- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
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Regardless of whether a skater is a contender for Top Ten at Worlds 2016, I would enjoy a "heads up" on programs and skaters to watch for. I'm thinking of programs with technical quality (or not so much) that are noticeably impressive as far as (1) nuance and dynamism in musical interpretation; (2) emotional resonance with skater(s) and audience; (3) skaters inhabiting their music powerfully or otherwise in an unusual way; ... you get the idea. And how they do it.
I'll start with one of my recent favorites.
I only recently started to "get" Adam Rippon. But this year at Nationals, his FS to the Beatles medley completely transported me to a different place. Like much of the audience, I was carried away by the beauty and authenticity with which he skated this program ... especially, beginning at the precise instant when he executed the most exquisite jump: his second triple axel, in the second half. Although come to think of it, maybe it started earlier, with the Rippon triple lutz.
The first great thing is that his fall on his opening element, the quad lutz, was just a blip on the radar, to the audience but also to him. It was as if the music, and his intention of skating a beautiful, strong program and doing the music justice, carried him above and beyond anything else. Though some scoff at this, the fall wasn't disruptive.
I've seen very few skaters, especially among current men, skate with the attention to musical nuances, and more especially silences, as Adam did on that day. On simple moves, he would pause, lift and turn at exactly the right moment. He did this so many times during this number that the best way to describe them is just to suggest that you watch the video with the music, with the intention of noticing those moments.
When the music transitions to "Blackbird," Adam's whole mood, skating, and movement alters. By the time he does his second 3A, it all comes together: tender McCartney song and guitar, smooth delicate movement across the ice, and the easy, easy, elegant triple axel. After that, Adam had to sustain the high mood and keep up the technical excellence to finish with incredible emotional power and resonance.
If by any chance you watched Adam's FS earlier in the season but missed the one from Nationals, I'd encourage you to take in his Nationals performance! It's far and above the earlier ones, a great example of how a program can develop and become more subtle, over a season.
I'll start with one of my recent favorites.
I only recently started to "get" Adam Rippon. But this year at Nationals, his FS to the Beatles medley completely transported me to a different place. Like much of the audience, I was carried away by the beauty and authenticity with which he skated this program ... especially, beginning at the precise instant when he executed the most exquisite jump: his second triple axel, in the second half. Although come to think of it, maybe it started earlier, with the Rippon triple lutz.
The first great thing is that his fall on his opening element, the quad lutz, was just a blip on the radar, to the audience but also to him. It was as if the music, and his intention of skating a beautiful, strong program and doing the music justice, carried him above and beyond anything else. Though some scoff at this, the fall wasn't disruptive.
I've seen very few skaters, especially among current men, skate with the attention to musical nuances, and more especially silences, as Adam did on that day. On simple moves, he would pause, lift and turn at exactly the right moment. He did this so many times during this number that the best way to describe them is just to suggest that you watch the video with the music, with the intention of noticing those moments.
When the music transitions to "Blackbird," Adam's whole mood, skating, and movement alters. By the time he does his second 3A, it all comes together: tender McCartney song and guitar, smooth delicate movement across the ice, and the easy, easy, elegant triple axel. After that, Adam had to sustain the high mood and keep up the technical excellence to finish with incredible emotional power and resonance.
If by any chance you watched Adam's FS earlier in the season but missed the one from Nationals, I'd encourage you to take in his Nationals performance! It's far and above the earlier ones, a great example of how a program can develop and become more subtle, over a season.
)
to everyone who's given me skaters to be sure and watch for during Worlds. Many of these, I already know and will make sure I watch, even if not by livestream, in the videos posted.
