LINK TO THE --> EXCLUSIVE interview with one of bulgarian Golden Girls of Rhythmic Gymnastics - STELLA ANGELOVA
Stella Angelova is a 5 time National champion, Europe Champion in 1988 and World Champion in 1989 in group. At 17 she quit the sport and moved to USA. In 2005 Angelova was hired as a commentator for the World Championship held in Baku. Her unbiased and objective commentary during the competition has delighted all active internet users. We decided to ask Stella what she thinks of rhythmic gymnastics today and its future.
- Stella, is your current life connected to Rhythmic Gymnastics and how?
S.A - I am currently not involved in RG. I prefer to focus my time and effort in making Films, TV shows, Commercials, Fashion - I have a clothing line Angelova Couture
The last time I was involved in RG was as the choreographer for the Spanish National Group team (2009 - 2010)
Efrossina Angelova - my mother and coach, was hired by the Spanish Federation as the Spanish National Coach and she brought me in to do the choreography. However, my experience with the Spanish Federation - (RFEG) - and their horrible Politics ended with a Lawsuit filed and won by Efrossina Angelova. Spanish Federation has only paid 50% of the sum owed to date, Angelova's lawyers are going to push things along as more documents are filed as we speak, to recover the rest of the money owed. During that time I kept a Blog/Diary I humorously decided to call "My Opinion is the one that Matters" - LINK to it --> Why is Pancracia Servent such a Pain in the Ass?
- Are you interested in the current RG? What do you think about the rules and judging in RG? And who do you like in RG today?
S.A - I am interested in RG ,however I do not live for it nor do I want to. I am .... what is the word ... bored with it! It's predictable outcome at every competition has killed my interest to watch or be involved in it. I see gymnasts and groups copying one another and/or recycling the same elements, music, leotards etc., from previous years. Any time you see something new and original at the beginning of the year by a team or a gymnast, by the end of the year others would have copied it. No one wants to be original anymore and what for? It's all about the judges really! They are the ones competing for the medals, not the gymnast! You could have an exceptional routine that is executed in a way that it could take your breath away, but if you don't have judges working with other judges to get the score you deserve, you might as well settle for scraps! I usually like gymnast and teams that are original and take risque with their choreography, music and leotard designs. Such a thing is rare.
What do you think of Bulgarian RG today?
S.A - I think that the Bulgarian school of RG has maintained its traditions and continues to make gymnast with outstanding technique with all apparatus! I see other gymnast on an international level, who skipped the first years of proper technique training and went strait to competition , just based on their flexibility. Bulgarian RG is definitely not what it used to be, but then again Bulgaria is not the country that ones was. Bulgarian gymnast see what is happening to RG politicly and it's hard to dedicate yourself to years of intensive training to a lost cause. I think Iliana Raeva is doing her part, but team work is everything. They too have problems with the Bulgarian Federation. My personal opinion is that Maria Gigova needs to let the New Generation take the rains! Because, you can't beat a dead horse ... if you know what I mean. Regardless of those issues, bulgarian group team delivered an original choreography, executed without mistakes at the last WC in 2011 and won the Gold as they should have. I'd be shocked to see Irina Viner allow this to happen again ... Ha!
What can you say about Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva? And about Daria Kondakova?
S.A - I think Evgenia Kanaeva was at her best in the last Olympic Games. I don't know why she's milking her retirement. I don't understand any gymnast that stays longer than she needs to! There is so much more to do with their acquired talent then just RG ... Anyway, Kanaeva - who in my humble opinion is quite "dry in her performance", usually starts her year with very difficult routines and ends up watering them down in the end. I prefer Kondakova's style, she has more soulful performance. However, her scores often don't match the execution ... again as no surprise to anyone!
What can you say about Ukrainian gymnast? And what do you think about the prospects of these girls at the Olympics 2012?
S.A - I remember seeing Bessonova's Ribbon routine at the 2009 WC in Mie - and I remember that feeling you get when you connect with the choreography, performance, music and you forget that it is a competition, you forget what country she represents, you forget to even look at the score, because what I saw was ART! Those are big shoes to fill.
Maksymenko is one of my favorite individual gymnast to watch right now. She is so expressive and has great flexibility, jumps, turns, etc. Her choreography could be more stylized and grown up, because I feel that she is capable of performing it. In the end, it's all about perfect execution and who did their job "under the judges table".
What do you think of the future of RG in general?
