You can all thank europebound11 (aka Lizy , aka FF user tsforever ) for translating and bogolisk for finding it. So pretty much, I did nothi
You can all thank europebound11 (aka Lizy, aka FF user tsforever) for translating and bogolisk for finding it. So pretty much, I did nothing but bring it over here :)
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir force people to talk about them. Of course, first and foremost because of their skating. Even before they battled for and won the silver medal at the 2008 World Championships, former Canadian figure skater Garossino had tears in his eyes after one of their skates. And legendary trainer Louis Strong praised them long before they won any major medals.
But their off ice reputation/relationship has a place in people's talk as well. At competitions, if you'll note, that if you need to get an interview with Virtue and Moir, then you will most definitely receive a smile. Even the face of the tired reporter will brighten up: you'll hear, “They are so amazing” and “Scott, he's something all right.”
After a personal interview, Virtue and Moir are a great pair. She is a classy beauty. She'd feel at home in a Jane Austen romance novel, and if she'd have to enter the real world, then she wouldn't even have to change her name. She would definitely be the extraordinary heroine. Moir, simultaneously, brings attention through his refreshing humor and is always sprinkling everyone with jokes. He reminds me of a young Steve Martin who upon an entrance always has a smile on.
This interview was taken at the World Championships in Los Angeles, the day after they won the bronze medal after a fierce competition. Backstage at the Staples Center soars the soul of competition, but they look relaxed, even refreshed. He's dressed in a bright turquoise shirt while she's in a popular red coat.
You have been skating together since 1997. This is a very long period for ice dance. “Yeahhhhhhh...,” stretched Moir, and Virtue added, “It really is a long time.” But they know that their experiences bring them strength. “You can see the great difficulties of the season that just ended for us,” says Moir, talking about Virtue's injury. “We had many obstacles that we needed to overcome, but we know how to work together excellently. We can pretty much take on anything. This is one of the greatest benefits of our lengthy partnership.” He glanced at Virtue, “And it's also great to have a younger, more mature sister, like Tessa. We're the best of friends and that really makes practice a lot of fun.”
It's sweet that you call Tessa your younger, but more mature sister. “She's younger only by age,” added Moir. Virtue smiled. “This is part comfort, that comes with experience, and part trust,” she says. “You have to trust your partner because you're skating – it's only the two of you together. You have to forget about everything else and plunge into the hard work. If we respect each other and trust each other, then that just makes everything a lot easier.”
Virtue and Moir are very fortunate to have found each other so early. It was fate that they were both born in London, Ontario, and were paired up in 1997 when he was 9 and she 7. Their rivals, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, can argue with them of the long partnership as they have a similar story. Currently, both pairs train with Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva in Canton, Michigan.
“I think they're together just as long as we have been,” says Virtue, of Davis and White. “Me and Chucky grew up together,” says Moir of White. “We've been skating together since Novices.”
Can you remember a moment when you were watching figure skating and you got goose bumps? Moir didn't even need time to consider his answer: “The 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Sale and Pelletier's 'Love Story.' It was unquestioningly just that kind of moment,” says Moir. “I was watching it at home on tv, and I swear I said to myself, 'I want to be a figure skater. I want to go through this. I will train and do everything needed. I want to do what they did and inspire the people of Canada just like they did.”
Great answer!
Moir smiled, “Thank you, I prepared!” Everyone laughed. Virtue added, “I can say that right now, I'm going through a phase where I'm watching Patrick Chan's skating. He reincarnates skating skills. Gosh, I just melt! I just melt when he skates.” Moir agrees, “I think that everyone needs to melt when they see his skating. I'm glad he's not a dancer because he'd lure Tessa in in a second.”
Moir's cell phone going off reminds the interviewer that their time is limited. They often give interviews, so that's why they were immediately asked some not very serious questions.
What do you always have in your fridge? “Chocolate milk,” Virte immediately answered. Moir thought for a second, “Cheese sticks.”
