Stories in singles programs

I really love when skaters and choreographers try to create their programs telling a story, and I found out that I'm able to appreciate a program a lot more when I know the story and I can actually recognize it in the choreography. Most of the Ice Dancers do it, but as far as singles are concerned, what examples can we find?

From this season, Courtney:

My short program is set to "Code Name Vivaldi" by The Piano Guys. The story behind the choreography was inspired by a dream about a phoenix that is on the brink of extinction. She is the last of her kind, and she just wants to soar free. The program follows the story of the phoenix as she faces a world torn by famine, war and greed, while being pursued by scientists, poachers and predators. The program builds and builds, until finally the phoenix finds sanctuary on the edge of the tallest cliff, far out of reach of those who want to capture her. The end of the program is a reflection of the bird soaring and realizing the beauty around her on her mountaintop. I love this program because it really highlights my power and speed on the ice, and I love the choreography.

My long program music is from the Anna Karenina soundtrack by Dario Marianelli. It is an eclectic arrangement of music that showcases a different movement vocabulary and style that I've never had before. The program is great because the character slowly loses her mind over the course of the story. The footwork sequence toward the end of the program is so much fun to perform because my character is going crazy. There's a lot of head and upper-body movement throughout the footwork and choreographed steps, and I use my arms more than I ever have. I'd definitely have to say that this is my favorite program that I've had.

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Then Serafima:
SP: The image I have an easy and intuitive. My character has matured, but does not want to part with my childhood. A bird symbolizes childhood, which I let go at the end of the program. But who does not dream of adults become a child again: sincere, happy, carefree? Therefore, releasing the bird, I decide to fly her.
FS: The plot of the program - the story of how she woke up in the morning, is not near a loved one, and sees a letter in which it is written that he breaks up with her. Her first impulse - to crumple and throw this letter. But it all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly, that she could not quite believe what has happened and continues to have a fondness for the elect. So in agony and anguish passes the first part, followed by a second. Time is a great healer, and at some point she realizes that this is necessary to turn the page and begin to live, enjoy, smile ... The heroine dancing, forgetting everything, feeling free and happy. And at the end of the program she removes finger ring and throws.

And Medvedeva (really love this!):
The free is very original. It is about a girl and her dream. It's a very good and proper girl, she does everything as she is told. But she wants to show another side of herself, even if just in a dream, to be bold and daring. It's in my program. Soft and fluid movements are replaced by jerky motions with broken lines, like in contemporary dance. Very unususal and intersting choreography in the middle. And in the end it disappears, the demon turns back into an angel sleeping quietly during the summer night. I am not going to tell all the secrets, but I'm preparing a surprise.

Is Evgenia's surprise that her inner demon appears again while she takes her bow. :think:

I love it!!!!!!

Jason Brown on Riverdance, from the excellent NYTimes blog article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/s...ciplined-approach-yields-joy-on-ice.html?_r=0

"[Kori] Ade said officials were confused about the meaning of the program: Was it traditional “Riverdance” or a twist on it? What was Brown looking at here? Why was he serious there?

“We didn’t really have a story,” Ade said.

She devised one as she lay in bed one night: a tale of a hero whose village is under attack and who uses the dance as his battle against the invader and then as a way to celebrate victory.

“For sure it helped,” Brown said. “You’re doing your footwork and instead of it being like, Did I get this turn?, it’s more like duck, hit, punch, punch, duck.”

I loved Denis Ten's story about his new program from his facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ten.denis/posts/670004189734775

"I was born on a Silk Road.

Silk Road, or aka Silk Route, is a historically important international trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea which made a great contribution to the political, economic and cultural exchange between China, Central Asia, West Asia, India, Roman and Europe. It was named Silk Road because silk was the major trade product which traveled on this road.

Telling a bit more, the northern route travelled north of the Tian Shan mountains (also known as Khan Tengri in Kazakhstan) going through Turpan, Talgar (where by the way one of my training rinks is located) and my hometown Almaty. I was born and lived my whole life on a street called Zhibek Zholy which literally translates into English as "Silk Way".

And by opening this fun-fact of my biography, I've just revealed the theme and music of my long program for the upcoming season. Ingenious soundtrack performed by legendary Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, with musicians from all over the world including Kazakhstan and Korea. Multiethnic and "multidirectional" program will turn me into a nomad going through a lifetime adventure, discovering new world and acquiring hands-on experience.

My choreographer says that the program's character is actually me.. She thinks we have a lot in common, particularly our life stories.

Well... And I feel the same way too.
I was born on a Silk Road."

s_parks said:

I loved Denis Ten's story about his new program from his facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ten.denis/posts/670004189734775

"I was born on a Silk Road.

Silk Road, or aka Silk Route, is a historically important international trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea which made a great contribution to the political, economic and cultural exchange between China, Central Asia, West Asia, India, Roman and Europe. It was named Silk Road because silk was the major trade product which traveled on this road.

Telling a bit more, the northern route travelled north of the Tian Shan mountains (also known as Khan Tengri in Kazakhstan) going through Turpan, Talgar (where by the way one of my training rinks is located) and my hometown Almaty. I was born and lived my whole life on a street called Zhibek Zholy which literally translates into English as "Silk Way".

And by opening this fun-fact of my biography, I've just revealed the theme and music of my long program for the upcoming season. Ingenious soundtrack performed by legendary Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, with musicians from all over the world including Kazakhstan and Korea. Multiethnic and "multidirectional" program will turn me into a nomad going through a lifetime adventure, discovering new world and acquiring hands-on experience.

