Who do we blame for a decade of awful ice dance costumes? | Golden Skate

Who do we blame for a decade of awful ice dance costumes?

Bijoux

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 8, 2004
Was it Grishuk and Platov? Were T&D the last to wear understated costumes? Why do the Europeans feel 'more' is better?

Sorry if I sound ethnocentric, but Northamerican skaters aren't always over the top...or am I wrong? Sometimes I'm so appalled by the costumes, I can't even see the dance. And I get the feeling European/Russian fans find our costumes a little plebian. Which Ice dance costume would you like to shred and burn?:p
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
I don't know why, Bijoux, but one name keeps coming to mind, as I read your post: Tatiana Tarasova. It seems that the most outlandish outfits in recent memory are associated with her. It probably began with Bestemianova & Bukin's post-Sarajevo 1984 era. Natalia's longish shredded-hem 'Carmen' dress in 85 was considered very nouveau...then there were the goofy 'Cabaret' outfits with the big bow ties a couple of years later. All of that was tame compared to B&B's 1988 Olympics gold-lame outfits, for their "Polovtsian Dances" free dance. After those outfits, TT's skaters became wilder-looking & never looked back, it seems.

We can't blame Russians alone. Who can forget "my" Katarina Witt's early 1980s outfits, such as the original version of the 1983/84 season Hungarian SP dress, complete with high silver boots? Or her Mozart SP before that, dressed as Mozart himself? Remember, this was at least one decade before she skated to Robin Hood.

If you REALLY want to go back, remember the outrage caused by Linda Fratianne at the 1979 US Nationals, when she skated her 'Carmen' LP with a heavily-beaded, bright red-and-silver Bob Mackie-ish dress. She was so bashed by the prim & proper USFSA country-club set, that she was ordered to find a less flashy version for Worlds the following month.

p.s. - As to which ice-dance outfit to shred & burn, I vote for Bestemianova & Bukin's gold-lame pantaloons at the '88 Olys because they got the truly-voidy ball rolling with that performance. I give honorable mention to the vampire-like MAKE-UP (not outfits) on Klimova/Ponomakrenko in 1992. Good heavens! The only thing missing on Marina Klimova's face were the fangs!
 
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Bijoux

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Jan 8, 2004
Frau

:rofl: What a memory you have! I liked most of Kat's outfits. You are right! TT is the culprit and she is responsible for Ilia's Giraffe look. I think most of the Russian style was pretty awful. Although foil and lame can be blamed on Mishin if we mention singles, too. Thank God he doesn't have ice dancers!

Babs and Maurice -everything she wore- the disco dress, and the ropes on A&P's 2002 LP was more bondage than freedom, should be burned. I just don't get how a country that spawned Coco Chanel could inspire A&P's designers.:p
 

dr.frog

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
You also have to put some of the blame on Sophie Moniotte. Ice dancers used to wear ordinary outfits with short skirts for the women and close-fitting suits for the guys. Moniotte started the fashion for wearing long skirts with lots of flapping fabric, and pretty soon the guys started going overboard with flapping fabric, too.
 

Piel

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Jul 27, 2003
Which Ice dance costume would you like to shred and burn?

Remember if you shred it to burn it immediately or someone will add sequins, rhinestones, and fake flesh to it and wear it for The Olympics!:biggrin:
 
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julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Well, I have to admit, I prefer mid-thigh to knee-length skirts (I'm sorry, but fabric should cover the a$$ enough it stays reasonably covered. You can still show off your legs without flashing your audience. Some singles skaters might as well just not wear the skirt.) But that's skirt as in 'intact fabric.' A shreded hem is one thing. A few longish feathers draping down around the legs is not a skirt. Nor are some long ribbons.

I don't think Pasha helped, but I think Anassina contributed, too. And what is with ice dancers dyeing their hair--not just dyeing it, but blatantly obviously, as in colors that clash with their skin tone?

And look on the bright side--they could dress like Latin ballroom dancers. I'm sorry, but I've seen some dresses in International Latin competitions that a hooker wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Not enough fabric.
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
TT is certainly at least partially at fault. Here is a website that has pictures of all European champions in all 4 disciplines. You can certainly see how TT's first team, Moiseeva and Minenkov, start a trend.
 

Piel

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Jul 27, 2003
Thanks Ptichka, those pics are great. About the men...why is Button listed as a European champion and did Yagudin never win a European championship?
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Hi Piel. Yes, in 1948 the winners of the European Championships were Dick Button (USA) and Barbara Ann Scott (Canada). Scott also won both Europeans and Worlds in 1947, becoming the first world figure skating champion from a country outside of Europe.

In 1948 Dick Button simultaneously held the Olympic, World, European, North Amenrican and U.S. titles.

After that, they changed the rules to only allow European skaters to compete. I believe that the reason they let North Americans skate at ithe European Championships in those years is that the European figure skating programs were in a shambles because of World War II.

