Davis & White disclose their music selections!

[KKonas]

Meryl and Charlie just confirmed via teleconference that their FD is to Notre Dame de Paris. They will use Danse mon Esmerelda at the end but will also use some other pieces of music from that opera, mostly instrumental. Charlie said he had watched Anissina & Peiserat's exhibition performance of this music and thought it was powerful. He says he and Meryl have been working on greater connection on the ice and it should show in this routine. Meryl fell in love with the FD music and he did as well. Marina chose the Giselle ballet music for the SD. Charlie said the Yankee Polka is very fast and requires quick turns. He said he and Meryl are lucky that they have quick feet and hope to do well on the levels.

[FSGMT]

Yes! Finally, some news about them, it was all speculating basing on Meryl's tweets! Yes, Notre Dame is a good choice for them, but it's a kind of going back to The Phantom of the Opera, isn't it? I expected them to try something new, especially because this is the pre-olympic season... But, we'll see, it could be a revolutionary program and cancel what I just wrote!

[os168]

Is someone compiling a list of French themed program this year? French might not rule the ice, they sure rule the skating programs.

[colleen o'neill]

I'm not sure about this...What does "working on their connection" mean ? There's more than one kind of connection.

I would never have said that they didn't look connected..certainly in the last 4 years or so . I just hope they aren't trying to acquire some "something" that won't suit them.

I love them for their speed , their sparkling "bravura" quality. I just think of their tango, which never really satisfied me as a tango , no matter how much they learned from doing it, and no matter how difficult it was technically..I'd rather watch Fledermaus or S&D any day ( and I do ).

So this makes me a bit nervous.

[CAS]

I'm sure they will do a fine job with it but I imagine it will be a lot like Samson and Phantom so it seems a bit safe. This music and program was the one thing A&P did that I didn't enjoy at all. I've yet to see a program to this music I liked. I do think though that D&W will have the best program to this music of the ones I've seen. Just not that exciting and on paper seems a bit repetitive.

[KKonas]

I'm not sure about this...What does "working on their connection" mean ? There's more than one kind of connection.

I would never have said that they didn't look connected..certainly in the last 4 years or so . I just hope they aren't trying to acquire some "something" that won't suit them.

I love them for their speed , their sparkling "bravura" quality. I just think of their tango, which never really satisfied me as a tango , no matter how much they learned from doing it, and no matter how difficult it was technically..I'd rather watch Fledermaus or S&D any day ( and I do ).

So this makes me a bit nervous.

IMHO this new FD program will require a lot more emotion from Charlie in particular and that's what he seemed to be referring to in his response. Far more than S&D and Phantom. I loved their tango. (I like tangos anyway.) It was taken from a "street tango" Argentine style - more like love and war. Really felt that most people didn't understand this style. I particularly thought Tracy Wilson revealed a lack of knowledge of this style when she constantly referred to it as a complication of tangos. No, it wasn't.

[Mathman]

Thanks for the thread, KKontas.

[rallycairn]

IMHO this new FD program will require a lot more emotion from Charlie in particular and that's what he seemed to be referring to in his response. Far more than S&D and Phantom. I loved their tango. (I like tangos anyway.) It was taken from a "street tango" Argentine style - more like love and war. Really felt that most people didn't understand this style. I particularly thought Tracy Wilson revealed a lack of knowledge of this style when she constantly referred to it as a complication of tangos. No, it wasn't.

LIKE! Thanks for the info.

[colleen o'neill]

KKonas..I'm pretty familiar with Argentinian tango. D/W had a lot of the moves down (and credit to them ) , but not the soul , and the soul counts big time.

I agree Tracey doesn't always know everything....and is ,on top of that , often too simplistic in what she says, bending over backward to cater to the casual observer . Many's the bombardment of blue language my TV has had to endure on her account , often related not to her knowledge of skating , but of dance. ( Or music , including the classics )

At the same time , I find street tango = love and war somewhat simplistic too , and lord knows that kind of description can often be taken too much to heart by skaters ( I don't mean D/W )

There were sections in D/W's tango, (one in particular) where Igor seemed to be bringing in some Milonga , a form I'm fond of , but must be particularly difficult to translate to ice.. Maybe Tracey was picking up on that, and couldn't find a brief, or suitable way to explain it .( Better not to try, then. Just say it's not a ballroom tango .)

...Anyway, yes , I can see where this new program might demand a bit more emotional expression from Charlie .. I'm curious to see what they'll do.

[maliziq]

when she constantly referred to it as a complication of tangos. No, it wasn't.

Wasn't it a compilation of tangos, i.e., they were using several pieces of tango music?

[KKonas]

KKonas..I'm pretty familiar with Argentinian tango. D/W had a lot of the moves down (and credit to them ) , but not the soul , and the soul counts big time.

I agree Tracey doesn't always know everything....and is ,on top of that , often too simplistic in what she says, bending over backward to cater to the casual observer . Many's the bombardment of blue language my TV has had to endure on her account , often related not to her knowledge of skating , but of dance. ( Or music , including the classics )

At the same time , I find street tango = love and war somewhat simplistic too , and lord knows that kind of description can often be taken too much to heart by skaters ( I don't mean D/W )

There were sections in D/W's tango, (one in particular) where Igor seemed to be bringing in some Milonga , a form I'm fond of , but must be particularly difficult to translate to ice.. Maybe Tracey was picking up on that, and couldn't find a brief, or suitable way to explain it .( Better not to try, then. Just say it's not a ballroom tango .)

...Anyway, yes , I can see where this new program might demand a bit more emotional expression from Charlie .. I'm curious to see what they'll do.

Lois Elfman did an interview with a professional Latin dancer discussing this tango on Icenetwork during that year. Don't know if it is still available in their archives, but she was pretty emphatic that it was a true Argentine tango. I worked with Tracy Wilson several times, sitting next to her at the commentators' desk during the 90s. I was the chief researcher for figure skating/ice dance for the television network.

I too, am curious how Charlie handles this role. We will see how successful he is at Skate America.

[KKonas]

Wasn't it a compilation of tangos, i.e., they were using several pieces of tango music?

Well, there is a difference between "a compilation of tangos" and "a compilation of tango music." It's one of those picky things that as researchers we try to avoid.

[colleen o'neill]

KKonas ..ah, I didn't say that D/W's tango was not a really good representation of an Argentinian tango , choreographically. I've always had a high opinion of Igor's tango choreography... best on the ice , in my estimation.

I just say that D/W's expression was for me ,imposed from the outside , not emanating from the inside ..so no matter how well they executed the dance ,technically, there was something noticeably lacking , for me.( more so on Charlie's part ).

ETA: re: your work...I knew you seemed very knowledgeable..

[dorispulaski]

KKonas, thanks for the advance peek at the interview! I'm still a little confused by the choice of Giselle for the Yankee Polka. I am not quite seeing how it will be used.

[Tonichelle]

KKonas, thanks for the advance peek at the interview! I'm still a little confused by the choice of Giselle for the Yankee Polka. I am not quite seeing how it will be used.

good to read I'm not the only one who doesn't "get" that music choice.