Yesterday started off as a normal work-day
Yesterday started off as a normal work-day: attending meetings, writing emails, sending faxes, and putting finishing touches on the senior preview article for ice-dance.com. Around 3:30 p.m. I heard from Michelle, who asked if I could be on the U.S. Figure Skating conference call with Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto. The call was scheduled last-minute, and Michelle wasn't sure she could fully partipate on such short notice. My day went from boring and predictable to exciting at the thought of interviewing Tanith and Ben about the upcoming U.S. Championships!
This was my first conference call for ice-dance.com, so naturally, I was a little nervous. Michelle decided to dial-in as well and help take notes, which made me feel a lot better. She and I were among the first to call in, and we soon found ourselves trying to kill time via Gmail chat as USFS was having some technical difficulties with Tanith and Ben getting onto the call. Callers were not automatically muted, so we followed our instructions and pressed *6 to mute ourselves. Then we realized something important: no one told us how to UN-mute! And you can't ask others on the call how to do it because, well, we're muted. At one point, another member of the press (who did not mute) shouted in our ears and during most of the call there was a distinct screeching noise. That was not pleasant. But it was well worth it once Tanith and Ben got on the line.
Scottie Bibb from USFS introduced Tanith and Ben and asked them if they could walk us through their season so far.
Tanith: This has been an incredible season, the best season we have ever had. We feel the strongest and really think our programs are the best work we have ever done. This summer we put in more work than the summer after the Olympics. This season we really wanted to step up our game. All year we have had great feedback on our programs, especially our free dance. I think our free dance is special and unique. We aren't planning on making big changes right now to any of our dances. Right now we are just practicing and working hard.
After Scottie's initial question, members of the press were allowed to ask Tanith and Ben their own questions. I figured out that unmuting required another *6, so I was fortunate enough to ask two questions. The first one had been weighing on my mind the whole season as I saw the numerous changes made to their country/folk OD.
Katie Weigel from ice-dance.com (otherwise known as "me"): Tanith and Ben, you said that all season you have received feedback about your free dance and were able to make changes. I have noticed that you have also changed your original dance a number of times. Can you elaborate on the changes you made in the original dance and what prompted these changes?
Ben: At the beginning of the season, we felt that our free dance was our strongest part of the competition. The feedback we received after Skate America was that our original dance didn't hold up to strength of the free dance. Because of that, we wanted to go back to the drawing board. We really wanted to focus on getting the energy going right from the beginning. We needed to capture the essence of the dance right away and draw the audience in. We also wanted the audience to appreciate the fun nature of the dance and improve the impact of the program. After making the changes, we feel like we are able to draw people in right away.
Tanith: I think that the free dance was better received because it came from a more honest place. I think ice dance critics can read right through you. I think the free dance is subtle and beautiful with an honest emotion. In the original dance, maybe we were doing it a little too hokey, a little too animated. We wanted to bring that genuine feeling into a hyper, energetic program. The costume changes and music changes also helped. Now we feel like the dance is more relatable to us.
Michelle typed her question into Gmail chat so that I could ask it for her, since she wasn't able to talk at that moment.
Katie Weigel from ice-dance.com (still me): A few years ago, there were only seven senior dance teams and now it seems like the depth in dance at all levels has really gone up. Do you feel responsible for that?
Tanith: If anyone would be so bold to say that, we would be flattered. Everything has a cycle and we came along at the right time. We were very lucky to have the opportunity we did at the Olympics to be in the spotlight. I think ice dancing was ready to climb that wave. There are very young skaters dedicated just like we are. Ben and I don't stand alone. Meryl (Davis) and Charlie (White) and other junior skaters have worked really hard to get where they are. Once skating gets back to more coverage we will hopefully see the quality of skating that ice dancing has to offer.
Ben: I really feel so lucky that we were able to come and follow in the footsteps of some really great skaters who were training so hard but just banging against the wall. I think the ice dancing world was ready for us to come along. I think people can see it is possible (to do well) and that American ice dancers can succeed. It's really incredible for me to watch the young skaters come along and really push the sport. That is the most exciting thing, and I am amazed at how the depth has grown over the last few years.
