Davis & White disclose their music selections! | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Davis & White disclose their music selections!

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Meryl will not be trying to be Anissina. She will be trying to be Esmeralda, as danced by Meryl.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Charlie is supposed to move like a hunchback in Notre-Dame de Paris, yes? Clearly, he will not have ballet lines.

Marina always seems to get a bit excessive about whatever team she is being interviewed about, I must say.
 

CAS

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
To be frank, I was a little tired of this business of not announcing D&W's FD when they had already shown it at Champs Camp and it was apparently "approved" by USFS.
I can understand keeping it quiet until Champs Camp, but really, not after. I joined the teleconference a few minutes late, but I don't think anyone had previously asked about their FD, (perhaps Lynn can correct me) so as soon as I could I simply asked if they were skating to Notre-Dame de Paris. There were 14 people on the call, but only a few of us actually asked any questions.

Don't they tend to wait until about a week and a half before Skate America to make some big announcement to drum up excitement for their debut? I'm assuming it's a D&W / USFSA decision as Marina doesn 't seem to do this with V&M or Shibs. The way it's done, with all the quotes gathered and saved for one big announcement, makes it appear Marina is putting her weight behind them and because it's done so close to Skate America people don't have time to forget about them so the anticipation and excitement carries over to their debut.
 

nylynnr

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Don't they tend to wait until about a week and a half before Skate America to make some big announcement to drum up excitement for their debut? I'm assuming it's a D&W / USFSA decision as Marina doesn 't seem to do this with V&M or Shibs. The way it's done, with all the quotes gathered and saved for one big announcement, makes it appear Marina is putting her weight behind them and because it's done so close to Skate America people don't have time to forget about them so the anticipation and excitement carries over to their debut.

You might be reading too much into things and overanalyzing a bit. Sometimes articles are published on certain dates because that's when the reporter happens to finish them.
 

samson

Medalist
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
^That's true, but I would venture to say it was in the publisher's best interest to wait until now to publish an article announcing their music. Now that the actual debut of their FD is in two weeks, it feels like a relevant story. It made sense for V/M to announce their music earlier because they thought they'd be debuting it at Finlandia.

On the whole though I really understand their choice to delay the announcement if it was their choice. As a young artist myself, I know what it feels like to not have control of your press, or how the media quotes you even, and it can be really frustrating. Honestly be doing it this way, while it's tough on us fans, I think it's mutually beneficial for D/W and for the reporters.
 

CAS

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
You might be reading too much into things and overanalyzing a bit. Sometimes articles are published on certain dates because that's when the reporter happens to finish them.

I don't believe that is the case here. And looking at your username I suspect you know that better than I ;)
 

all that

Final Flight
Joined
May 4, 2007
Charlie is supposed to move like a hunchback in Notre-Dame de Paris, yes? Clearly, he will not have ballet lines.

He says he won't be costumed as the hunchback. Don't know if that means he'll be playing a different character, or he just won't wear a hunchback costume.

TBH, I've always thought Charlie skates hunched over anyway, so it's not like he needs a costume to make this believable. :eek:hwell:
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
I'll probably be lambasted for saying this, but I've always seen Moir and White as the contemporary personifications of Fred Astaire (Moir) and Gene Kelly (White). Given that, I've never understood why Zoueva doesn't mine the music of Kelly's wonderful MGM musicals (and not Singin' in the Rain--no need to trot out that warhorse again). Davis and White to me embody a particular kind of theatrical American style of dancing, so why not play to that strength? Not the "ballet" musicals (maybe it's me, but so much of An American in Paris is just pretentious), but something like The Pirate could be wonderful. It's Cole Porter, it's eminently danceable, it's big, it's character driven. And I wish someone would tell Charlie to take an acting class or two. I think it would do him a world of good. His dancing over the last 2-3 years has lost so much of that *frantic* quality and has loosened up. I think an acting class or two could do the same for his expression. Just my two coppers...
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
He says he won't be costumed as the hunchback. Don't know if that means he'll be playing a different character, or he just won't wear a hunchback costume.

