Yuzuru Hanyu’s new program. How Hanyu excited the audience at the show “Fantasy on Ice”

All figure skaters have a different attitude to demonstration programs. Someone does not bother with the numbers and prepares a demonstration almost in one evening, someone skates lightweight versions of their competitive programs, and for someone this is an opportunity for self-expression, a way to share their feelings and ideas with the audience.

The Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu just belongs to the category of people for whom the demonstration number is a separate art form, to which the figure skater never treats casually.

“I think artistry is important. And I love to ride to the music. I would like to do steps and spins that no one else can do. But, of course, I will also train jumping… I want to make an effort so that you can think: “The current Yuzuru Hanyu is better than it has ever been,” and that technically I am also stronger than I have ever been. I’m still an athlete. In figure skating, artistry is very important, but still it is undoubtedly a sport. And I want Yuzuru Hanyu’s skating always, even at ice shows, to create sports tension ”- from the translation of the S-Park program with Yuzuru Hanyu

A distinctive feature of Hanyu is that he thinks through everything to the smallest detail. He never does anything just like that, in his every movement and every gesture lies a special meaning. He is constantly in search of perfection, puts his whole soul into his work. He is always thinking about how to make his performance even better, so he constantly polishes and refines his performances, whether it is a competitive program or an exhibition number.

At the Japanese show “Fantasy on Ice”, the skater captivated the fans with a new demonstration to the song “Raison” by local artist Taisei Miyakawa (the song is taken from the anime “Demon Slayer”). The Japanese people present at the premiere of this issue wrote: “The program “Raison” is erotic and dangerous”, “This is a program in which you can see Hanyu from a new side.”

Indeed, in his new demonstration number, Yuzuru revealed to the audience new facets of his talent. The well-known choreographer David Wilson helped the skater to stage this program, but it is worth noting that the main idea and most of the movements were invented directly by Hanyu.

Yuzu uses rich choreography, demonstrating not only excellent gliding, skillful skating, but also virtuoso work with the whole body. There is not a single empty seat in the performance, every movement perfectly fits the musical accents, and the degree of involvement of the skater in the rental, as always, is impressive.

The program itself is very different from those that we are used to seeing at competitions, so the performance turned out to be so original, dynamic, bright and moderately erotic. Needless to say, Hanyu drove the entire female audience in the hall crazy with his performance? The fans on the show were indescribably delighted and could not come to their senses for a long time, there was a real fire on social networks!

Since filming from the audience at the show is strictly prohibited, fans had to share their impressions with the help of drawings. For example, these are:

Or sketches like this:

Still, Yuzuru Hanyu is rightfully considered a genius on the ice and the brightest star in figure skating. He knows how to present himself, he knows how to start the hall and captivate the audience with him. But most importantly, he knows how to be different and knows how to surprise, and the shows allow him to do everything that is prohibited in competitions: creative costumes, non-standard music, recklessness, daring sexuality, unusual movements. On the show, he is not limited by anything and can show what he likes.

It is also impossible not to note the magnificent sports form of the skater. Few people during ice shows are in the same ideal conditions as Yuzuru Hanyu.

During the demonstration number, Hanyu devoted most of his time to choreography, performing not the most difficult jump elements (in the video we see a light, laid-back triple loop, and towards the end of the performance, a delayed flying single axel). However, at the opening and closing of each show, the Japanese delighted the audience with quadruple jumps and the most difficult sequences of a quadruple sheepskin coat and a triple axel.

Here, for example, what Hanyu demonstrated, according to eyewitnesses, in Makuhari and Nagoya:
Makuhari. Day 1: 4T+3A. Day 2: 4T+3A. Day 3: 4T+3A+2T+1Lo+1Lo+1Lo
Nagoya. Day 1: 4T+3A. Day 2: 4T+3A+3T. Day 3: 4T+3A+3T+3A

By the way, Yuzuru Hanyu is one of the few who benefited from the new rules regarding sequences. Recall that sequences were equated in cost to cascades, while earlier the base cost of jumps in sequences was reduced by 20%. And if earlier it was unprofitable for Yuzu to perform such an original and unusual sequence for figure skating fans as 4T + 3A, now it makes more sense.

If Hanyu has a desire to continue his career in big-time sports, then he still has all the data to remain in the top of men’s single skating and win.

In one of his interviews during the Fantasy on ice tour, Yuzuru confirmed that his goal of doing the quad axel is still with him:

“From the outside, it may seem that I have doubts, but inside I have a firm belief in the quadruple axel, and I want to show that this core can never be broken. […] I want to land 4A by all means, I want to land it in front of everyone.”

Does this mean that Hanyu plans to come to the Grand Prix next season? We will know about it very soon.