Mao's new short is

Scheherazade!!!

I can not believe it nor I can not wait it.
choreographer by Tachiana Tarasova.

Till then, shall we watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPIDv009Ep0&NR=1

Or Michell's ?

genki said:

Scheherazade!!!

I can not believe it nor I can not wait it.
choreographer by Tachiana Tarasova.

Till then, shall we watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPIDv009Ep0&NR=1

Or Michell's ?

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oh boy..it should be interesting what will be the reaction from the die hard fans of her rival and the comparison.. (hiding and running..)

I always thought it would be neat if a ladies singles skater or a pair or dance team who were really good at memorizing different choreography did a traditional Schez SP, where the lady is reeling the sultan (and the audience) in and seducing with her storytelling. Then, they'd make a different LP for each competition she or they were going to skate in that season. Programs with a strong storyline or character(s), only ever competed once, so it was a little bit like a recreation of the thousand and one nights, with a different story for every "night"! Then for the Olys or Worlds, the LP could be the triumphant tale of Scheherazade being spared and marrying the prince. It would be great to see either Mao or Yuna do that, even if only for show programs on a tour and not in competition. I bet V/M could pull it off, too.

cooper said:

oh boy..it should be interesting what will be the reaction from the die hard fans of her rival and the comparison.. (hiding and running..)

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How so? This is one of the most overused pieces of music in skating...right next to Carmen. But there are ways to make each music cut and costume design unique...not to mention the choreography.

doubleflutz said:

I always thought it would be neat if a ladies singles skater or a pair or dance team who were really good at memorizing different choreography did a traditional Schez SP, where the lady is reeling the sultan (and the audience) in and seducing with her storytelling. Then, they'd make a different LP for each competition she or they were going to skate in that season. Programs with a strong storyline or character(s), only ever competed once, so it was a little bit like a recreation of the thousand and one nights, with a different story for every "night"! Then for the Olys or Worlds, the LP could be the triumphant tale of Scheherazade being spared and marrying the prince. It would be great to see either Mao or Yuna do that, even if only for show programs on a tour and not in competition. I bet V/M could pull it off, too.

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What a cool idea!

And because Scheherezade is tantamount to a symphony, with four movements, there's plenty of music in it that isn't normally used. Plus, there's other Rimsky-Korsakov music that's compatible with it that the skater(s) could use through the season. Notably from Antar, also a four-movement work, and from some of his lush operas.

(This starts a bit slowly, but hang in there: first movement of Antar. Around 4 minutes it starts getting interesting.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btUeG2S7t6c

Krislite said:

How so? This is one of the most overused pieces of music in skating...right next to Carmen. But there are ways to make each music cut and costume design unique...not to mention the choreography.

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Amen. I'm so sick of Scheherazade I really don't know what to do.:sheesh: I know it was used way before Michelle did it back in 2002, but since then it's like at least two or three skaters have used it every season since then! It's becoming a rite of passage selection for the ladies: nearly every girl skates to Carmen and now it seems like Scheherazade is being added to that list...

It'll be interesting to see what Tat comes up with. I'm not a fan of her competitive choreography for Mao...I actually think she'd have done better to go with Lori for both her SP and LP, and just leave the exhibition choreography to Tat. But whatever. For Mao's sake, I hope Tat gives her a program that's better than last year's.

I am not really excited to hear this. This music is so overused. Could she not find another piece of music to use?

kwanatic said:

Amen. I'm so sick of Scheherazade I really don't know what to do.:sheesh: I know it was used way before Michelle did it back in 2002, but since then it's like at least two or three skaters have used it every season since then! It's becoming a rite of passage selection for the ladies: nearly every girl skates to Carmen and now it seems like Scheherazade is being added to that list...

It'll be interesting to see what Tat comes up with. I'm not a fan of her competitive choreography for Mao...I actually think she'd have done better to go with Lori for both her SP and LP, and just leave the exhibition choreography to Tat. But whatever. For Mao's sake, I hope Tat gives her a program that's better than last year's.

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Maybe for her LP, Lori will have her skate to Tosca!

kwanatic said:

Amen. I'm so sick of Scheherazade I really don't know what to do.:sheesh: I know it was used way before Michelle did it back in 2002, but since then it's like at least two or three skaters have used it every season since then! It's becoming a rite of passage selection for the ladies: nearly every girl skates to Carmen and now it seems like Scheherazade is being added to that list...

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Who else has used it? Dom/Shabs skated to it but that was 2003 or 04. I'm hard pressed to think of any other top level skater who has used it.

In any case, there is lots of music that can be used from the suite without using the exact same cuts that Michelle used.

Michelle used it in 2002 right off the top of my head. It's been used a BILLION times.

Dragonlady said:

Who else has used it? Dom/Shabs skated to it but that was 2003 or 04. I'm hard pressed to think of any other top level skater who has used it.

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Schez has been done to death by skaters from all disciplines...and everyone seems only to have access to the same few cuts despite the length of the suite.

Off the top of my head, skaters who have used Scheherazade: Evan Lysacek, Zhang/Zhang, Yu-Na Kim, Miki Ando, Denney/Barrett, Amelie Lacoste, Michelle Kwan, Midori Ito, John Curry, Gordeeva/Grinkov, Blumberg/Seibert....


I wonder if Mao will wear red.

doubleflutz said:

I always thought it would be neat if a ladies singles skater or a pair or dance team who were really good at memorizing different choreography did a traditional Schez SP, where the lady is reeling the sultan (and the audience) in and seducing with her storytelling. Then, they'd make a different LP for each competition she or they were going to skate in that season. Programs with a strong storyline or character(s), only ever competed once, so it was a little bit like a recreation of the thousand and one nights, with a different story for every "night"! Then for the Olys or Worlds, the LP could be the triumphant tale of Scheherazade being spared and marrying the prince. It would be great to see either Mao or Yuna do that, even if only for show programs on a tour and not in competition. I bet V/M could pull it off, too.