Elvin Walker from GoldenSkate.com: You guys are all but guaranteed a fifth national title. So looking at what is coming for you later this season, what do you need to do to be on top at Worlds? You were successful in defeating the Russians once this season. How will you plan to beat them later this season?
Ben: First of all, we are extremely excited about Nationals. We look at it as one of the most important competitions of the season. We get to perform for our fan base. We don't want to put Nationals behind before we compete there. Looking ahead, we need to keep working and polishing everything the best that we can. We really just want to perform our programs to their very best.
Tanith: We don't consider the Russians our one and only competition going into the World Championships. The dance world right now is very unpredictable. There are the French teams, Tessa (Virtue) and Scott (Moir), and many others. We don't single out one team. It is a very tight race. We also can't count out up and comers because they are ready to come in and take our spots.
Elvin Walker from GoldenSkate.com: If you do capture your fifth National title, you will be in very good company among American ice-dancers. What does that mean for you?
Tanith: We trained with Naomi (Lang) and Peter (Tchernyschev) while [they were] earning five U.S. titles. Liz (Punsalan) and Jerod (Swallow) also won five titles. We feel honored to be considered with them. Our goal for the future is to continue our winning streak right up to 2010.
Brian with Colorado Springs Gazette: What makes this season better than others?
Ben: I think this season is a culmination of ten years working together. Most importantly, we took time to go back to basics this past summer. This year we were really able look at our basics and make sure that we were becoming stronger and faster. We worked on having better line and unison.
Tanith: The fundamentals of our skating skills have really improved. I think this year we were able to approach this season as mature adults. I think that things are really falling into place for us.
Lynn Rutherford with IceNetwork.com: Tanith and Ben, it seems that in the compulsories you lose points compared to your other dances. How have you taken steps this season to improve the compulsory dances?
Ben: We think we have made a step forward this year with the compulsory dances. We have put the time in. There is really no other way to improve them but to put in time on basic skating skills.
Nancy Armour with the Associated Press: Was there a point where you realized you needed to go back to basics?
Ben: The desire to go back and work on our basics was always there. It has been something we have wanted to work on every year. Last year was the worst for our schedule. We just didn't have the time to train that summer (after the Olympics). This year was the first good opportunity in a few years to get to work on basic skating. We did a lot of stroking, basic exercises, and strength training. We learned how important basics are, and we need to keep that in mind looking forward to the coming years. We know we need to build as much time in for training the basics.
Tanith: This year we took the time off and on the ice to work on our basic skills. We are using every second of our warm-up. We don't just casually warm up. Our mental approach to training is to be more efficient. When we are off the ice we are not finished training. We have been stretching more after sessions and working out harder and longer. The result is that we are physically more fit.
Nancy from St. Paul Pioneer Press: How do you feel about your momentum going into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver?
Tanith: This year is the first year that we have been able to progress, which has given us motivation to push ourselves further. Two years seems long, but it really isn't. I am worried that we will run out of time and that we will get too anxious too soon before 2010. 2006 wasn't as nerve-wracking because we weren't expecting to compete in the Olympics then.
Ben: I think this year is extremely important because it will set up the competition going into the Olympics. Teams will start vying for positions on the world stage. Everyone will be paying attention to this battle. Two years will fly by. I think the next few years will be very exciting.
Nancy Armour with the Associated Press: There has been a decline in viewership of figure skating over the past years. Why do you think this happened and how do you think skating can recover?
Tanith: I've tried to talk to skating fans, and I've found out that people still love skating. People love it for the sport and the entertainment. I think the key to success is how we are packaging it and selling it to people. I know that the skating world is trying to market it in new ways to get more people interested. Before, we had a lot of stars and celebrities. Somehow we are missing that now. We don't have the scandals and the celebrities. I think we should try to find something for the younger generation to relate to. The problem is people haven't seen enough of skating to see past the stereotypes. The key is to find a new way to sell skating.
Ben: Tanith pretty much said it all. The new judging system offers new terminology for viewers to get used to. New elements have made the level of sport increase and have made it more exciting. But we need to make it more understandable for the viewers.
After this last question, our time to chat with Tanith and Ben was up. All-in-all, I thought the other reporters on the call asked interesting and thoughtful questions. We covered a lot of ground in a half-hour! (The above quotes do not constitute a transcript of every spoken word, but were highlights of the call.) I would have loved to sit down with Tanith and Ben and discuss these issues, especially about how to market and grow figure skating, but alas, our time was limited.
