Supernatural Themes in Figure Skating | Golden Skate

Supernatural Themes in Figure Skating

blue dog

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
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Dec 16, 2006
A year ago, I had wondered whether political themes were welcome in figure skating. I do remember people saying that while they loved the statement made by the Duchesnays in Missing or Katarina Witt in Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind, what the top two dance teams did in 2002 Olympics was done "too soon."

So, I ask the same question of supernatural themes in figure skating. Some say we're starting to run out of fresh, original material in skating, so new themes must be explored. Zhiganshina and Gaszi have just announced that they will portray zombies next season. What do you think? Are supernatural themes interesting, or not-so-interesting?

Here are some "supernatural" programs:

Gachinsky - http://youtu.be/1DEAcFRa7KY
Leonova- http://youtu.be/M4TEgevFX1w
Fusar-Poli/Margaglio- (they begin at 3 minutes in) http://youtu.be/uLpjwU1V8Ec
Khokhlova/Novitski- http://youtu.be/cHm3n_W9B7s
Lichtman/Copely- http://youtu.be/tKwXWihIyz8
Krisztina Czako- http://youtu.be/Fi0FazjCHRQ
Chen Lu- http://youtu.be/CUZeE0At5b8
Abitbol/Bernadis- http://youtu.be/XKh4CTUxrKE
Bobrova/Soloviev- http://youtu.be/mQ_meKqVBes
Pechalat/Bourzat- http://youtu.be/h8QPTFAn_JQ
Stiegler/Zimmerman- http://youtu.be/5Ag8yPacfJA

And this program, I will argue is supernatural, since it's the story of a dead empress rising to meet her husband: http://youtu.be/tE0Blj2A0x4
 
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Buttercup

Buttercup

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Mar 25, 2008
blue dog said:
A year ago, I had wondered whether political themes were welcome in figure skating. I do remember people saying that while they loved the statement made by the Duchesnays in Missing or Katarina Witt in Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind, what the top two dance teams did in 2002 Olympics was done "too soon."

So, I ask the same question of supernatural themes in figure skating. Some say we're starting to run out of fresh, original material in skating, so new themes must be explored. Zhiganshina and Gaszi have just announced that they will portray zombies next season. What do you think? Are supernatural themes interesting, or not-so-interesting?
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I'm not a huge fan of zombie stuff. There, I said it. So not really looking forward to Z/G's program - with the possible exception of the costumes, which are sure to be... interesting. Other supernatural concepts can be fun if done right, just as political statements can be interesting and thought-provoking if done right.

I wouldn't call P/B's Mummy & Pharaoh FD supernatural - I mean, I know they said she's his dead wife who is reincarnated for one last dance, but the feel of it wasn't supernatural. I'm sure there are other such examples on the list.

But here's a fun vampire-themed program from Lawrence and Swiegers.

Someone really needs to do a Buffy-inspired program.
 
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gkelly

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Jul 26, 2003
Ballet is full of supernatural themes, and so many skating programs are inspired by ballets...

Not to mention other 19th century classical music inspired by supernatural themes that interested Romantic composers.
 
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slipslidin

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Mar 22, 2004
The pharoah raised not just his dead wife, but the age-old figure skating question, "Should a man skate with his mummy?".
 
blue dog

blue dog

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I guess whoever said it could be thought-provoking was right. I guess the only way one can go with such a theme is to either be supercampy (but technically difficult) or thought-provoking (and still technically difficult). It's when skaters feel uncomfortable with the theme that we as fans go...ick.

Another supernatural? program: http://youtu.be/jCDLaDAAnoY

Maybe one could argue that Lyra Angelica, being about angels and heaven can be supernatural. No?
 
colleen o'neill

colleen o'neill

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Nov 3, 2006
I don't mind supernatural themes, but as with any theme, it's all in what you do with it. I think it works best if it's underplayed. ( Unless of course it's a humorous program and even then if you go too slapsticky, I think you should save it for the Ex.)

Two things that save many of the ballets from being utterly ridiculous are the great choreography and dancing ,and the fact that they're portrayed seriously.

I loved Gachinsky's program from early in the season..I think the Russian test skates gave the best idea of the program, There were some really nice, insinuating sort of details that really gave the feeling that his character was not human, exactly... without falling back on too much arm flapping and crouching over. It really set a mood. By the end of the season, it was practically unrecognizable and the details I loved were pretty much gone. It's potential to cast a spell had vanished, for me.

I was not a fan of L/S 's Vampire program. They're very talented.. but their program choices seem to say they don't care if no-one takes them seriously. I don't think it should be necessary to wear a huge pointy collar and bare your fangs to the audience ( or put a big bite )on your partner to get the idea across.