My choreographer says that the program's character is actually me.. She thinks we have a lot in common, particularly our life stories.

Well... And I feel the same way too.
I was born on a Silk Road."

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Super -- I love that Denis has such a strong sense of history and can't wait to see the program! :yes:

My long program music is from the Anna Karenina soundtrack by Dario Marianelli. It is an eclectic arrangement of music that showcases a different movement vocabulary and style that I've never had before. The program is great because the character slowly loses her mind over the course of the story. The footwork sequence toward the end of the program is so much fun to perform because my character is going crazy.

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And down goes Karenina as the crazy one. hwell:

I especially appreciate the programs that I can tell it is telling a story when watching (rather than a skater tells us), even with music I have never heard before without any background information. Evgenia's FS is a perfect example.

Another note: I think Russian choreographers are very good at telling stories, judging by the number of unique programs the young girls have. David Wilson and Lori Nichol are quite generic in comparison.

As for story telling, I will always remember Philipe Candeloro Godfather...I also think Julia's Schindler's List, girl in the red coat story was wonderfully skated.

hippomoomin said:

Another note: I think Russian choreographers are very good at telling stories, judging by the number of unique programs the young girls have. David Wilson and Lori Nichol are quite generic in comparison.

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Ke ke ke ke I dislike David Wilson's choreography so much. And Lori Nichol's to a lesser extent. Happy to know that you have the same thought.

hippomoomin said:

Another note: I think Russian choreographers are very good at telling stories, judging by the number of unique programs the young girls have. David Wilson and Lori Nichol are quite generic in comparison.

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Jeff Buttle - Nagoygatsi by David Wilson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYv170n84Tw
Carolin Kostner - Shostakovich by Lori Nicol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCAPCctijk

These are generic?

shine said:

Jeff Buttle - Nagoygatsi by David Wilson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYv170n84Tw
Carolin Kostner - Shostakovich by Lori Nicol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhCAPCctijk
These are generic?

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David Wilson has many hits in the past, but recently he has too many miss. I hope he will refill his creativity.
Lori Nicol's choreography recently somehow has less storytelling effect, I don't know. I never care much about the "story" because the "story" that skater has in mind is definitely different than the story that we have in minds when we watch them

I have a curiosity: who coreographed Jeff Buttle's Adios Nonino?

Evan Lysacek's Firebird SP in 2009-10

http://youtu.be/CQMu5cfdHEc?t=1m45s

Ashley Wagner's S&D was an excellent history, she reflects a sensual and evil Dallilah, just like in the Bible
..and respect to David Wilson, he's choreographer So Youn Park FS, is an excellent Juliet!

Stanick Jeannette.

Everybody knows about it already maybe but this was a masterpiece put together by himself and Peizerat.
2003 LP Le Petit Prince
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGYo2eR4EOA

I agree about Wilson not being great anymore these days but I guess he still knows how to rack up points. The last great one he did IMO was Yu-Na Kim 2011 LP which was truely fantastic (the whole final flight at worlds was epic). But even here you can still argue this one came as much from Yu-Na Kim herself as from him.

I think maybe the next years will see the redemption for themed programs. Because I remember the nightmare it was for almost everybody when COP came at first. Especially in ice-dancing. The low ranked skates from Euros 2005-2007 are just... mind breaking. Maybe some top teams managed it though (well, not for me) but watch the low ranked team. A disaster. I have in mind Gudina Beletski, painfull to watch. But it was more or less general at various levels. In 2006 the serpentine (?) step sequence did nobody's favor. Grushina Goncharov skated theirs barely moving on the ice and it seems ways too long for a step sequence of any kind.

What it means is it was too hard even for most of the ice dancers of the time, beforehand, the most creative skaters and most attended competitions, impossible to try to please the technical difficulties while doing them well (Belbin & Agosto's rise isn't very hard to explain) and both tell a story.

So no wonder why single skaters couldn't too.

It's very nice to see now that single skaters can do technical wonders under COP, they try to improve on the artistic side. It was always like this anyway. Once you reach a level, like the young russian ladies did, you have to find other ways to win the competitions. I hope in fine it brings more media and people attention to the sport.

I found Sotnikova very good and a bigger skater than before in her two summer exhibitions I saw. Liked a lot her work on Je Suis Malade even if I usually can't bear one or two words from the song.
Pogorilaya also impressed me in her SP. She's a better skater now, on the artistic side it's very visible, than one year ago.
Medvedeva LP is stunning too. Radionova is a bit different. She lives her programs. She's so naturally a crowd pleaser.

Maybe Wagner will tell Moulin Rouge's Story ? Never saw the movie so maybe it's not possible/not a good idea. Just had the idea of what it would be like if she depicted the story of the real cabaret :disapp:.

Kurt Browning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SxtqOEi6og Casablanca

Candeloro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDb3fuvslfc D' Artagnan

I care more about skaters capturing the essence is the music rather than trying to tell a story. If I try to envision a story I'm usually disappointed because there is so little time for interpretation between the elements.

machin said:

I agree about Wilson not being great anymore these days but I guess he still knows how to rack up points. The last great one he did IMO was Yu-Na Kim 2011 LP which was truely fantastic (the whole final flight at worlds was epic). But even here you can still argue this one came as much from Yu-Na Kim herself as from him.

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Didn't he do Yuna's 2013 long program? For me, that was the best program of the last quad.

drivingmissdaisy said:

Didn't he do Yuna's 2013 long program? For me, that was the best program of the last quad.

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Yes, he did. He's done pretty much all of her choreography after 06-07 exception being the Exh. program Orser did.