"The Cutting Edge" & some questions.... | Golden Skate

"The Cutting Edge" & some questions....

silverpond

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
This may be a reprise on the board, and if so, I apologize for re-introducing it. Just watched my videotape of the 1992 "The Cutting Edge" movie. I believe two elite figure skaters performed as the doubles for Kate Mosley and Douglas Dorsey, correct? And that this pair dissolved their partnership shortly after the movie was filmed?

The ice queen and the hockey player were a pretty unlikely pair for elite figure skating, but with the magic of Hollywood, Dorsey managed to transform himself from a rough and tumble hockey player into a champion figure skating - in the space of two years? Wouldn't that be highly unlikely, if not impossible?

And, I recall that Natalia Mishkotenuk (sp?) - the former Soviet World and Olympic pairs champion - met and married an American hockey player and that he started to train as a figure skater so that they could skate exhibitions, if not actually compete? Who was that guy, and are they still skating? Perhaps they're both coaches at this point.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
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Jul 28, 2003
And, I recall that Natalia Mishkotenuk (sp?) - the former Soviet World and Olympic pairs champion - met and married an American hockey player and that he started to train as a figure skater so that they could skate exhibitions, if not actually compete? Who was that guy, and are they still skating? Perhaps they're both coaches at this point.
Mishkutenok divorced Shepherd and got married again. She's currently coaching in Texas.
 

Pixie Cut

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
This may be a reprise on the board, and if so, I apologize for re-introducing it. Just watched my videotape of the 1992 "The Cutting Edge" movie. I believe two elite figure skaters performed as the doubles for Kate Mosley and Douglas Dorsey, correct? And that this pair dissolved their partnership shortly after the movie was filmed?

Actually, the opposite. Sharon Carz and John Denton teamed up after working as skating doubles on the movie. They skated one season together. Carz and Denton weren't the only doubles for the lead actors. Adagio skaters Terry Pagano and Tony Paul also did some of the skating.
 

silverpond

On the Ice
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Jun 18, 2011
Actually, the opposite. Sharon Carz and John Denton teamed up after working as skating doubles on the movie. They skated one season together. Carz and Denton weren't the only doubles for the lead actors. Adagio skaters Terry Pagano and Tony Paul also did some of the skating.

Thanks for the info! Pagano and Paul played Mosley/Dorsey's chief US rivals. Tony Paul was Kate's former partner, the one she and her father blamed for the pair lift mishap at the 1988 Olympics. As Doug Dorsey watched the replay, it was evident that Brian was "getting the job done" and that the fall was actually Kate's mistake.

Also -- Canadians Christine Hough and Doug Laudret portrayed the Soviet pair team who arrived at the Olympics with the European title - heavy favorites for the gold medal.
 

seniorita

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Jun 3, 2008
Stupid me, I thought the actual actors did learn to skate there on the film..
 

silverpond

On the Ice
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Jun 18, 2011
I doubt if anybody could become a world-class figure skate in two years, even with the best of training. Reaching that level takes years of hard work. IMHO, it would have been a miracle for any of the actors to actually skate the performances - unless they were world-class figure skaters.
 

gkelly

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Jul 26, 2003
I think the actors did learn to skate so they could perform scenes on the ice, but not to the level that they could skate the programs with advanced skills.

It's not necessary to be a world-class figure skater (a la Sonja Henie) for an actor do his/her own skating in a film, but a much higher level is required for a skater/actor portraying a competitive skater than what can be learned in a year or two. I guess it partly depends how you define "world class."

For example, Lynn Holly Johnson who starred in the original Ice Castles, Taylor Firth who starred in the recent remake, Juliana Cannarozzo and Kirsten Olson who played supporting roles in Ice Princess all competed at U.S. Nationals, but not all of them internationally. They mostly did their own skating in those films, but there were some moves for which skating doubles were brought in anyway.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Taylor Firth who starred in the recent remake, Juliana Cannarozzo and Kirsten Olson who played supporting roles in Ice Princess all competed at U.S. Nationals, but not all of them internationally. They mostly did their own skating in those films, but there were some moves for which skating doubles were brought in anyway.

I am amazed to learn that! Taylor Firth and Juliana Cannarozzo were top skaters (I am not familiar with Kirsten Olson). Who did they get as doubles, Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen?
 
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Pixie Cut

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Oct 28, 2004
Thanks for the info! Pagano and Paul played Mosley/Dorsey's chief US rivals. Tony Paul was Kate's former partner, the one she and her father blamed for the pair lift mishap at the 1988 Olympics. As Doug Dorsey watched the replay, it was evident that Brian was "getting the job done" and that the fall was actually Kate's mistake.

Also -- Canadians Christine Hough and Doug Laudret portrayed the Soviet pair team who arrived at the Olympics with the European title - heavy favorites for the gold medal.

You're right on Hough and Ladret, but you're wrong on Pagano and Paul. Pagano and Paul were strictly doubles, mostly for Kelly and Sweeney. I believe they did the Pamchenko or elements that created the illusion of it.

Moseley and Dorsey's U.S. rivals were portrayed by Kevin Peeks and Rachelle Ottley. Kevin Peeks is a former skater and went on to be one of Rudy Galindo's singles coaches. Don't know much about Ottley.

