I took a few moments today to watch Brian's 1993/94 long program to Lincoln/Appalachian Spring.
Although I don't believe it was ever skating to its maximum potential, I believe the program itself is a masterpiece, one of my all time favorites.
One of my favorite things is the exquisite spread eagle sequence. He picks up speed and then delivers a rock steady serpentine spread eagle at center ice. There is not one moment of unsteadiness or wobble. It is magnificent. A few moments later he delivers that prolonged outside edge spread eagle that seems to go on forever; his body line is straight as an arrow, and the lean backwards into the deep edge is a thing of beauty.
I believe CoP has brought some good things to skating, but I think it has also taken away. We're unlikely to see a top flight skater devote 20-30 seconds or so to a move so basic, no matter how beautifully it is done. Although it is a choreographic highlight, I suppose from a CoP point of view, he's devoted a chunk of his program to not moving his feet at all... no turns, no footwork, no transition. I doubt it would be looked kindly upon, and that is a shame.
I'm not sure why I even bring this up now. Just nostalgic, I suppose, watching a favorite program from a favorite skater.
Although I don't believe it was ever skating to its maximum potential, I believe the program itself is a masterpiece, one of my all time favorites.
One of my favorite things is the exquisite spread eagle sequence. He picks up speed and then delivers a rock steady serpentine spread eagle at center ice. There is not one moment of unsteadiness or wobble. It is magnificent. A few moments later he delivers that prolonged outside edge spread eagle that seems to go on forever; his body line is straight as an arrow, and the lean backwards into the deep edge is a thing of beauty.
I believe CoP has brought some good things to skating, but I think it has also taken away. We're unlikely to see a top flight skater devote 20-30 seconds or so to a move so basic, no matter how beautifully it is done. Although it is a choreographic highlight, I suppose from a CoP point of view, he's devoted a chunk of his program to not moving his feet at all... no turns, no footwork, no transition. I doubt it would be looked kindly upon, and that is a shame.
I'm not sure why I even bring this up now. Just nostalgic, I suppose, watching a favorite program from a favorite skater.