Michelle skating to Bolero - good or bad choice?

Mathman · Sep 2, 2004

"There's a post on FSU that says that The Lion King music was tied up in some kind of copyright dispute and that she had to change her music. -- Hockyfan

Gosh, doesn't Disney own the Lion King? Doesn't Michelle own Disney?

There was a rumor some months ago that Chris Dean himself was the one who choreographed Bolero for Kwan.

I really didn't believe it then. Now that her SP and LP choices are basically confirmed by a reliable source, I wonder if Chris Dean really did choreograph it for Kwan." -- VietTerrificGirl

How cool will that be if Christopher Dean worked with Michelle on this! Didn't he do the Miraculous Mandarin for her?

OT --

"What did the match maker tell Mulan about a silk purse?" -- RTureck

"This is what you give me to work with?
Well, honey, I've seen worse.
We're going to turn this sow's ear
Into a silk purse.

Now add a cricket, just for luck,
You'll bring honor to us all!"

http://www.angelfire.com/movies/disneybroadway/mulan.html

Guess what I just found out about that old proverb? It comes from a French word "sousier," which was a cheep cotton change purse for carrying your "sou" (a small coin).

MM

Mathman · Sep 2, 2004

hockeyfan228 said:
I have heard before that Ravel hated the piece and was furious that audiences liked Bolero best of all of his music.

It's interesting how many artists are surprised and sometimes embarassed by what the public likes. I have read that Tchaikovsky felt the Nutcracker to be rather a trifle in comparison with his "serious" music.

I wonder how Dickens would have felt to know that 150 years later most people know him prmarily as the creator of Ebenezer Scrooge.

And many years after Einstein came up with the Theory of Reletivity they finally got around to giving him a Nobel prize -- for an early paper on a completely different topic (the photoelectric effect).

Mathman

VIETgrlTerifa · Sep 2, 2004

I think the whole Lion King rumor was just someone having a laugh at the expense of Kwan fans.

Peter Oppegard choreographed Miraculous Mandarin. Chris Dean choreographed her short-lived Rush SP.

lavender · Sep 2, 2004

I don't know why I don't care what music Michelle is skating to as long as it's interesting with detailed choreography (long program especially). It's been awhile since she's had interesting choreography in her long programs. Her shorts have been great.

hockeyfan228 · Sep 2, 2004

Mathman said:
Gosh, doesn't Disney own the Lion King? Doesn't Michelle own Disney?

Well, according to this poster, Disney didn't own it afterall, due to a South African law. Could be total bunk, but I thought I'd mention it as a possibility.

Re: composers, Sir Arthur Sullivan spent his life trying to write "serious music" and was a very unhappy man when he realized his legacy was the music he wrote for Gilbert's libretti.

rtureck · Sep 2, 2004

So Ravel became rich and famous with Bolero, received a commision and was immortalized by Dudley and Bo, with a piece just for orchestral exercise.

http://www.good-music-guide.com/reviews/059_ravel_bolero.htm

Bolero
Bolero began as an experiment in composition and became Ravel's most famous piece of music. Commissioned as a Spanish-flavoured ballet, Ravel created an entire orchestral composition from just one short theme, slowly, steadily building in volume and tone. Ravel himself referring to it as a “piece for orchestra without music”

When it comes to dance maybe Joesitz will enlighten us on the difference between fandango, and Tarantella, or Ravel's Pavane from Ravel's Bolero.

I think MK and Shizuka are both good for elevating Bolero. And for Sasha Cohen I think another piece of Ravel dance music will suit her much better.

Lucy25 · Sep 2, 2004

I believe you Tony! You have never steered us wrong yet. Thanks for putting the rumor mills to rest. I for one appreciate it!

I also am going to wait until I *see* the program before I decide it is a bad choice. (What a novel idea!)

diver chick · Sep 2, 2004

My gut reaction to this is that it will be difficult for Michelle to pull this piece of music off - but I will reserve judgement until I see her perform the program, if indeed she will be using Bolero.

Bolero was never a piece of music that I particularly liked but every now and then a skater, dancer, whatever comes along and makes even the most diabolical piece of music their own and I feel that is what T&D did with Bolero, everything came right for them, the music, the dance, the costumes, the dancers themselves, much like Gordeeva and Grinkov and Moonlight Sonata.

My personal opinion is that Michelle skates better to music that allows her to make the most of her ability to be sultry like Scherazde.

Joesitz (RIP) · Sep 2, 2004

RTurek -

When it comes to dance maybe Joesitz will enlighten us on the difference between fandango, and Tarantella, or Ravel's Pavane from Ravel's Bolero.

I'm definitely showing early signs of onset dementia but I am not that old yet. :laugh:

The fandango is one of those lively dances (triple time stuff) usually danced with castanets. Very popular in South American night club acts.