I can't imagine performing Danse mon Esmeralda without Charlie portraying the hunchback character. I asked Charlie, You're not going to look too much like the hunchback are you? He laughed and replied, "no", so not too ugly a look on Charlie, thank goodness.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I love the idea of having an Astaire-Kelly comparison among our two best male ice dancers. While for me the comparison doesn't work as an exact parallel in terms of the two dancers' style (Ty Burr, a great reviewer in Entertainment Weekly magazine once compared the athletic Kelly to thunder and the gravity-defying Astaire to lightning), the thought of a duality of excellence works perfectly.

Your idea of using other movie musical music is also a splendid one. For one thing, the musicals in those days had tunes by the likes of Kern, Berlin, Gershwin, and Porter. (There were even biographical movies of Kern, Porter, and Gershwin, full of singing and dancing.)

I can't agree with you about An American in Paris,--different strokes for different folks, I guess. To me, that final ballet is astounding. Kelly was an interesting contradiction, both a working-class athletic guy and a proponent of ballet (which Astaire would have nothing to do with). He wanted to show that ballet could be as American as baseball, and that you could be what used to be called a "man's man" (i.e., not a sissy) and still love ballet.

Either way, there's certainly a lot of good music both in An American in Paris (Gershwin) and in The Pirate (Porter). There are also great films like Summer Stock (Harry Warren's music) On the Town (Leonard Bernstein's music, I think), and even Brigadoon (Lerner and Loewe). I wonder if there's a way to communicate with Meryl and Charlie to pass your suggestion along.

And your idea of acting classes is also promising. If Charlie is in college at all this semester, the drama department is right there and might be able to help him.
 
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KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
I'll probably be lambasted for saying this, but I've always seen Moir and White as the contemporary personifications of Fred Astaire (Moir) and Gene Kelly (White). Given that, I've never understood why Zoueva doesn't mine the music of Kelly's wonderful MGM musicals (and not Singin' in the Rain--no need to trot out that warhorse again). Davis and White to me embody a particular kind of theatrical American style of dancing, so why not play to that strength? Not the "ballet" musicals (maybe it's me, but so much of An American in Paris is just pretentious), but something like The Pirate could be wonderful. It's Cole Porter, it's eminently danceable, it's big, it's character driven. And I wish someone would tell Charlie to take an acting class or two. I think it would do him a world of good. His dancing over the last 2-3 years has lost so much of that *frantic* quality and has loosened up. I think an acting class or two could do the same for his expression. Just my two coppers...

I think all skaters/dancers could use some acting classes, especially when they are portraying a well known character.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I kept taking back my post and editing, so you slipped in ahead of me, but I want to agree with you completely. Many of our favorite skaters capture our affections precisely because they can convey emotions and narrative. They're not just moving around. This includes Browning, Yagudin, Wylie, Mao, and of course Michelle. (What a coincidence! I've just listed five of my favorite skaters.)
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Do athletes in other sports take acting lessons?

What is it about figure skating that makes some of us want these athletes to take acting lessons?

Michael Jordan never took acting lessons. Usain Bolt to my knowledge has not taken acting lessons nor has Gabby Douglas.

Certain athletes have a degree of charisma that is not taught to them in acting school. It is real and that is why fans like it.

When I want to see fine acting I can watch Robert Dinero or Meryl Streep.

Maybe it's me but I don' t equate Charlie White with Al Pacino. ;) One is an athlete and the other is an actor.

Do we need skaters taking acting lessons under the new scoring system? I thought it was all about sport now :think:
 
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Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Well acting may help presence, presentation, communication with the audience, and interpretation. But things have to be exaggerated on ice. I do admit sometimes seeing Charlie do a real heavy piece like even Carmen might seem a bit comedic just from his demeanour. I guess you need to work to your strengths. I thought Gwendal always used his hair in a way that says I am sensitive and emotional and dramatic. sorry, stereotype or not he used it effectively.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Well acting may help presence, presentation, communication with the audience, and interpretation. But things have to be exaggerated on ice. I do admit sometimes seeing Charlie do a real heavy piece like even Carmen might seem a bit comedic just from his demeanour. I guess you need to work to your strengths. .

I didn't mean to disagree with Olympia or Kkonas or you either.

Was just looking for the rationale and some evidence to support the idea that skaters unlike other athletes need acting lessons.

There is an established history of popular American athletes trying their hand at acting after their competitive careers were over.

