by Maria Bagdasarova | On-Ice Images by Yoriko Suzuki
Marie Dupayage and Thomas Nabais, a French ice dance duo competing of their fourth senior season, have captured the eye of audiences world wide with their distinctive creative imaginative and prescient and musicality. On December 20-21, 2024, they’ll compete within the French Nationwide Championships making their bid to qualify for the 2025 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, on the finish of January. France has three spots, and the competitors might be fierce as they try to earn their place at this prestigious occasion.
Marie and Thomas started their 2024/2025 season with a powerful efficiency on the French Masters in late September, securing second place and surpassing their coaching mates Loïcia Demougeot and Théo le Mercier. Nonetheless, they struggled to copy that success internationally. On the Denis Ten Memorial Problem in Astana in October, they completed eighth, and at their first Grand Prix of the season, the Grand Prix de France in Angers, they positioned final out of 10 groups. For the primary time, they have been overwhelmed by their French teammates Natacha Lagouge and Arnaud Caffa, resulting in considerations about their third-place standing in France.
In Angers, the group brazenly acknowledged the hurdles they confronted navigating the demanding early levels of their season, notably with preparation and refining their packages. Thomas candidly shared that their preparation was not as well timed as that they had hoped and that the duo had but not mastered their packages sufficient to ship the extent they have been used to.
“We weren’t prepared once we needed to be. This explains the reserved performances in Kazakhstan and at Grand Prix de France,” he admitted.
Marie echoed his sentiments, emphasizing the significance of feeling comfortable with their packages: “We have to take possession of our routines to carry out them to their full potential. I’m assured we’ll get there because the season progresses. It’s all a part of the journey.”
For the rhythm dance this season, the duo with their coach Karine Arribert opted for a much less typical strategy, integrating psychedelic components from the ’60s and ’70s to distinguish themselves from the prevalent disco themes chosen by many groups. Nonetheless, suggestions from early competitions revealed that their creative intentions weren’t totally resonating with judges or audiences.
“The problem with having such a broad vary of choices is that we tried to create one thing unique that also mirrored who we’re whereas staying inside the theme proposed by the ISU. Firstly of the season, we realized that the primary piece of music in our quick program was maybe too subdued. After our preliminary competitions and discussions with Karine, we determined to vary it for one thing livelier, one thing that may encourage the viewers to clap alongside extra,” Marie explains.
“In Kazakhstan, we realized that the judges didn’t totally perceive the story we have been attempting to inform with our program. We needed to do one thing totally different. Understanding there can be numerous disco, we aimed to face out by going for one thing extra psychedelic. It’s one other side of the ’60s and ’70s, not simply disco. The actions could also be much less recognizable, however they’re nonetheless rooted in that period. Nonetheless, we understood from the suggestions that the judges weren’t completely aligned with our imaginative and prescient. In comparison with different groups, our program wasn’t colourful or dynamic sufficient. It lacked vitality and vibrancy. So, we determined to make adjustments,” Thomas provides.
They changed the primary piece of music, “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, which they initially used in the beginning of the season, with “Love Is All” by Roger Glover and Ronnie James Dio for Angers. They stored the second piece, “Transfer Over” by Janis Joplin.
Maybe this transformation provides a further clarification of the underwhelming efficiency in Angers. The group had been working arduous on the brand new music, which required a whole overhaul of this system. Each component shifted, and a few have been utterly modified. For instance, the carry wasn’t initially within the place it appeared in Angers, and even within the second piece of music, which remained, many transitions have been reworked.
“We put in numerous effort to make it easy and cohesive, but it surely was nonetheless recent for us,” Thomas defined.
Their free dance to ‘Weakend’ and ‘Delighted’ by Benjamin Clementine incorporates spiritually evocative music with lyrics exploring the themes of vulnerability, fragility, reflection and gratitude within the face of life’s challenges. Marie described it as a religious journey.
“Initially, Karine instructed the music to us, focusing extra on the vitality it introduced quite than the lyrics. Over time, as we listened intently to the phrases, we realized their deeper which means. There’s a religious component to them. That’s one thing we’re attempting to convey in sure components of our program. It’s not overly literal, however we do wish to take the viewers on this journey.”