Your fans were waiting to hear “fruits” or “distilled water.” Virtue's eyes widened at the horror and she merely shook her head. Moir said that he always takes Gatorade with him to the rink.
If your house were to catch on fire, what would be the one item you'd take with you? “An object?” asks Virtue. “Yes.” “Photo albums.”
Moir went into deep thought. “Probably my autographed jersey of Wendell Clark,” he said, referring to the best player of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
What's your favorite movie? Oh! That's hard!” said Moir. “It's constantly changing. Right now it's 'Blood Sport.'” This movie with Jean Claude Van Damme, came out when Moir was only a year old. “'Princess Bride,'” answered Virtue, choosing a film from the same period as Moir.
What's your favorite song? “Oh, I have so many!” said Scott, turning to Virtue for help. “Which would you say is my favorite song?” Before she got a chance to say anything, he straightened himself on his chair and gave a final answer, “AC/DC. 'Thunderstruck on Back in Black.' Best.” He turned to Virtue who suddenly seemed confused. “Hall and Oates?” she answered with a question. “I knew you'd say that!” exclaimed Scott.
Virtue explained her hesitation, “Every time I say that, I get laughed at.”
When it finally became apparent that around her were friends, she repeated her answer with more confidence, this time without a questioning tone, “Fine, so 'Hall and Oates.'” “I wanna tell you, you answered so doubtfully,” said Moir. “What kind of person told you: 'Gosh, how terrible!'?” In the same humorous manner, Virtue gave the name of the reporter and added, “She just pounced on me!”
And what is your favorite song from Hall and Oates? Moir started singing the chorus to “Private Eyes,” bringing a smile to Virtue's face. “Probably 'Private Eyes,'” she nodded. “You saw them live, right?” asked Moir. “Yes,” confirmed Virtue. “In London. My sister and I took our mom for her birthday. I think we were the only young people who were dancing.
What was the last book you read? “I just read The Pillars of the Earth,” said Tessa, referring to the historical piece by Ken Fillet (sorry, I'm bad at translating names when I don't know them!) It takes place in the tenth century, and the story revolves around a Cathedral in England. “I'm reading How Tiger Does It by Brad Kearns,” said Moir. This is a motivational book about Tiger Woods that delves into such topics as “How to enter the zone during competitions.”
Do you read many motivational books? “Mostly biographies,” says Moir.
And what can Tessa Virtue say about her book? “I can't decide,” says Virtue. “I was definitely entertained. I couldn't stop, just kept reading and reading, but at the same time, I didn't really like what the story was about, so that's why I have mixed feelings. But I think that was the joy of the book. I was definitely entertained.”
Your first concert? “N'Sync,” answered Virtue. “I think my first concert was Kim Mitchell,” says Moir. “Do you know Kim Mitchell? He's the singer of 'Patio Lanterns.'” This single from 1986 was in Mitchell's later album. “I think this is very Canadian,” added Moir. “It wasn't a big concert.
The conversation passed on to Youtube and the availability of music nowadays.
What do you search for on Youtube most of the time? “So you think you can dance,” Virute immediately answered. “Sometimes we do a lot of homework online,” said Moir, “we search for music for dances, and there's a lot of it on there.” As dancers, Virtue and Moir have to constantly find new moves and positions for their programs. This becomes harder and harder every year, so they look for inspiration from other phenomenons like “So you think you can dance?” “Gosh, the choreography was just incredible!” exclaims Virtue.
Who are your idols in figure skating? “When we were growing up, and transitioning from the junior level to the senior level, we learned a lot from older Canadian figure skaters, such as Jeff Buttle, Patrice Laizon and Marie Franz-Dubreill,” said Moir. “I don't know how to call them correctly: idols or mentors, but they definitely helped me learn to understand what to do in every given situation and when to be myself. These three truly helped us. And Jeff's win at the World Championships last year was just the icing on the cake. We miss him a lot.” Virtue agreed, “Jeff is always so inspiring, he really loves to perform. He's creative and he truly loves figure skating. And the art! I'm glad that we're very good friends.”