OJ Simpson was a great and charasmatic footbal player. After he retired "The Juice" took acting lessons and then appeared in a few films proving only that he was a terrible actor.

In 6.0 presentation counted for half the score. It is not the same under the new system and it's point value has been greatly reduced. ISU's own words were that "we want to make figure skating more like other sports."

AFAIK, other sports don't require "acting lessons."

The truth is the more skating becomes like "other sports" the less popular it will become. mathman and I discussed this on the "Japan Open " thread and both agreed skating's greatest strength is that it is so much different than other sports.

I could care less if Charlie takes acting lessons. I do care about the direction of figure skating.

I thought as mathman noted "Mao was skating in heaven" at the Japan Open. Apparently the CoP does not recognize that.

Anyway, Ice Dancing was always the most theatrical of the skating disciplines and I get that.

Does the CoP have a fair way to measue it? How is it weighted against the tech marks?

Depending on the rewards - would Charlie be better off becoming an even better skater - or a better actor?

Do Dai and Plushenko need "acting lessons"?

Should Patrick add an acting coach to go with his dancing coach?

Just somethings to think about.................
 
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heyhey

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Do athletes in other sports take acting lessons?

What is it about figure skating that makes some of us want these athletes to take acting lessons?

Michael Jordan never took acting lessons. Usain Bolt to my knowledge has not taken acting lessons nor has Gabby Douglas.

Certain athletes have a degree of charisma that is not taught to them in acting school. It is real and that is why fans like it.

When I want to see fine acting I can watch Robert Dinero or Meryl Streep.

Maybe it's me but I don' t equate Charlie White with Al Pacino. ;) One is an athlete and the other is an actor.

Do we need skaters taking acting lessons under the new scoring system? I thought it was all about sport now :think:

If it were strictly a sport, everyone would be skating to the exact same music, the same choreography and the same costumes. I think that's what makes figure skating unique - yes the athletic side is now more valued but you can't totally ignore the aesthetic. Not everyone is taking acting lessons but as a dancer whether in a ballet, modern-dance, ballroom dance, broadway etc - facial expressions and interpretation is part of the equation so I am not sure why ice dancers wouldn't want to emulate that as well. My two cents..
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
If it were strictly a sport, everyone would be skating to the exact same music, the same choreography and the same costumes. I think that's what makes figure skating unique - yes the athletic side is now more valued but you can't totally ignore the aesthetic. Not everyone is taking acting lessons but as a dancer whether in a ballet, modern-dance, ballroom dance, broadway etc - facial expressions and interpretation is part of the equation so I am not sure why ice dancers wouldn't want to emulate that as well. My two cents..

Thanks and I can't really disagree with you. But why limit it to Ice Dancers?

Is Ice Dancing less of a sport than the other disciplines?

Is a charasmatic performance more important to Charlie than Dai?

When it comes to V/M and D/W what will determine who wins? The skating or the acting? Or even the costumes ;)
 
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heyhey

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Thanks and I can't really disagree with you. But why limit it to Ice Dancers?

Is Ice Dancing less of a sport than the other disciplines?

Is a charasmatic performance more important to Charlie than Dai?

When it comes to V/M and D/W what will determine who wins? The skating or the acting?

Hi Janetfan - you bring up great points which I think that even the figure skating fans have disagreements on. For me ice dancing is not less of a sport than the other disciplines. So it doesn't have the jumps - but holycow the footwork, lifts and stamina is ridiculous. Charasmatic performance should be equal for all skaters. As for the V/M vs. D/W debate - well obviously the skating is more important.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Hi Janetfan - you bring up great points which I think that even the figure skating fans have disagreements on. For me ice dancing is not less of a sport than the other disciplines. So it doesn't have the jumps - but holycow the footwork, lifts and stamina is ridiculous. Charasmatic performance should be equal for all skaters. As for the V/M vs. D/W debate - well obviously the skating is more important.

I love both of these teams - but why do I sense a majority of posters at GS might give D/W an slight edge in skating skills and V/M a bigger edge in presentation?

Head to head V/M have the edge over D/W.

I have no idea who is better - but think V/M have won more and not because they are better or faster skaters.

Sport or pageant- which is really more important in Ice Dancing?

Maybe Charlie does need acting lessons :)
 
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