S.A - The future of RG looks quite bleak to me. The powerful will become more powerful. The others will try to become alias with them in order to survive. FIG RG President Maria Szyszkowska (POL) will continue to push for undeserving gymnast like her native Joanna Mitrosz (POL) and the polish group team. Russian gymnast will get better, because of the pool of gymnast it has to choose from, because Irina Viner takes care of her coaches and gymnast well and because of the rising popularity and achievements in RG in Russia. The Code of Points will change to accommodate those in power and the judges will continue to do "business" behind closed doors prior to competition. And repeats again and again till someone puts a stop to it or it fizzles out into an art form...
A lot of active internet users were delighted with your commentary at the 2005 World Championship - Baku
S.A - It was the truth. I think it's interesting that to this day, I continue to receive messages from fans about a single commentary I did 6 years ago on Kapranova's Ribbon routine! I think Olga Kapranova was such a mess of a gymnast, all flexibility and no turns , no techniqie ... In your face mistake after mistake and still Irina Viner was pushing for her. Russian gymnast have changed since.
- Will comment on the 2012 Olympic Games?
S.A - No.
- I don't know if it matters what I say or don't say. I think that I am possibly the only neutral person that speaks the truth about RG publicly. Everyone knows and see's it, but no one says it out loud. And that is maybe because my bread and butter doesn't depend on wether I work in RG or not. I am not interested in telling "Fairy Tales" nor am I interested in kissing ass. The only reason I was able to do commentary in 2005 is because no one knew what I would say and because Bart Conner - commentating with me - was interested in the truth! At this moment 99.9% of people in USA audience have no interest in RG, because the state of RG here is about 20 years behind! And what country wants to watch other counties beat up on their athletes? I don't see this changing any time soon, because RG girls in USA are more interested in being famous than training as hard and as long as they need to or as the Russian , Ukrainian or Bulgarian RG girls do. And again, why should they? They have more opportunities here to do other things to showcase their mediocre RG craft ... I am sure they will not like to hear this, but it is the truth!
As for Olympics 2012 - NBC (TV channel) will probably have a "politicly correct" person commentating during the Olympics and I will probably watch it with a glass of red wine next to me, clapping for those who deserve it and booing those who don't ... And the next day I will be on set working on whatever I will be working on at that time, completely forgetting that the Olympics just passed ... and everyone will live happily ever after.
Unless , someone has the balls to put a mic in front of me ... but don't hold your breath.
Stella Angelova is a 5 time National champion, Europe Champion in 1988 and World Champion in 1989 in group. At 17 she quit the sport and moved to USA. In 2005 Angelova was hired as a commentator for the World Championship held in Baku. Her unbiased and objective commentary during the competition has delighted all active internet users. We decided to ask Stella what she thinks of rhythmic gymnastics today and its future.
- Stella, is your current life connected to Rhythmic Gymnastics and how?
S.A - I am currently not involved in RG. I prefer to focus my time and effort in making Films, TV shows, Commercials, Fashion - I have a clothing line Angelova Couture
The last time I was involved in RG was as the choreographer for the Spanish National Group team (2009 - 2010)
Efrossina Angelova - my mother and coach, was hired by the Spanish Federation as the Spanish National Coach and she brought me in to do the choreography. However, my experience with the Spanish Federation - (RFEG) - and their horrible Politics ended with a Lawsuit filed and won by Efrossina Angelova. Spanish Federation has only paid 50% of the sum owed to date, Angelova's lawyers are going to push things along as more documents are filed as we speak, to recover the rest of the money owed. During that time I kept a Blog/Diary I humorously decided to call "My Opinion is the one that Matters" - LINK to it --> Why is Pancracia Servent such a Pain in the Ass?
- Are you interested in the current RG? What do you think about the rules and judging in RG? And who do you like in RG today?
S.A - I am interested in RG ,however I do not live for it nor do I want to. I am .... what is the word ... bored with it! It's predictable outcome at every competition has killed my interest to watch or be involved in it. I see gymnasts and groups copying one another and/or recycling the same elements, music, leotards etc., from previous years. Any time you see something new and original at the beginning of the year by a team or a gymnast, by the end of the year others would have copied it. No one wants to be original anymore and what for? It's all about the judges really! They are the ones competing for the medals, not the gymnast! You could have an exceptional routine that is executed in a way that it could take your breath away, but if you don't have judges working with other judges to get the score you deserve, you might as well settle for scraps! I usually like gymnast and teams that are original and take risque with their choreography, music and leotard designs. Such a thing is rare.
What do you think of Bulgarian RG today?
