Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if every skater used the same music and wore the exact same costume, right?
What can I say? I'm a great fan (and public mourner) of the old compulsory dances. As is well known here, I think.
Skating is about EVERY movement and expression that happens on the ice, juxtaposed with music.
It depends about whether you are talking about exhibitions or competitions. Competitions are about the rules. And the rules change every year, nearly. However, as far as music & skating, the art in it is the ability to involve the audience in the performance, and is especially art-ful when the performer makes the viewer see/feel things in the music they didn't feel or see before. That's why I asked if you had ever seen either Irina or Fumie skate live. Fumie live is about as uninspiring as a Wonder Bread sandwich with Saltine filling, even when she is skating her best. Both Irina & Michelle own their audiences, even when they are not skating particularly well. When Fumie moves her arms around, you see Lori Nichol in the background moving her arms into that position. You don't say to yourself, "Wow, that's what Beethoven was getting at. He'd love this!"
BTW, if you were only watching their feet there are still numerous choreographic moves Fumie performed (beautifully to the music, if such a thing actually matters at all anymore) that you overlooked.
No, I noticed them. They just didn't matter to me, particularly.
BTW, did you think Fumie should have beaten Michelle in the LP, because she would have had to do that to win this Worlds, based on the ordinals, regardless of how you judge Fumie versus Irina. And I thought Michelle kicked her butt both artistically and technically. Fumie's one area of technical superiority to Michelle in this program was the speed in her final 2-foot spin.
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