About costumes, I don't mind the flamboyant and outre dance costumes -- these are dancers after all, they're supposed to wear eye-catching costumes.

It's the men's get-up that makes me chuckle. Any day now they'll hook into the "Court of Louis the Fourteenth" look, and start wearing powdered coifs.

MM :)
 

attyfan

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Mar 1, 2004
Piel ... did Yagudin never win a European championship?[/QUOTE said:
I think Alexei won at least 3 -- he was European champion going into Nagano Olys; again in '99; and the third was in '02. I think Plushy won in '00 and '01. It was the Russian National championship that Yagudin never won.
 

Doggygirl

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Who do I blame for the last decade of dance costumes??

Ladies dance costumes - I absolutely blame Victoria of Victoria's Secret. It's not a secret anymore - the private parts anyway.

Men's dance costumes - I absolutely blame Elton John.

DG
 

Ptichka

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Jul 28, 2003
Piel said:
did Yagudin never win a European championship?
Piel, it's just an early picture of him (from 1998). It's the next to last one.

From the man you can really see how the costumes get more easy once Russians start winning, first with Bobrin in '81, not so much with Fadeev, but then in a major way with Petrenko in '90.
 
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Piel

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Jul 27, 2003
Duh to me:banging: Yagudin is spelled Jagidun under the picture.


In 1948 Dick Button simultaneously held the Olympic, World, European, North Amenrican and U.S. titles.

That's because Mr. Button is the man!:clap: :rock: :cool:
 

JonnyCoop

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Joined
Dec 28, 2003
I'm actually blaming Anissina & Peizerat, or, more accurately, COUPLES WHO DECIDED TO TRY AND COPY THEM. It seems to me that since their "Romeo & Juliet" of 97-98, not only are many of the Free Dances executed in that basic style, but the costumes are as well -- only the boat was missed on both counts. I personally thought the "R & J" costumes were beautiful; however, in trying to imitate the basic look, somehow things got mixed up and instead of merely having flowing fabric, it now seems to be customary to attach a whole bolt of fabric to the back of the costume and let it unfurl as the dance goes on. This would be after taking the basic costume and letting a trio of Dobermans fight over it and/or throwing it out onto the interstate and letting vehicles run over it for 5 hours. I think the whole "Ripped" look started long about the time that couples felt compelled to deliver Free Dances with oh-so-tortured themes, in which case we may wish to blame the Duchesnays, tho nothing they ever wore was as over the top as some of the current stuff. (With the possible exception of the Jungle costume, but at least that wasn't flapping all over the place.)

As far as BASIC UGLY is concerned, this has been going on for years, and perhaps the Russians are to blame, as they seem to have been consistently the worst offenders. It MUST be a cultural thing; surely the Russians themselves do not see these costumes as being as ugly as we do here, do they? If so, seems to me they wouldn't wear them at all. {The ugly costumes, that is, not costumes or clothing in general... :laugh: } I'd be fascinated to have someone "of the Russian persuasion", so to speak, explain to me why some of these things are considered to be beautiful and what the criteria would be for that; I think it would be very interesting.
 

Bijoux

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 8, 2004
definitely shred, burn and bury

the costume Angelica Krylova wore - the interpretation of an Indian totem pole I guess, in the 1 SOI season they did. Angelica had a huge headdress, pasties with feathers hanging off and mostly illusion fabric covering the rest of her.

A very good question is who is the designer the Russian dancers use and can he/she/they be rehabilitated. UGH!:biggrin:
 

SusanBeth

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Bijoux said:
the costume Angelica Krylova wore - the interpretation of an Indian totem pole I guess, in the 1 SOI season they did. Angelica had a huge headdress, pasties with feathers hanging off and mostly illusion fabric covering the rest of her.

A very good question is who is the designer the Russian dancers use and can he/she/they be rehabilitated. UGH!:biggrin:

Rehabilitated?? How about taken out and shot! ;)
 

Piel

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Jul 27, 2003
JonnyCoop said:
Can't you just imagine the Russian (and Ukrainian) Federation's garage sale???:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Couldn't get near the place...the French and Italian Federations would be lined up to get them for their ice dancers.:biggrin:
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
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Jul 28, 2003
Bijoux said:
Was it Grishuk and Platov? Were T&D the last to wear understated costumes? Why do the Europeans feel 'more' is better?

Sorry if I sound ethnocentric, but Northamerican skaters aren't always over the top...or am I wrong? Sometimes I'm so appalled by the costumes, I can't even see the dance. And I get the feeling European/Russian fans find our costumes a little plebian. Which Ice dance costume would you like to shred and burn?:p


Good question. One of the most horrible ice dance costumes on my list were worn by B&B at the Calgary Olympics, not to mention their choreography matched their horrible costumes to boot.
 
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