much, Mr. Takahashi!
