Hi everyone, I am new (although I have been lurking for a few months). I hope that it is not too presumptuous of me for my first post to be a new thread.
I was wondering whether the ISU has ever used Baroque dances such as the courante, sarabande, gavotte, gigue, minuet, etc. for a compulsory or original dance.
Also does anyone know if much world music - for example gamelan, Japanese taiko drums, or Andean folk music - has been used in skating?
Thank you
Fredegunda
The japanese taiko drums have certainly been used in the skating - Elvis Stojko did famously have a program which used them and i believe uk ice dancers Sinead and John Kerr have skated to taiko drums too but i can't rememebr when.Originally Posted by Fredegunda
Hi everyone, I am new (although I have been lurking for a few months). I hope that it is not too presumptuous of me for my first post to be a new thread.
I was wondering whether the ISU has ever used Baroque dances such as the courante, sarabande, gavotte, gigue, minuet, etc. for a compulsory or original dance.
Also does anyone know if much world music - for example gamelan, Japanese taiko drums, or Andean folk music - has been used in skating?
Thank you
Fredegunda
Ant
Hi, Fredegunda, thanks for joining us and welcome!
I am far from a music expert, but here's my two cents. I am not sure how Baroque dances like the sarabande would translate to the ice. But the music is wonderful. It would be a cool choice for singles skating, IMHO.
About the gamelan, that would really be taking a chance. Music not based on the traditional European scales takes a lot of getting used to, for Western audiences (and judges). I think it would be very difficult for a skater to give an authentic "interpretation" that would not come off as merely a gimmick.
MM
The only dances the ISU has ever approved for compolsury/OD/set pattern rhythms are basically waltzes, foxtrots, sambas, polkas, rhumbas, et al -- essentially the basic ballroom repertoire, in keeping with the concept that Dance is essentially to be "ballroom on ice".
As of 1980 (the year the source material I am currently looking at was published, which has the clearest list of this type), the compolsury dances were the Viennese Waltz (invented 1934), Yankee Polka (1969), Blues (1934), Westminster Waltz (1938), Paso Doble (1938), Rhumba (1938), Starlight Waltz (1963), Kilian (1909), Tango Romantica (1974), Ravensburger Waltz (1973), Quickstep (1938), and Argentine Tango (1938). There are other dances, basically in the same vein, that have come along since, and others in the same vein that have been discarded pre-1980 and perhaps since then.
It is my understanding, tho I never saw the program, that Canadians Jacqueline Petr and Mark Janoschak used some variation of baroque dances in a free dance they did in the early 90s.
Another good taiko drum program was done by Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjien, and I believe that they too used it in the 97-98 season, the same season Elvis used his. I've never seen one done to Andean music, tho I think it would be a terrific musical choice, along with traditional Romanian folk music. I would like to see more skaters delve into the "world music" genre, actually; there's a lot of great stuff out there if you know where to look.
Stars on Ice also did an opening number to the Japanese drums
I rhink Denkova and Stavisky did a Gavotte in full King Louis and Marie Antoinette costume as a choice for OD one year. It made me a fan of theirs.
Joe
Joesitz, you beat me to it. When I saw Fredegunda's question the first team I thought of was Albena and Maxim. Even though I'm sure someone could explain why my opinion is off base I thought D&S should have won Worlds in 2003. At the very least they should have won the OD; theirs was the best interpretation of what the ISU asked for that year. I watch that OD over and over again.
What WAS the prescribed rhythm for the OD that year?
Do the name "Duchesnays" ring a bell?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvKUL...arch=duchesnay
I think Davis/White (junior dance team) skated to Sarabande this year.
I am far from a music expert, but here's my two cents. I am not sure how Baroque dances like the sarabande would translate to the ice. But the music is wonderful. It would be a cool choice for singles skating, IMHO.
MM
I think it was "Themes From a Grand Ballroom." Dancers could choose from a bunch of different themes like a march, waltz, and polka. I absolutely love Albena & Maxim's OD that year. Almost everybody else was using Johann Strauss but they did something completely different. I remember Tracy Wilson called it the Roccoco (sp?) style and it was far and away the most difficult OD that year. They also had the most difficult FD as well and they definitely should've won the gold, IMO.
Oh what a team they were! That Andean routine has to be on everyone's Short List of exquisite Ice Dancing. Noting short of brilliant.
Can't help but love a couple who dance on ice rather than over emote with the usual movements.
Joe
They didn't for me, but they always will now. What an approach to Dance.It may just be me, but I feel like that is what it would be like if Elvis S was to do Ice Dance. One of the best "story to the dance" I have seen, IMO.
Thank you Mafke!
This doesn't surprise me. In 00-01, the OD rhythm was foxtrot/quickstep and after sitting through about 22 other couples doing the same thing (with varying degrees of success), I was impressed by the fact that they went out there and did something that looked like nothing that had come before. (I'm not sure if I liked it, but I always give points for innovation.) [Actually, now that I recall, this was the first time I'd ever seen them.] I'm glad to see that even under the new system, they can still manage to go out there and be completely different.
re. the Duchesnays Andean program: Well, OK, but that was pretty dang near 20 years ago. I certainly don't recall any recent (say the last 5-7 years) use of Andean music and it certainly isn't widespread. I still think it's a great untapped vein of material.
I remember that! I kept waiting and waiting to see if anyone would actually do a march. And finally someone did (I don't remember who, but it was pretty cool. John Phillip Sousa rules!)
MM
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