Breaks in a LP

O

Ogre Mage

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #1

Breaks in a LP

How many "breaks" do you consider acceptable in a long program? I am not sure what the technical term is, but it is when the music and skater come to a stop during a program and then start up again.

I consider two breaks acceptable, though one is preferrable. Any more than two and I think the flow of the program is compromised. Of course, some programs have no breaks, which is impressive.

 

C

Chaignee

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #2

Breaks

the worst breaks i've ever seen on a program were Tatiana Malinina's Aladdin and Laetitia Hubert's Jazz Medley (1997) I think in both, they each had 3 or more breaks in the music and stopped at each break.

 

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Skate Sandee

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #3

Breaks

Prior to the 90s, it was typical to see an LP with 3 distinctly different cuts of music. Sometimes more than 3, but usually a fast, slow and then fast section. So "breaks" were very commonplace. I can't remember when the trend turned decisively to skaters using the same piece of music - albeit with fast and slow sections edited together - for the whole LP program.

Personally, I think it shows great stamina if skaters can modulate their speed, but not actually stop, during the LP. But to answer the question, I'd say 1 break is the most I like to see.

 

L

Lucy25

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #4

Re: Breaks

I hate it when skaters stop in their program! Sarah Hughes's "Fosse" program drove me crazy because of the stops and stops. her new LP is the same way. To me, the music should be seemless and the skaters should be continually moving. The first time this occurred to me was at the 92 Olympics watching Kristi's "Blue Danube"; it just flowed and flowed....

 

J

Joesitz

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #5

Re: Breaks

Ogre - What a good topic! Who wants any breaks? A skater has only 4 minutes. I don't mind a quick pose but the program should continue immediately.

It's very annoying when I see it in Singles but in Dance it is so common. From one rythym stop and do another rythym. Isn't there a way to connect these smoothly so I don't notice the stop?

Joe

 

S

Show 42

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #6

Re: Breaks

......Lucy, I agree. I also think there should be a time limit as to time spent sprawled upon the ice (and I don't mean falls). This doesn't happen so much in eligible competition, but it drives me nuts when it happens during exhibitions and pro programs.......42

 

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sk8ing lady2001

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #7

Re: Breaks

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Who wants any breaks? A skater has only 4 minutes. I don't mind a quick pose but the program should continue immediately.[/quote]

Good point, it is! I definitely agree with that.

 

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sk8guy2k2

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #8

Re: Breaks

Some skaters just "skate" during parts of their program for their second wind. I remember in Vika's Free Yourself program that there was a resting section.

 

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realistic51

Guest

• Mar 16, 2003

• #9

Breaks in programs

Sarah's program this year has 3 definite breaks which I think detract from her overall performance. And it drives me crazy because I thought she was finished twice!!!

I also despise posing during a footwork sequence because it interrupts the flow of the footwork.:evil:

 

D

DORISPULASKI

Guest

• Mar 17, 2003

• #10

Re: Breaks in programs

Joe, I think you and I should start a movement to bring back the old ice dance OSP format, which had one rhythm only.
The current format, where using this year as an example, is Grand Ball, requires a change of rhythm twice and allows a change of rhythm 3 times in the 2:30 format (thinks its 2:30). There is no way to move from a polka to a galop to a waltz without having the cuts sound odd, and the only easy way to do it is to have a 'stop and pose' and pretend the orchestra just started a new song. Given that an even split is 1:15/1:15
you have to pretend that our scene opens in the middle of one dance and ends before the second dance ends

dpp

 

M

mike79

Guest

• Mar 17, 2003

• #11

Re: Breaks in programs

Viktor Petrenko's 1994 Olympic program was loaded with breaks and a lot of posing for the judges. That probably was part of his plan because Viktor was known to have poor endurance. He would always start off strong but start to make mistakes about midway through.