I am very happy with the way my first conference call went and I hope to do many more for ice-dance.com!
This was my first conference call for ice-dance.com, so naturally, I was a little nervous. Michelle decided to dial-in as well and help take notes, which made me feel a lot better. She and I were among the first to call in, and we soon found ourselves trying to kill time via Gmail chat as USFS was having some technical difficulties with Tanith and Ben getting onto the call. Callers were not automatically muted, so we followed our instructions and pressed *6 to mute ourselves. Then we realized something important: no one told us how to UN-mute! And you can't ask others on the call how to do it because, well, we're muted. At one point, another member of the press (who did not mute) shouted in our ears and during most of the call there was a distinct screeching noise. That was not pleasant. But it was well worth it once Tanith and Ben got on the line.
Scottie Bibb from USFS introduced Tanith and Ben and asked them if they could walk us through their season so far.
Tanith: This has been an incredible season, the best season we have ever had. We feel the strongest and really think our programs are the best work we have ever done. This summer we put in more work than the summer after the Olympics. This season we really wanted to step up our game. All year we have had great feedback on our programs, especially our free dance. I think our free dance is special and unique. We aren't planning on making big changes right now to any of our dances. Right now we are just practicing and working hard.
After Scottie's initial question, members of the press were allowed to ask Tanith and Ben their own questions. I figured out that unmuting required another *6, so I was fortunate enough to ask two questions. The first one had been weighing on my mind the whole season as I saw the numerous changes made to their country/folk OD.
Katie Weigel from ice-dance.com (otherwise known as "me"): Tanith and Ben, you said that all season you have received feedback about your free dance and were able to make changes. I have noticed that you have also changed your original dance a number of times. Can you elaborate on the changes you made in the original dance and what prompted these changes?
Ben: At the beginning of the season, we felt that our free dance was our strongest part of the competition. The feedback we received after Skate America was that our original dance didn't hold up to strength of the free dance. Because of that, we wanted to go back to the drawing board. We really wanted to focus on getting the energy going right from the beginning. We needed to capture the essence of the dance right away and draw the audience in. We also wanted the audience to appreciate the fun nature of the dance and improve the impact of the program. After making the changes, we feel like we are able to draw people in right away.
Tanith: I think that the free dance was better received because it came from a more honest place. I think ice dance critics can read right through you. I think the free dance is subtle and beautiful with an honest emotion. In the original dance, maybe we were doing it a little too hokey, a little too animated. We wanted to bring that genuine feeling into a hyper, energetic program. The costume changes and music changes also helped. Now we feel like the dance is more relatable to us.
Michelle typed her question into Gmail chat so that I could ask it for her, since she wasn't able to talk at that moment.
Katie Weigel from ice-dance.com (still me): A few years ago, there were only seven senior dance teams and now it seems like the depth in dance at all levels has really gone up. Do you feel responsible for that?
Tanith: If anyone would be so bold to say that, we would be flattered. Everything has a cycle and we came along at the right time. We were very lucky to have the opportunity we did at the Olympics to be in the spotlight. I think ice dancing was ready to climb that wave. There are very young skaters dedicated just like we are. Ben and I don't stand alone. Meryl (Davis) and Charlie (White) and other junior skaters have worked really hard to get where they are. Once skating gets back to more coverage we will hopefully see the quality of skating that ice dancing has to offer.
Ben: I really feel so lucky that we were able to come and follow in the footsteps of some really great skaters who were training so hard but just banging against the wall. I think the ice dancing world was ready for us to come along. I think people can see it is possible (to do well) and that American ice dancers can succeed. It's really incredible for me to watch the young skaters come along and really push the sport. That is the most exciting thing, and I am amazed at how the depth has grown over the last few years.
Elvin Walker from GoldenSkate.com: You guys are all but guaranteed a fifth national title. So looking at what is coming for you later this season, what do you need to do to be on top at Worlds? You were successful in defeating the Russians once this season. How will you plan to beat them later this season?