The pharaoh's wife ? (sigh) At least in ballet, the male lead is always visited by his beloved's spirit , not her corpse..that way , she can have a lovely costume, and you don't have to repress the knowledge that her brain has been mushed up and pulled out of her nose , and all her vital organs have been removed and she's stuffed with salt..

There are ways and ways of dealing with the subject matter.:laugh:

ETA : Oh,No..I had forgotten how dreadful that C/S program was..:eek::eek:
 
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slipslidin

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Mar 22, 2004
Colleen, you should be drummed out of the costume police for failing to mention the bat-wing tailcoat.
 
blue dog

blue dog

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DianaSelene

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Aug 2, 2011
blue dog said:
Agreed, Colleen. One of the annoying things about supernatural program is that it can just be downright cheesy. So far, I have yet to see anything of L/S that isn't cheesy.

Here's another "supernatural" program: http://youtu.be/hsCZCM8AKCU
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I don't see how that program is supernatural. The music is depressing but it is a just a Rachmaninov piece. I don't think he originally envisioned skeletons, witches, or vampires when he wrote the music- just dreariness.
 
colleen o'neill

colleen o'neill

Medalist
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Nov 3, 2006
:biggrin: Yikes! Trfun "Kinda round shouldered but kinda nice" Zivanovic ( Thank you for that quote, Uncle Dick ) ..doing Dracula ?

Well, that was doomed. I believe that first selection in his music was from the Frank Langella Dracula film ( My sister and I have always agreed that if we saw him hanging upside down outside our window, we'd definitely have opened it.) Somehow, Trifun doesn't evoke anything of Langella's performance..;)

And slipslidin.. I might have mentioned the bat wing tail coat, but Margaglio had actual chiffon bat wings attached to his sleeves, and a stand-up bat wing shaped collar, which made Sakhnovsky's tail coat seem almost restrained.

Now I have to ask for help. 2-3 years ago there was a male skater at Canadian Nats. who had a Dracula program that ought to be used a s a positive example ( I think he was an Ontario skater ) He didn't even need to wear black. He did wear a lovely brocade evening vest. But the thing was the program was beautifully designed to convey charisma , command, thinly veiled danger. This was the Dracula who says " I never drink...wine " and lets his eyes linger on the young lady in the party. Excellent Dracula program...and I can't remember his name !

Maybe someone else knows..maybe there's a youtube , and we can see if the program's as good as I remember.

Yes, I think Angel programs qualify , and of course Angel / Demon programs ( or Angel / Fallen Angel ?)..lookin' at you B/A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb45sZoq5vw

I quite liked some of the stuff in Steigler / Zimmerman's Sorcerer's apprentice.
 
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blue_idealist

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Feb 25, 2006
blue dog said:
Agreed, Colleen. One of the annoying things about supernatural program is that it can just be downright cheesy. So far, I have yet to see anything of L/S that isn't cheesy.

Here are other "supernatural" programs: http://youtu.be/hsCZCM8AKCU
http://youtu.be/YQxjCtRmli0 (this one might just be insane)
http://youtu.be/1YsZ4kUJoso
http://youtu.be/aCHTBVYkCr8
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I never quite "got" that Bestemianova/Bukin 'Rasputin' program. I heard they were quite voidy in other pro routines, too, but the only other programs I've seen from them are the 1985 Carmen FD and the 1988 FD (Tosca?). I greatly prefer those two to this Rasputin haha.
 
deedee1

deedee1

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Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Does it have to be competitive programs? If EX number is okay, here is one.

Daisuke Takahashi EX 'Bachelorette' 2007-08 season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiZXYwM1jXI

He performs inhumanly throughout... Looking at slo-mo around 4:45-50, he seems holding an animal's head or something upon his ending posing. :eek:

This program and his EX version of 'eye' performed at DOI 2008 always make me feel uneasy...lol
 
dorispulaski

dorispulaski

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If we're including Exhibition programs, Nancy Kerrigan used to host an annual Halloween On Ice extravaganza that was a treasure trove of the good, the bad & the ugly in supernatural programs.

Here Nancy discusses creating it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voUc8sGFBvI

Kurt Browning doing Monster Mash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTlfQj7KN44&feature=relmfu

Vampire Suites & Enigma from Sabovcik & Gia Guddat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYzfzcOcKPc&feature=relmfu

Sabovcik Welcome to My Nightmare from Halloween on Ice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmFhlkffGYM

Usova & Platov do the Addams Family at Halloween on Ice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgKEHQfTNkY

Kerrigan herself doing Black Magic Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9tAYsZdBe8

I think supernatural themes of various sorts have worked well in the past and will again!

From a different show in Russia

Yagudin with a Russian Pop singer skate to Thriller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8-UVALk60&feature=fvwrel

And I don't think anyone has yet posted this competitve program of Abitbol and Bernadis Angel & Devil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOJOcTPOKX8
 
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