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http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/12862235/?p=1

His passionate performances and overwhelming expressions enamor and fascinate audience forever.  After receiving numerous medals as a worldwide figure skater, Daisuke Takahashi who is in great demand of stages and ice shows will perform as one of the double leading roles with Cheryl Burke at LOVE ON THE FLOOR 2017. He said that he had lost his next goal after his retirement. Now, seeking it he has been working with every single project with full force. This dance show is also one of those challenges for him. We would like to convey his encouraging message for those who are wondering and struggling towards their dreams and goals.

Photos/ Toru Hiraiwa  Text/ Chihiro Furumata Production/ iD inc.

Figure skating on ice and dancing on floor “They are completely different…”

--- “LOVE ON THE FLOOR 2017” which is scheduled in June is a dance show which expresses various aspects of love with dancing by top dancers and figure skaters from the USA. As it’s been received so well, it was announced that you will perform the show for the second time. Honestly, how do you feel about it? D: With the pleasure that I can try it again and above all else, I feel so much pressure (laugh). There is this fear that people might think “not much difference” compared to the last time. I think the pressure is much bigger this time compared to the last time because it was the first time.

---This time you are performing as one of the leading dancers with Cheryl Burke who is the leading role as well as a director and a composer of the show, so it seems you are having more appearances and highlights (in the show).

 D: As for programs, we are going to brush up the previous ones and I’m supposed to have more appearances. I had a lot of difficulties last time since it was my first time to join (the dance show) but I had really great time from the rehearsals to the actual performances. With those experiences, I think I can concentrate on my dancing more this time.

 ---What role are you performing in the show?

 D: Based on the theme of love, I have this role as a narrator who is connecting various scenes of love such as palpitation, passion, bewilderment, jealousy and love that asks nothing in return. I will perform each aspect of love while changing the atmosphere (of the scenes by my performances).

 --- It is so fresh for us to see you dance with bare feet, how do you feel dancing with your feet on floor, not skating on ice?

 D: On ice and on floor, they are completely different. The ways you balance (your body) are different and especially spinning is difficult (on floor). On floor, you can’t spin like you do on ice and it is hard to stop precisely (like on ice). I tended to spin or jump with my skating sense so I had to change my movements to make them look beautifully. I really felt those difficulties at first.

 --- As I thought, there are differences in details?

 D: In addition, you have to pay much more attention to your toes compared to the time when you are in skates. I have stiff ankles so it was far from easy to make them look nice… Well, I really need to work hard, seriously (laugh). That’s why I’ve been stretching my toes recently.

 --- So spins and your toes are different from when you skate? That must be a point we have to pay attention at the show then!  

D: On, no, I rather want you not to! (laugh)

Once on the stage, you suddenly change and become a “Look at me” type!?

 --- If you compare (dancing) to figure skating where scores are counted, do you have some differences in your sense when you perform at ice shows and dance on floor?

 D: Nothing changes. I didn’t really care about scores when I was competing. I think expressing is something very vague and people put their likes and dislikes (into evaluation) and moreover the number (for the scores) varies accordingly. Probably it must be very difficult for judges as well to express their evaluations in numerical form. So, I tried not to think too much about it and I thought a great deal of my feeling “I want to show this (to the audience)” (when I performed).

 --- What are you thinking when you skate and dance?

 D: “Look at me!” I think (laugh). I just want to show this program (to audience), that’s all. But off ice, in my ordinary life, it’s completely different and I am rather like “Don’t look at me!” (laugh)

 --- You said it’s embarrassing to hold a rose when we were doing photo shooting previously, didn’t you? As I’ve been talking with you now, I think you are shy contrary to the gorgeous image of yourself on ice…

 D: That’s right, contrary to (general image of me)…(shy smile)

--- But once you are on stage, you turn to be like “Look at me!”, right? Were you like that from your childhood?

 D: Wondering why I do become like that. I don’t think I was like that from the beginning, but even though I couldn’t dance at all when I was little, I liked to see something expressed with body. I always had this longing for coolness (of performing art).

 --- I think one of your charms is the oozing sensuality but what do you think about charms?

 D: As for charms, I am always conscious of them. I like things sensual, charming and fascinating. For example, even when you watch TV or movies, if you recognize “oh this person is charming/sexy”, I try to watch the ways that person sees, walks or moves his/her hands, thinking I will try it next time. (laugh)

It’s not easy to find something “you really want to do”.

--- Last year, you were doing great not only as a performer but also as an Olympic TV caster, weren’t you?

 D: Was I?  I have been able to do various jobs. I learn by trial and error every day. I am rather confident when I work physically, so I would like to focus more on the performing fields. Especially, I would like to work more seriously on skating which I kept myself away from a bit last year.

 --- You just said you put distance from skating and you stayed in NY in 2015, am I right?

 D: I was there for about 8 months for studying English, but I had this very lazy life there…(laugh) As I recall now, I wanted to keep some distance from skating, it was a bit like escaping (from skating). I also thought that if I could find new goals from then by living there, it would be good…

 --- It was 2014 when you won the 6th place in the third Olympics and retired from competitive scene. It must have been difficult to switch (from eligible to retired), right?