S.A - I think that the Bulgarian school of RG has maintained its traditions and continues to make gymnast with outstanding technique with all apparatus! I see other gymnast on an international level, who skipped the first years of proper technique training and went strait to competition , just based on their flexibility. Bulgarian RG is definitely not what it used to be, but then again Bulgaria is not the country that ones was. Bulgarian gymnast see what is happening to RG politicly and it's hard to dedicate yourself to years of intensive training to a lost cause. I think Iliana Raeva is doing her part, but team work is everything. They too have problems with the Bulgarian Federation. My personal opinion is that Maria Gigova needs to let the New Generation take the rains! Because, you can't beat a dead horse ... if you know what I mean. Regardless of those issues, bulgarian group team delivered an original choreography, executed without mistakes at the last WC in 2011 and won the Gold as they should have. I'd be shocked to see Irina Viner allow this to happen again ... Ha!
What can you say about Olympic champion Evgenia Kanaeva? And about Daria Kondakova?
S.A - I think Evgenia Kanaeva was at her best in the last Olympic Games. I don't know why she's milking her retirement. I don't understand any gymnast that stays longer than she needs to! There is so much more to do with their acquired talent then just RG ... Anyway, Kanaeva - who in my humble opinion is quite "dry in her performance", usually starts her year with very difficult routines and ends up watering them down in the end. I prefer Kondakova's style, she has more soulful performance. However, her scores often don't match the execution ... again as no surprise to anyone!
What can you say about Ukrainian gymnast? And what do you think about the prospects of these girls at the Olympics 2012?
S.A - I remember seeing Bessonova's Ribbon routine at the 2009 WC in Mie - and I remember that feeling you get when you connect with the choreography, performance, music and you forget that it is a competition, you forget what country she represents, you forget to even look at the score, because what I saw was ART! Those are big shoes to fill.
Maksymenko is one of my favorite individual gymnast to watch right now. She is so expressive and has great flexibility, jumps, turns, etc. Her choreography could be more stylized and grown up, because I feel that she is capable of performing it. In the end, it's all about perfect execution and who did their job "under the judges table".
What do you think of the future of RG in general?
S.A - The future of RG looks quite bleak to me. The powerful will become more powerful. The others will try to become alias with them in order to survive. FIG RG President Maria Szyszkowska (POL) will continue to push for undeserving gymnast like her native Joanna Mitrosz (POL) and the polish group team. Russian gymnast will get better, because of the pool of gymnast it has to choose from, because Irina Viner takes care of her coaches and gymnast well and because of the rising popularity and achievements in RG in Russia. The Code of Points will change to accommodate those in power and the judges will continue to do "business" behind closed doors prior to competition. And repeats again and again till someone puts a stop to it or it fizzles out into an art form...
A lot of active internet users were delighted with your commentary at the 2005 World Championship - Baku
S.A - It was the truth. I think it's interesting that to this day, I continue to receive messages from fans about a single commentary I did 6 years ago on Kapranova's Ribbon routine! I think Olga Kapranova was such a mess of a gymnast, all flexibility and no turns , no techniqie ... In your face mistake after mistake and still Irina Viner was pushing for her. Russian gymnast have changed since.
- Will comment on the 2012 Olympic Games?
S.A - No.
- I don't know if it matters what I say or don't say. I think that I am possibly the only neutral person that speaks the truth about RG publicly. Everyone knows and see's it, but no one says it out loud. And that is maybe because my bread and butter doesn't depend on wether I work in RG or not. I am not interested in telling "Fairy Tales" nor am I interested in kissing ass. The only reason I was able to do commentary in 2005 is because no one knew what I would say and because Bart Conner - commentating with me - was interested in the truth! At this moment 99.9% of people in USA audience have no interest in RG, because the state of RG here is about 20 years behind! And what country wants to watch other counties beat up on their athletes? I don't see this changing any time soon, because RG girls in USA are more interested in being famous than training as hard and as long as they need to or as the Russian , Ukrainian or Bulgarian RG girls do. And again, why should they? They have more opportunities here to do other things to showcase their mediocre RG craft ... I am sure they will not like to hear this, but it is the truth!
As for Olympics 2012 - NBC (TV channel) will probably have a "politicly correct" person commentating during the Olympics and I will probably watch it with a glass of red wine next to me, clapping for those who deserve it and booing those who don't ... And the next day I will be on set working on whatever I will be working on at that time, completely forgetting that the Olympics just passed ... and everyone will live happily ever after.
Unless , someone has the balls to put a mic in front of me ... but don't hold your breath.
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