The conversation went on to the strength of the art in the sport, generally. In the morning, after practice for the free skate, Patrick Chan had an interesting opinion on the other forms of art involved in figure skating. A reporter asked him: if he could change something in figure skating, what would it be? He suggested that the judges approach ballet dancers and artists for scores on the artistic side of the sport. “This makes sense,” says Moir. “I think that many creative and artistic moments are very limited in our sport right now,” says Virtue. “The new system is great in many aspects, but it's just as destructive in this sense, and if we have many ideas and we want to execute them, then they have to be judged by other artists.” “I agree!” says Moir, “Yes!”
Transitioning to a more relaxed topic, can you describe any particular dreams you have? “I'm always either being arrested or shot at in my dreams,” says Moir. “I can't answer,” says Virtue. “I don't know if I have any interesting dreams that I remember that wouldn't be horrible or that wouldn't scare people.” Moir continued, “Almost every single one of my dreams ends in me being arrested, no matter where the dream is taking place...” This causes a bit of anxiety. Virtue compassionately nods.
All right, we'll go to a much more pleasant topic. What should your ideal night be like? Moir immediately switched gear. “For me, it's just being at home in London, in the backyard, cooking barbecue with my friends and family,” he said. “Yes, this is my favorite thing to do. Our free time is so limited, so when we have the opportunity, we just really like to enjoy moments like that. Yes, my ideal night consists of sitting in the backyard with the light from the setting sun and just spending time with my friends.” “I agree,” said Virtue. “We put all our time into hanging out with friends and family and really enjoying it. But, to be honest, my first thought was dance, so if I'm in a dance class or I'm just dancing, it's like I'm just in my own little world and I just feel really happy...”
This kind of vacation must seem really nice after Virtue underwent surgery to both legs. She had chronic exertional compartment syndrome that brought her great pain during practice. Her muscles couldn't expand so the doctors had to cut into her tissue to allow them to do so. She's on the road to recovery, but can still feel discomfort from time to time, which is why she doesn't spend much time in dance clubs. “Sometimes, it's just nice to have a dance night in your PJs,” she states firmly. The return of Virtue and Moir got a great response from Liz Manley at this World Champinoship. “This is just incredible,” she said after their free dance. “Nobody skates with the heart. Watching them really warms your heart.” Manley likes them not only on the ice. “They're just like adorable dolls!” she said. “You can just walk over to them and talk to them easily. They're very down to Earth.”
It's time for the last question: What are your best memories on the ice? "I don't think that for me it's anything related to the elements of the skate," says Virtue. "I can't say about a specific moment, but I think we've had many moments when I just stopped and though, 'My God, how good is it all, that I can share this with Scott! How lucky we really are that we're friends and that we have all these opportunities.' He constantly makes me laugh, I think that particularly these moments in practice are the ones I'll always remember, and I'll keep them to myself/treasure them. Not the moments when we receive awards or our performances."
Moir nodded. "My favorite moment is related to/associated with the last week before the end of the year (season), before the last competition; the programs are already ready and perfected to the level when you can give it your all and perform the program the way it should be performed. It's just a crazy feeling. You feel this at competitions and it's great, but when it happens at home, then the feeling is special/spectacular. You think, 'This is great!' That is definitely something you want to save and treasure."
But many figure skating fanatics predicted different variations of answers: for example, their FD to Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the World Championship in 2008. "That was something really special," confirmed Virtue, "that was really something." "That was amazing," adds Moir. The two wowed the public of Goteburg, taking first place in the free dance with their breath-taking performance under the music of Michael Legran (sorry, idk how to translate the name into English...the composer of UoC). That finally secured their spot on the international arena.
"That was something special," says Virtue, "but I think people don't think about the greatness of special moments that happen to us at home, when the program can look even better, and that is an even more special moment, because only the two of us, alone, are experiencing it. After, going and performing the program to the public - this is also huge, but there are a lot more of these moments at home."