Ben: First of all, we are extremely excited about Nationals. We look at it as one of the most important competitions of the season. We get to perform for our fan base. We don't want to put Nationals behind before we compete there. Looking ahead, we need to keep working and polishing everything the best that we can. We really just want to perform our programs to their very best.
Tanith: We don't consider the Russians our one and only competition going into the World Championships. The dance world right now is very unpredictable. There are the French teams, Tessa (Virtue) and Scott (Moir), and many others. We don't single out one team. It is a very tight race. We also can't count out up and comers because they are ready to come in and take our spots.
Elvin Walker from GoldenSkate.com: If you do capture your fifth National title, you will be in very good company among American ice-dancers. What does that mean for you?
Tanith: We trained with Naomi (Lang) and Peter (Tchernyschev) while [they were] earning five U.S. titles. Liz (Punsalan) and Jerod (Swallow) also won five titles. We feel honored to be considered with them. Our goal for the future is to continue our winning streak right up to 2010.
Brian with Colorado Springs Gazette: What makes this season better than others?
Ben: I think this season is a culmination of ten years working together. Most importantly, we took time to go back to basics this past summer. This year we were really able look at our basics and make sure that we were becoming stronger and faster. We worked on having better line and unison.
Tanith: The fundamentals of our skating skills have really improved. I think this year we were able to approach this season as mature adults. I think that things are really falling into place for us.
Lynn Rutherford with IceNetwork.com: Tanith and Ben, it seems that in the compulsories you lose points compared to your other dances. How have you taken steps this season to improve the compulsory dances?
Ben: We think we have made a step forward this year with the compulsory dances. We have put the time in. There is really no other way to improve them but to put in time on basic skating skills.
Nancy Armour with the Associated Press: Was there a point where you realized you needed to go back to basics?
Ben: The desire to go back and work on our basics was always there. It has been something we have wanted to work on every year. Last year was the worst for our schedule. We just didn't have the time to train that summer (after the Olympics). This year was the first good opportunity in a few years to get to work on basic skating. We did a lot of stroking, basic exercises, and strength training. We learned how important basics are, and we need to keep that in mind looking forward to the coming years. We know we need to build as much time in for training the basics.
Tanith: This year we took the time off and on the ice to work on our basic skills. We are using every second of our warm-up. We don't just casually warm up. Our mental approach to training is to be more efficient. When we are off the ice we are not finished training. We have been stretching more after sessions and working out harder and longer. The result is that we are physically more fit.
Nancy from St. Paul Pioneer Press: How do you feel about your momentum going into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver?
Tanith: This year is the first year that we have been able to progress, which has given us motivation to push ourselves further. Two years seems long, but it really isn't. I am worried that we will run out of time and that we will get too anxious too soon before 2010. 2006 wasn't as nerve-wracking because we weren't expecting to compete in the Olympics then.
Ben: I think this year is extremely important because it will set up the competition going into the Olympics. Teams will start vying for positions on the world stage. Everyone will be paying attention to this battle. Two years will fly by. I think the next few years will be very exciting.
Nancy Armour with the Associated Press: There has been a decline in viewership of figure skating over the past years. Why do you think this happened and how do you think skating can recover?
Tanith: I've tried to talk to skating fans, and I've found out that people still love skating. People love it for the sport and the entertainment. I think the key to success is how we are packaging it and selling it to people. I know that the skating world is trying to market it in new ways to get more people interested. Before, we had a lot of stars and celebrities. Somehow we are missing that now. We don't have the scandals and the celebrities. I think we should try to find something for the younger generation to relate to. The problem is people haven't seen enough of skating to see past the stereotypes. The key is to find a new way to sell skating.
Ben: Tanith pretty much said it all. The new judging system offers new terminology for viewers to get used to. New elements have made the level of sport increase and have made it more exciting. But we need to make it more understandable for the viewers.
After this last question, our time to chat with Tanith and Ben was up. All-in-all, I thought the other reporters on the call asked interesting and thoughtful questions. We covered a lot of ground in a half-hour! (The above quotes do not constitute a transcript of every spoken word, but were highlights of the call.) I would have loved to sit down with Tanith and Ben and discuss these issues, especially about how to market and grow figure skating, but alas, our time was limited.
I am very happy with the way my first conference call went and I hope to do many more for ice-dance.com!
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