A side note, Moira Kelly actually filmed part of the movie with her foot in a cast, an injury she sustained while learning to skate for the role.
 

gkelly

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Jul 26, 2003
I am amazed to learn that! Taylor Firth and Juliana Cannarozzo were top skaters (I am not familiar with Kirsten Olson). Who did they get as doubles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Princess
Looks like Cannarozzo did all her own skating but Danielle Kahle did some of Olson's.

Olson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyTUItP2rs

I was mainly thinking about the original Ice Castles, in which Lynn Holly Johnson did much of her own skating but a skater named Staci Loop was brought in for some of it.
 

seniorita

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Jun 3, 2008
I doubt if anybody could become a world-class figure skate in two years, even with the best of training. Reaching that level takes years of hard work. IMHO, it would have been a miracle for any of the actors to actually skate the performances - unless they were world-class figure skaters.

I meant that these actors were figure skaters of some level who happened to star in this movie.
 

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
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Dec 16, 2006
Terry Pagano and Tony Paul coach in the San Diego area (at the rink I skate in).
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Someday I'd love to see a skating movie in which the leads are wonderful skaters, so there can be some really artistic skating as part of the movie. Kind of like the old Sonja Henie movies, which had pretty substantial skating sequences for their time. Now that Sasha Cohen has studied acting (and Tara Lipinski if she still retains any skating skills), maybe it's possible. I'd love to see a skating equivalent of The Red Shoes or The Turning Point. I'm kind of tired of the kind of movie skating where you can either see people's faces or their ankles, but never both at once.
 

Pixie Cut

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Oct 28, 2004
Someday I'd love to see a skating movie in which the leads are wonderful skaters, so there can be some really artistic skating as part of the movie. Kind of like the old Sonja Henie movies, which had pretty substantial skating sequences for their time. Now that Sasha Cohen has studied acting (and Tara Lipinski if she still retains any skating skills), maybe it's possible. I'd love to see a skating equivalent of The Red Shoes or The Turning Point. I'm kind of tired of the kind of movie skating where you can either see people's faces or their ankles, but never both at once.

It's rare to find a dancer with Mikhail Baryshnikov's acting skills. Other dancers who've acted were awful, including Leslie Browne in The Turning Point and Julie Kent in Dancers. She was better by the time they did Center Stage, but still not strong. Lynn Holly Johnson had years of acting experience before Ice Castles. Not many skaters have that.
 

MoonlightSkater

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May 17, 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Princess
Looks like Cannarozzo did all her own skating but Danielle Kahle did some of Olson's.

Olson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyTUItP2rs

I was mainly thinking about the original Ice Castles, in which Lynn Holly Johnson did much of her own skating but a skater named Staci Loop was brought in for some of it.



Staci Loop was my very first coach in group lessons. I was very excited when I found out she'd been the double in Ice Castles, but she took time off from coaching, if I remember right for family reasons, shortly after I started.

If I remember correctly, Jennifer Robinson was Michelle Trachtenberg's double in Ice Princess.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
It's rare to find a dancer with Mikhail Baryshnikov's acting skills. Other dancers who've acted were awful, including Leslie Browne in The Turning Point and Julie Kent in Dancers. She was better by the time they did Center Stage, but still not strong. Lynn Holly Johnson had years of acting experience before Ice Castles. Not many skaters have that.

Good point, Pixie...though I don't agree with you about Leslie Browne in Turning Point. I thought she was very convincing at conveying a character, though certainly her character wasn't very deep, so her job wasn't too demanding. You're certainly right about Baryshnikov--what a Renaissance man! Both his acting and dancing style are so unadorned and naturalistic, extremely emotionally convincing. White Nights always delights me. It doesn't hurt that the guy is total eye candy, even today.

Gee, maybe he could play the skating coach in the movie we're casting now! (Well, I'm casting one. Feel free to join me!) Too bad there isn't a skater with the electrical fizz of Ann-Margret, a fabulous actress who started out as an ingenue who could dance. I've seen Tara Lipinski act, and alas, she gave me the impression that she was reciting her lines.(Perhaps she's improved?) Maybe Sasha could convey some degree of sparkle. My suspicions are that Mao Asada would be a great little actress: she has that quicksilver face. As for men, don't Kulik and Yagudin have some acting aspirations and experience?

Sigh; this will take a bit more thought.
 

silverpond

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
I think the actors did learn to skate so they could perform scenes on the ice, but not to the level that they could skate the programs with advanced skills.

It's not necessary to be a world-class figure skater (a la Sonja Henie) for an actor do his/her own skating in a film, but a much higher level is required for a skater/actor portraying a competitive skater than what can be learned in a year or two. I guess it partly depends how you define "world class."

For example, Lynn Holly Johnson who starred in the original Ice Castles, Taylor Firth who starred in the recent remake, Juliana Cannarozzo and Kirsten Olson who played supporting roles in Ice Princess all competed at U.S. Nationals, but not all of them internationally. They mostly did their own skating in those films, but there were some moves for which skating doubles were brought in anyway.

I would describe "World Class" as being skilled enough to represent your country at the World Championships or Olympic Games. IMHO, that's the highest elite level.

There are plenty of wonderful competitive skaters who dedicate years of their lives to conscientious, dedicated training to their sport, who never qualify for the above-mentioned competitions. They are still great skaters, of course, and I salute them!
 
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