Natalya Dubova: The Bulgarians Lost to the Russians Because They Don't
Know Their Value
The third Russian gold medal at the figure skating world championships
was won by the ice dance team Tatyana Navka-Roman Kostomarov, who had
never placed on the podium before. As always in dance, the medal
placements provoked heated opinions on all sides of the fence. Most
experts agreed that the Bulgarian team of Albena Denkova-Maxim
Staviski had a more difficult program that deserved gold more. For
example, Natalya Dubova, who has coached such wonderful teams as
Klimova-Ponomarenko, Usova-Zhulin, Grishuk-Platov, Bourne-Kraatz.
Both Navka and her coach Alexander Zhulin are students of Durbova, who
spoke with Izvestia correspondent Igor Poroshin.
Q. Natalya Ilinichna, I ask everybody the same question after the
competition, if you were a judge who would you have given first place
_ Navka & Kostomarov or Denkova & Staviski?
A 揑 would have given the Bulgarian team first.?br> Q. Why?
A. 揟echnical difficulty, poriv and soulfulness. On these three
pionts, the Bulgarians were definitely better. I like
Navka-Kostomarov, they are beautiful. Moreover, I抦 proud that my
student Tanya Navka became world champion, but I have to be fair. But
as we know there are two paths in art: the first is simply to
entertain the public and the second is to try to inspire the public to
give it more than simple pleasure. Maybe it sounds harsh, but Navka
and Kostomarov抯 free dance was like a dance that had only outer
brilliance, it was a colorful surface image. But what was below the
surface in the Bulgarian program was much more significant and
interesting.?br>
Q. Why did 8 of the 9 judges chosen by the computer buy
superficiality?
A. 揊irst of all, Russia as always is a very strong figure skating
nation, whose influence somehow affects the judges?decisions.
Second, we cannot forget that judges are fans. They also get caught
up in beauty. The dance team抯 appearance is always judged. I don't
want to say that the Bulgarians are not beautiful. I just want to say
that there as much value as there is for the outward brilliance of
Navka-Kostomarov, that is how little the Bulgarians think about
packaging their beauty. I think that they don'tknow their own worth.
Judges evaluate your self-esteem. Albena and Maxim are figure
skating starts, but they don't have any star quality. I like that
their modesty. But you can never have such modest world champions in
ice dance. In skiing, you can, but as much as it kills you ?it抯
impossible in dance. They are too loyal to their nice Odintsovo.
(Denkova and Staviski train in the Moscow region Odintsovo.)
Q. What do you mean? Do they have to buy a Ferrari and drive down
Tverskaya? (Trans. Main street in Moscow.)
揟hey don't need a Ferrari. But t hey do have to drive not just down
Tverskaya and around Odintsovo.?br>
Q. Where? .
A. 揟hey need to go someplace where they value their art. They have a
lot of fans. But these fans are a bit poetic, like a protest
electorate, who root more against Russia than for them. They need to
create and unite their own public that will root for them as people
from a small country trying to create a miracle.?br>
Q. In other words, Denkova and Staviski aren'tmarketed properly.
揑 would put it differently, there are a few condidtions that prevent
them from knowing who they really are. First of all, it抯 that their
coaches have to give so much time to Domnina and Shabalin ?the team
that will probably be Russia抯 top team in the next Olympic cycle.
That抯 just my opinion and I could be wrong.?br>
Q. But if you抮e not wrong, this situation requires a tough decision:
either Denkova-Staviksi have to leave the wonderful Russian coach
Aleksei Gorshkov or give him an ultimatum that he only work with them.
揑t抯 not mine to judge what they should do. I just don't see anybody
aroudn them who have made royalty in dance or show business.?br>
Q. Does that mean Denkova-Staviski need to show up in the kiss and cry
in the company o |
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