Yes, it's kind of like what most skaters do. Don't bother me with that nonsense. I'm here for points.It is easy enough to see what figure skating would be without music. Just turn down the volume. (Not that you can hear the music anyway, over the applause.)
While your words cannot be denied, the question is: would skating be more enjoyable for you without the artistic aspect?
).Happy birthday to senorita and Mathman! I want you both to know that our horoscope for the year calls for us to have real financial success this year; how I don't know, but the stars say so
It would definitely be nice.
I understand now what you were trying to say, and I agree that the skater ultimately produces the artistry.
The music, though, IMO is like the motor oil in a car; you may not think about it most of the time, but without it to smooth all the parts and gears, the program will stall. .
But consider that the converse must then also be true: if the skater herself doesn't possess artistic talents and skills, then the most gorgeously awe-inspiring music will not be able to hide her deficiencies. There are a lot of examples of this, don't you think? Imagine a skater performing to a climactic Puccini aria while stumbling in her steps and wavering with her arms like a drunken sailor. The contrast with the beautiful music would only heighten the wretchedness of the moment
)
full practices as Cio-Cio San. She ran through two endings several times, with and without suicide. One of her coaches said (I assume in jest), "yeah, if she misses that last triple Lutz, she's going to kill herself." (She didn't, and won the Skate America silver medal behimnd Michelle Kwan.)You have to make the music work for you. In the Puccini scenario, you play it off as, "hey, you want nessun dorma, I'll give you nessun dorma. I've been up all night trying to find out this fool's name, of course I'm a little wobbly."
Sasha Cohen once fell out of her closing pose as Juliet. While sprawled awkwardly on her back she mimed taking poison, Then, collecting her wits, said, no I mean ... and she stabbed herself. (She won.
I once watched one of Ann Patrice McDonugh's
In Alissa Czisny's exhibition skate at Four Continents she fell twice. Not to worry. She was doing You'll Never Walk Alone and both falls came on "though your dreams be tossed and blown." That way you can struggle to your feet and "Walk on....Walk on... with hope in your heart."
In any case, if there is beautiful music playing the audience can always just close their eyes.
A good point. If you know that you're likely to be careening about like a drunken sailor, then the Jolly Roger anthem would help you max your PCS points. (But which then begs the question: why hasn't that anthem become a well-loved figure skating warhorse? )