Thomas acknowledges that this program is a brand new problem for the group: “We’ve not often skated to music with lyrics. Often, we select extra classical items with lyrical melodies. This 12 months, we needed to vary issues up a bit whereas nonetheless staying true to our type. The lyrics give us a chance to lean into the story the artist is telling via the music. Karine focuses closely on musicality within the choreography, however deciphering lyrics is a special dimension. We’re engaged on utilizing the narrative within the music to boost our efficiency. The purpose is to realize a seamless mix the place the lyrics and this system really feel like one cohesive piece. Once we attain that degree of precision and depth, I consider it’ll elevate not solely the technical features but in addition the storytelling and character projection. It’s all interconnected, and that’s how we’ve approached our skating for years.”
Thomas and Marie’s type might be described as a mix of emotional depth and progressive artistry. Marie emphasizes the significance of what’s referred to as in French partage, the act of sharing, via their performances, in search of to attach with the viewers and judges by conveying real emotion via dance and interpretation. Thomas highlights their give attention to musicality, a energy formed by their work with Karine Arribert. This musicality brings a novel concord to their skating. Their potential to remain in sync, even when skating aside on the ice, displays a powerful connection and shared imaginative and prescient.
“I really feel that’s one in all our strengths. We additionally work very a lot in unison. We intention to distinguish ourselves via our type, musicality, and motion, striving to deliver one thing progressive and recent to the ice. Whereas I think about many skaters pursue this purpose, it’s the route we’re dedicated to constructing upon,” Thomas explains.
Marie and Thomas attribute a lot of their progress to their supportive setting of their skating membership at Villard-de-Lans. Their major coach, Karine Arribert units the general route for his or her season. She is supported by Mahil Chantelauze, who co-coaches on the ice, and a community of specialists, together with dance teacher Vladimir Pastoukhov, with whom they observe each day, and Cyril Le Goazigo, who oversees their bodily conditioning. Their coaching additionally incorporates priceless insights from exterior consultants who present an outdoor take a look at their work. Tiffany Zahorski, a just lately retired aggressive skater, incessantly supplies recent views, whereas Alexis and Johanna Bergeon, world champions in ballroom dance, contribute to the refinement of the dance strikes. Moreover, Gabriella Papadakis and her mom have supplied technical steerage. Coaching alongside a rising group of junior and senior skaters additionally fosters a collaborative and stimulating environment.
“The environment right here is incredible,” Marie shared. “Excessive-level competitors is hard, however having friends who perceive and help one another makes it simpler to manage.”
On the 2024 NHK Trophy, Marie Dupayage and Thomas Nabais completed eighth, setting their season-best scores within the free dance and general complete. In addition they earned an Eleventh-place end on the 2024 ISU CS Warsaw Cup, the place they achieved their season-best rhythm dance rating. Moreover, they secured victory on the Bosphorus Cup in Istanbul.
Their final purpose for the season is to qualify for the European Championships. Lengthy-term, Marie and Thomas aspire to solidify their place as a distinguished senior ice dance group. “Our purpose is to achieve extra vary, energy, and presence on the ice. Whereas we all know we’re shorter in top, we glance as much as {couples} who are usually not very tall however nonetheless excel and rank extremely. Our focus is on turning into a powerful constant senior pair, not simply by way of competitors outcomes, however by way of the best way we current ourselves. We’re targeted on stabilizing our components and performances to be seen as a high senior pair,” Thomas mentioned.
The duo attracts inspiration from icons of ice dance like Olympic Champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron and a number of World medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
“One couple I actually admire is Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. I actually recognize the individuality they convey, the best way they stand out. We noticed their rhythm dance this season, and it was unimaginable by way of creativity. That is precisely what I like about ice dance – the power to create one thing totally different and distinguish your self. Personally, I like them loads because of this,” Thomas shared.
Marie added, “I’ve at all times admired Gabriella and Guillaume for the distinctive contributions they’ve made to our sport. Despite the fact that many now attempt to comply with their lead, what they dropped at the game by way of unity, exploration of skating high quality, and dance stays very inspiring. Despite the fact that they’re now not competing, I nonetheless deeply admire their work.”