 

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Ladskater

Guest

• Mar 17, 2003

• #12

Re: Breaks in a LP

I believe the term you are looking for is "change of tempo." Usually the skaters are allowed three. It is nice, but not always necessary to have a change of tempo. Some music is just too dreary to be used all the way through and it gives the skaters a few minutes to catch their breath. Torvill and dean used Bolero, but their choreography was so captivating they were able to pull it off. Most North American skaters used to keep going through their program non-stop until they learned from the Russian skaters how to pace themselves and use different tempos. It makes for a more intersting program when their is a different tempo used, but it should not be overly done with pauses in between.

Ladskater

 

D

DORISPULASKI

Guest

• Mar 17, 2003

• #13

Re: Breaks in a LP

Sorry Lad, you're right, the correct phrase is change of tempo.

The point is still the same, though. I don't want to see a change of tempo in the OP. It's to short to make it look / sound right.

dpp

 

L

Ladskater

Guest

• Mar 17, 2003

• #14

Re: Breaks in a LP

DORISPULASKI:

Do you mean the short program? Usually skaters don't have much of a change of tempo in their short. There simply is not enough time to make it effective. It's almost better to use one piece of music. Brian Orser skated to "Sing, Sing, Sing" in one of his short programs at the Canadians and brought the house down.

Ladskater

 

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realistic51

Guest

• Mar 18, 2003

• #15

Change of tempo/breaks

If a skater comes to a complete stop in ANY program because of a change of tempo that would be a BREAK in the continuity of the program. IMO of course !!!

Now, Sarah comes to a complete stop 3 times in her new LP. Sure the tempo changes, but it's certainly not a flowing program that way. Sasha, while some people may like her footwork, stops and starts in her footwork sequence in the LP. That interrupts THAT flow also. It's much better suited to Malaguena than to the Rach program.

This year those are the 2 programs that drive me nuts!

 

K

kwansong999

Guest

• Mar 18, 2003

• #16

Re: Change of tempo/breaks

Does anybody remember the little child at Nationals? I heard that there was a little girl who threw a flower to Sarah when she stopped for her first break in the program. The ref. was debating whether to stop her program or not.

IMO, its confusing and annoying to watch. It definately shows endurance if you are able to skate throughout.

 

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Jules Asner

Guest

• Mar 18, 2003

• #17

Re: Change of tempo/breaks

Breaks are usually disruptive, but occasionally they can be choreographed effectively -- I think Chen Lu had a break in her Rach LP in 1994 which went really set the mood of the music. Most of time, however, I dislike them (maybe that's why I dislike that Fosse program of Sarah's, meanwhile I like Fosse!).

 

C

crazy4michelle

Guest

• Mar 19, 2003

• #18

Re: Change of tempo/breaks

I think breaks in a program are very disruptive. Especially if the skater is just posing, doing hand gestures (Malinina's Aladdin), or wiggling their legs (alot of Urmanovs programs). Thats not skating. I can understand the need to catch ones breath, but I think it could be incorporated into the program more seemlessly.

 

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guinevere

Guest

• Mar 19, 2003

• #19

breaks in programs

it seems like there are a couple of different kinds of breaks:

- dramatic music change, with a different style of skating to follow that results in a pause in the program

- dance break (not ice dance the discipline, but wher a skater stops skating and kind of busts a move in mostly one place for a while. Mostly used in pro or exhibition routines)

- pre-footwork pause

Of the 3, only the first one really works for me, and not all the time either. The choreography has to support the change in tempo.

For the 3rd example, look at Yags - tho I luurve his skating, and enjoy his signature footwork, I hate that he has to take a huge-o pause at the end of the rink to get it started. Many skaters do this, but those who've copied Yags' footwork style are the worst offenders. Exception: In MK's (LP I think) program with the Morozov (sp?) footwork, her entrance is a gliding arc, so she doesn't actually stop. I have seen her stop before footwork before though.

The dance break is the one that drives me up the wall. I just hate it. Sometimes I think skaters (or their choreographers) think they are in a music video. Exception: Emmanuel Sandhu can put ANY dance move in any program he likes as far as I'm concerned, because he manages to do it without breaking the flow of the program (it's his falls that do that )

guinevere