Quick Review of Ice Theatre

Joesitz · 03-19-2003, 05:47 PM

Finally got to see the show. Cool and windy at Rockefeller Center but the show went on.

On The Town. Not quite Jerome Robbins but very good interpretation of the music. Doug Webster was the choreographer and he did a nice job. I'd like to see this in SOI.

The Arc of a Circle. This was choreographed and skated to by Beth Waronoff. Rgirl. Doe the name ring a bell? She skated tentatively and nicely to J.S Bach music. the choroegraphy was definitely based on modern dance. It just wasn't arena type setting.

Mercy. Lucinda Ruhe doing her Robin Cousins number looking like the Oscar Statuette. Incredible as usual. There are so many variations to any given spin that it is mind boggling. She did do a Bielman and it is the first time I saw it as an artistic move. There was no wrestling match with the arms to grab her skate. She did it all in one movement.

Through a Glass Darkly A Tribute to John Curry choreographed by Katherine Healy who also danced in it. I've seen this work before and it is looking better. It seems to have too many ballet movements which do not lend themselves to the ice. However, it was skated well by Kevin Curtis as 'John'; Breanne Scully as 'Figure Skating'; and Katherine as 'Dance". Healy, imo, was too concerned about how it was being performed which took away from her part. Scully did quite well and Curtis was fine but, of course, not John.

Check this company out if they come to your neck of the woods.

Joe

eltamina · 03-19-2003, 06:12 PM

Thanks for the review. Is Healy skating or choregraphing or dancing full time?

rgirl181 · 03-19-2003, 06:40 PM

Thanks a bunch for the review, Joe. Beth Waronoff--doesn't ring a bell but I might recognize the face, or more likely the movement

ITNY is performing in my neck of the woods tomorrow morning (10:30am--ugh, not my time for a show, but I'll take anything I can get when it's free:D ), so hopefully we'll be able to compare notes. I know what you mean about Ruh's Beillmann. She gets into it, and all her bendy-twisty spin positions, with such smoothness and minimal movement that you forget that the positions are difficult and just get caught up in how beautiful they are. To me, Ruh is like living kinetic sculpture.
Rgirl

Ladskater · 03-20-2003, 01:30 AM

Too bad Kurt was not in the show - then you would really have something.

Ladskater

rgirl181 · 03-20-2003, 05:36 PM

Joe,
Saw ITNY this morning and really enjoyed it. Last time I saw them was in '99. I thought "On the Town" had some great moments and generally thought it was the best skated. I agree that something like this would make a great mini-section for SOI.

"The Arc of a Circle." This is where I guess I'm a modern dance snob. Although I love seeing new moves incorporated into figure skating, I'm not crazy about seeing second-rate modern choreography on ice. I still enjoyed it--Beth Waronoff (don't know her) didn't seem tentative today, but this was up on 145th St., not nearly the pressure of Rockefeller Center, so she was probably more relaxed and more rehearsed. I see what you mean about not being suited to a rink. I think Waronoff is working from a proscenium POV. And with the Bach music I couldn't help but be reminded of Lar Lubovitch's piece on Paul Wylie, which was so stunning. Guess that's why Lar is the pro.

Lucinda Ruh. What can I say that hasn't already been said, except what an incredible treat it was to see her in such a relaxed setting. It was like walk in to some rink nobody's ever heard of, with an atmosphere as if people are just going to practice, and see the most incredible spinner on earth. Kind of like walking into some piano bar in the afternoon and hearing Glenn Gould play "The Goldberg Variations." Incredible!

"Through a Glass Darkly" Interesting concept and again, a lot of beautiful moments. Healy seemed into the performance today, but like the others was probably more relaxed and more rehearsed. She's got a ways to go in terms of putting together a fully cohesive piece and I agree that she's still too attached to putting ballet on skates, but I think she's definitely got potential as a choreographer. And she still skates like a dream.

One thing about seeing these pieces, it really makes one appreciate the level of excellence SOI maintains with its choreography both for solos and groups. Not that I like them all, but they all have a standard of excellence. Of course it helps to have great skaters to work with

Anyway, it just reinforced how really difficult it is to do good choreography for figure skating. Robin Cousin's piece on Lucinda was, not surprisingly, the best, IMO. As I said before, I was thrilled to see Lucinda skate so "up close" but I couldn't help but think that SOI blew it when they didn't renew her contract. This young woman is big time and while ITNY is a wonderful troupe, Lucinda should be with SOI or COI. If people will pay top dollar to see a girl do a few strokes and spins with a bunch of silver hula hoops, why wouldn't they pay the same to see the world's greatest spinner and a beautiful skater to boot?

Anyway, I'm glad you alerted me to it because otherwise I would have missed it. I put myself back on their mailing list, so hopefully I'll get notices myself from now on. Thanks again.
Rgirl

Joesitz · 03-20-2003, 08:39 PM

rGirl - Yes, it is a nice show. And yes, it's not SOI but I enjoy it for an evening of figure skating at Chelsea Piers when I get the chance. I guess they will never grow into a full scale ice show. Aside from money which would beget great guest artists, it would still need some dedicated corps de patineurs to stay with it. Some serious choreographers who know skating would be a big help if they were to create 15-20 minute skating themes. It's kinda what Curry was trying to do.

Oh well, I can dream, can't I? Glad you liked the show.

Joe