 D: I found out that it was hard to live in NY if you hadn’t had your goal because you feel like you are halfway, unfinished. So, I thought I would have spoiled myself if I had continued to live like that, then I came back (to Japan). It’s like “if you don’t have any dreams, it would be better to go back (to Japan), face yourself and work hard.”

--- Because of that experience, you could switch to “try and work hard” mode?

 D: That’s right. If you fall to the bottom where there is no lower place, there is nothing (you can do) but just rising from there.

 --- There are many people who don’t know how to set their goals nor make their dreams. And also there are many who have dreams but don’t know how to achieve them and wonder and struggle. Could you tell us how to find own goals and dreams?

 D: I am also seeking them right now! (laugh) Up until retirement, goals were always coming towards me, well, rather, they were always set there.

 --- The World Championships, Olympics and so on… You just aimed at them.

 D: Yes. Therefore, just like a youth trying to think about going on to university or getting a job, I just started working finally at this age, in my thirties, and I’m like in a situation panicking “seriously? I don’t know what I want to do!” even though I have to find something I really want to do. (laugh)

 --- In a situation like that now, how are you dealing with them?

 D: I’m trying to find one by one… With working various things, I’d like to expand things which suit me or worth doing for me (to feel so). When I think about those things only in mind, I feel like I would like to try them all, but at the same time, not to try them at all, either. For the time being, therefore, I try whatever I can do now.

--- You do whatever you can, right?

 D: Even when I have a try and receive good evaluation from people around me, if I am not fully convinced with my work, I can’t really keep my motivation. By checking the evaluations from others’ as well as mine, I’m choosing the options (of work) right now. I don’t know whether this method is right or not though.

 --- It is quite encouraging that even though someone like you who has been competing in the world top rank still has those kinds of worries and confronts them.

 D: I feel really like a new working adult now. (laugh) I felt stress for the first time in my life at the age of 30. Stress that you felt stomachache. It was gone after you finished the work, really! (laugh)

 --- For the first time!? Was the stress bigger than the Olympics one?

 D: Bigger than the Olympics. I once again respect my friends from the same generation that they all experienced this stress in their twenties.

When you reach a deadlock? Daisuke Takahashi’s very unexpected way to deal with it.

 --- May I ask you another piece of advice? When you reach a deadlock, for example, when you hit a wall, how would you overcome it?

 D: I would make it … someone’s fault. (laugh)

 --- What? That’s a very unexpected answer…(laugh)

 D: Well, I wouldn’t say “that’s your fault!” to anybody, no, it’s not like that. (laugh) In addition, I wouldn’t make it somebody’s fault from the beginning without any efforts. Of course, I try my best. But when it really doesn’t work, I make an excuse. (He actually said to make a way to escape.)

 --- Oh, I see.

 D: Of course, if you decide everything by yourself, you can’t make it somebody’s fault. But there are times when you try so hard, making every single effort but things are beyond your power and don’t work for you. And if you put the responsibility too much on your shoulders, you hardly make the final step or you start to worry too much about people’s eyes around you. When you reach there, I just think in my mind a bit that “I don’t care anymore! It’s not me who started this!” (laugh) Then, I think you can make up your mind and put a step forward.

--- In other words, you make it somebody’s fault but still you try your best, right?

 D: Right. I try my best, of course. But when you are in a trouble at the final stage, as for the part or thing I can’t do anything by myself, I make it somebody’s fault secretly in my mind. “I don’t care! Let it be!” Then I feel a bit relaxed and can rapidly go to the next (step). Is this no good? (laugh)

 --- Well, I think it’s a quite important way of thinking. It means that you don’t force yourself into a tight corner, doesn’t it?

 D: That’s right. You force yourself to a certain level, but never to the final end!

 --- Thank you so much. Now, at the end of this interview, could you tell us about your private life a little bit? What are you crazy about now?

 D: Crazy about movies. I always watch them on TV or internet

 --- While watching, you do researches on charms and expressions?

 D: I think I watch them for a breather but as you expected, they are on my mind as well. Unintentionally, I think “oh, that gesture is cool!” … As you pointed out now, it seems that I tend to watch movies thinking those things too.

--- If you have a day off, do you spend a day watching movies at home?

 D: I like going out on my day-off but recently I go out a lot for work so I stay at home these days instead. After all, I watch movies a lot I think.

 --- What do you do except watching movies (on the day-off)?

 D: I do cleaning because I can’t be in a daze, doing nothing. Not much interesting things I do since I don’t have any particular hobbies… (shy smile)

 --- Well then, could you tell us your ardor for LOVE ON THE FLOOR 2017?

 D: I think this show will be a more polished up and powerful stage compared to the last time. I will prepare sufficiently to show you something new with my previous experience as well as plus alpha factor. I will try my best to give you a stage which will not disappoint your expectations!