Rachel Flatt returning to last season's free skate for Worlds

visaliakid · Feb 17, 2009

From Phil Hersh's latest column: "Some Olympic Food for Thought"

Rachael Flatt, likely to be the top U.S. woman at next month’s World Figure Skating Championships, has decided to go back to last year’s free skate music, a wise choice for her and an indictment of the sport. Flatt was skating this season to two Debussy tone poems, "The Sea" and "In a Boat," and interpreting them was too ambitious an exercise for a 16-year-old. More importantly, international judges lacked the musical sense to grasp what they were hearing, accustomed as they are to the "Boleros" and "Romeos" and "Toscas" and movie scores that are used ad nauseum in the sport.

So Flatt will recycle "Romantic Rhapsody," the Andre Mathieu music with which she won the 2008 world junior title -- a Gershwin-esque piano-and-orchestra piece that is less intellectually demanding and more easy listening than the Debussy. Thankfully, it still is a sophisticated choice rather than one of the old warhorses skaters favor.

This is a smart move on her part. Romantic Rhapsody is a piece that she can showcase wonderfully as we have witnessed. She loves the music and exudes joy in performing it. That the judges can relate to better.

Go Rachel and wow them! :clap:

screech · Feb 17, 2009

A lot of people have skated to some different kinds of music, much less 'graspable' than Rachel's music who have had great success, so I must say, I don't particularly like his comment of judges lacking musical sense.

Particle Man · Feb 17, 2009

It worked for Caroline.

lmarie086 · Feb 17, 2009

I think it's a good move. Rachael showed more personality with Romantic Rhapsody than she does now with La Mer. Hope the change works for her!

Tinymavy15 · Feb 19, 2009

Very intersting. I am quite frankly very surpirsed, because she seemed determined to use that music. I don't think last year's program was particullay great for her either, but I guess Worlds is just to close by to create a whole new program. I just hope she doen't wear that baby blue dress.

Rachel Flatt returning to last season's free skate for Worlds

visaliakid

screech

Particle Man

Match Penalty

lmarie086

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

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