Tarantella, I believe is a southern Italian dance which according to lore was created to effect a cure on people with a nervous condition. There have been many popular songs written in the mode of Tarantella, and an Italian wedding in Brooklyn is not complete without all of the guests dancing it.

The Pavane, I believe is of French origin and seems to be a court dance, at least that's what I get out of those stories from movies of the 15th and 16th centuries a la Romeo and Juliet.

And Bolero, as far as I know, is a ball room dance originating in Spain a litle slower than the pasa doble, but I am not sure. I've never seen it on the dance floor. Anyone know the temp of the bolero? and whether it is still danced other than Ravel.

My favorite Cole Porter tune is Begin the Beguine (not as performed in the recent movie). The Beguine is a South American dance. It is similar to the bolero but much more intriguing, for me. I would much have preferred Michelle to get a good recording of Begin the Beguine. She'd be heaven swaying to that music leaving all onwatchers enamorado :love:

Joe

hrmsk8ngnutt · Sep 2, 2004

lavender said:
I don't know why I don't care what music Michelle is skating to as long as it's interesting with detailed choreography (long program especially). It's been awhile since she's had interesting choreography in her long programs. Her shorts have been great.

I agree with you, lavender. A friend and I have said that the choreography for her LP the past few years has been so predictable: Open with triple loop, next is the triple lutz combo, the flip is somewhere in the middle, the spiral is towards the end, etc. Before, the order of jumps, spins, and footwork varied from year to year. But Scheherezade, Aranjuez, and Tosca basically followed the same pattern. Plus, some of the footwork sequences were not as difficult or interesting.

It would be interesting if she used Bolero and Dean choreographed it. However, if she used him before and eventually ditched the program, would she turn to him again? And would he accept? I don't know what the protocol is - if there is any.

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

Piel · Sep 2, 2004

Here's some more info on the Tarantella. This site is great for anyone intetrested in the histories of various dances.

http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tartla.htm

VIETgrlTerifa · Sep 2, 2004

The Lion King was never a real possiblity:

http://board.usfigureskating.org/default.asp?action=9&read=6007&fid=3

Lucy25 · Sep 2, 2004

VIETgrlTerifa said:
The Lion King was never a real possiblity:

http://board.usfigureskating.org/default.asp?action=9&read=6007&fid=3

Wow, that poster needs some serious help! She/He/It gets my vote for the best troll ever.

Skate Sandee · Sep 2, 2004

Why does anyone assume that Dean wouldn't work with her again because she ditched Rush? It's business, not personal. And besides, she didn't ditch Rush because of Dean's work. She ditched it because the style of MUSIC wasn't well received by the judges. If this rumor is true, we're talking about a classical piece. Totally different circumstances IMHO.

As for TLK - even though the whole thing was bogus, I still think it's a good idea! There are some really great skateable parts to it. Maybe Michelle will consider it in the future. :laugh:

fanforlady2001 · Sep 2, 2004

I heard Brenda is actually a poster at the biggest mk site, how ugly to trick us that way, that is not nice.

Lucy25 · Sep 2, 2004

fanforlady2001 said:
I heard Brenda is actually a poster at the biggest mk site, how ugly to trick us that way, that is not nice.

And you heard that from where? I read at the USFSA site that a poster guesses it probably was a MK fan trying to divert attention from her real music. It was specualtion based on what happened three years ago. I have read nothing else suggesting that this was a MK fan site poster. I think this is a horrible rumor to spread!

BravesSkateFan · Sep 2, 2004

Lucy25 said:
Wow, that poster needs some serious help! She/He/It gets my vote for the best troll ever.

or worst depending on your perspective...LOL

4dogknight · Sep 2, 2004

Joe: The Spanish Bolero is 6/8 time while the Cuban Bolero is 2/4 time. It is interesting to note that the Fandango and the Spanish Bolero are traditionally danced by a man and a woman or by several couples. I think that's right too because of the passion aroused by the music.

I found The Beguine at one site listed under Trots & Related Dances and at another site described as "originated in French West Indies, similar to the Rhumba". Neither definition appeals to me as a solo performance.

4dk

Mathman · Sep 2, 2004

VIETgrlTerifa said:
The Lion King was never a real possiblity:

http://board.usfigureskating.org/default.asp?action=9&read=6007&fid=3

Well, that gave me a chuckle. :laugh:

VietTerrific, you seem to be in the know in these things. Lion King is out, but is the Bolero rumor legit?

Mathman

show 42 · Sep 2, 2004

No doubt a lot of thought was given to the type and cut of music that she will eventually use. Let's not count her out because it's "Bolero".........42

Michelle skating to Bolero - good or bad choice?

Mathman

Mathman

VIETgrlTerifa

lavender

hockeyfan228

rtureck

Lucy25

diver chick

Joesitz (RIP)

hrmsk8ngnutt

Piel

On Edge

VIETgrlTerifa

Lucy25

Skate Sandee

fanforlady2001

Lucy25

BravesSkateFan

4dogknight

Mathman

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan

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