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:agree:

In my imagine,Mao with 3rd movements suites well. Many skaters used it and my best one is Katrina Hacker's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plxhlvpuMk　
I'll die if Mao skates this style and this kind of costume.
http://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/018/862/35/N000/000/000/126900778039016224070_KNLB3467.jpg @2009 The ICE

However,after finding Adelina version,which was from Tat,I really wish Tatiana gives her classical one.
Adelina's→http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_327e4ktyQ

Somebody made this video using commentary for Midori.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf0UC7pdwDk

Pretty much fun to watch.

I am not a fan of Tat for competitive routine for Mao either.
Her program is very difficult and I believe that Mao is the only one skater in the world who is able to skate it.
Examples, Bell of Moscow, Mascaraed waltz with two 3A and unbelievably complicated steps that lasts 45 seconds!!

But we do not watch skating for its difficulty, we watch it for its beauty and athleticism.
Yuna's routines in 2010 are much easier and probably today's talented juniors will be able to reproduce it with close resemblance.
But they were well balanced, took advantage of Yuna's artistic strength fully, successfully grabbing audience attetion.

Tat has some good ones for Mao, such as Lavender, scent of woman, and caprice.
I wish she comes up with something like these this year.

ayayukiituka said:

In my imagine,Mao with 3rd movements suites well. Many skaters used it and my best one is Katrina Hacker's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plxhlvpuMk　
I'll die if Mao skates this style and this kind of costume.
http://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/018/862/35/N000/000/000/126900778039016224070_KNLB3467.jpg @2009 The ICE

However,after finding Adelina version,which was from Tat,I really wish Tatiana gives her classical one.
Adelina's→http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_327e4ktyQ

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WOW at Adelina's program! Brilliant!

Adelina's certainly an impressive jumper! I don't warm to that techno-rock version (or whatever its style is) of the music she uses. Rimsky Korsakov is a truly spectacular orchestrator. One writer once said that when you hear music from his operas, you could tell what the weather was supposed to be in that part of the story: hot, wintry, snowing. I've heard a lot of his music and tend to agree with that evaluation. The guy can make the air shimmer.

I know that people are probably sick of Scheherezade. I do wish skating folk would come up with other Russian music, even other Rimsky Korsakov. Of all people, Tarasova should be more willing to explore his works; after all, being Russian, she presumably knows more of his music than most Americans or Canadians. I can't understand her obsession with war horses like Tosca and Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto and Scheherezade. Lori Nichol is beginning to fall into that groove as well. At least in the Michelle years, Nichol looked for fresh works that made us sit up and take notice.

That being said, I do have a soft spot for Scheherezade. To me it's not "used up" yet because for one thing, there aren't many skaters who have done it justice. Even Michelle didn't get to the heart of this rich piece for me. In different portions it's adventurous, mysterious, magical, and languid. That beginning of the third movement is a love story if ever there was one. And no one has used the second movement, at least recently. So maybe Mao will bring something special to it. She certainly has the emotional range for it. Of course, it will also take a wizard of a choreographer. I don't know if TAT is the one. Hope so, though!

Scheherazade is one of the musical masterpieces that I never get sick of. I'm looking forward to Mao and Tat's SP.

Heh - I'm a new enough skating fan that I'm not even sick of Carmen. I am sick of Phantom of the Opera, though.

I can understand why Scheherazade is so widely used. It has so much story, history, romance, texture, exotic culture, a right of passage type of story with a strong character that goes into transition from a hopeful wise intelligent girl, brave seductress to liberated and triumphed woman/queen. The overall transition of emotional arch to be expressed is very attractive proposition for the performance arts.

For me it is not about how often it is used, but how it is used and how it is interpreted in the realm of a skater's career. It is a matter of quality over quantity; maturity over superficiality. Also critically the timing of when it is used, says about how the coach/choreographer/team behind the skater thinks the direction and maturity of their skate.

I am personally very interested in Tat's version of the SP given how highly she clearly think of Mao to have given her the Grand Bell of Moscow. I also think the timing of this piece is interesting. It is the penultima year lead to Sochi, Mao had a poor showing last year, so this is a very critical year for her to gather herself mentally and physically to pull it all together if she is serious about Sochi. It being a piece that has won the WC by her formal rival could certainly inspire the competitive streak in her, along with her commitment to bring the piece to justice because there are so many good sample version out there already that set the mark. Tat is too smart not to be aware how competitive psychology can works and really boost performers to better themselves, as well to an extent herself to do great programs.

Some Trivia, she gave to Scheherazade to Adelina Sotnikova for the 09-10 season

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_327e4ktyQ&feature=player_embedded

She gave Adelina Liberstraume this year for her FS (Mao's LP by Lori).
She is smart, she think competitively like some artist tends to do when they get into that mode. She might be at times overly ambitious, grand and over the top, but she doesn't earn her reputation based on producing lazy programs that merely looks pretty. (Although I reserve the right to change my opinion until I see this SP, given all artist do have ups and downs )

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Note to admin.. the 2nd page of this thread doesn't work, it is the '.....' I tell you It is the same as the Patrick Chan thread.

John Curry's version was quite brilliant.
But I'm a little wary of TAT's competitive programs. I haven't liked a competitive program she has done for Mao since the Lavenders SP. I think with TAT's talents and experience, she could have come up with much better stuff than "Bells" and last year's "Tango". I'll be happy if she can prove me wrong this time but I'm not getting my hopes up.