Classic: Etude in D-sharp, Ballade No. 1, Otonal
Musical: Notre Dame de Paris, Phantom of the Opera
Drama/ filmscore: Romeo & Juliet (1.0 & 2.0)
Japanese taiko/ filmscore: Seimei
Japanese classic/orchestral/piano: White Legend, Hope & Legacy
Gypsy/ violin: Zigeunerweisen
Blues-Rock: Parisienne Walkways
Rock-Pop: Let's go crazy
Easy listening/ violin: Origin
Real talk, Ballade 3.0 is closer to Parisienne Walkways than Otonal. The real overlap between Otonal and Ballade is the jump layout (4S, 3A, 4T-3T), except Ballade was supposed to be done with the 4Lo, not the 4S, and the spins are placed differently between the two programmes. (Don’t even get me started on the step sequence construction....) The actual similarity across Etude, PW, Ballade, and Otonal is that all share the blue top/black pants attire.
But for real, I’m kind of tired of hearing that Otonal and Ballade are the same programme set to different music — it’s the kind of statement that I understand on a superficial level, but on a deeper (and more sarcastic) one, it should be automatically disqualifying from commenting on interpretation and choreography. Maybe it was just an unhappy coincidence that I happened to have infusions during the Olympics, which meant I had a chance to watch Ballade eighty times while stuck in the hospital for 4+ hours, but regardless — the attitude of Ballade 3.0 is triumphant, not melancholy. It’s very much a “master of my universe, king of my domain” statement piece: it begins with the delayed head roll into that
stare, the simple push away from center ice with leg extended, an absolute liquidity in movement (upper body calm, shoulders at ease but not slumped) as the steps into the 4S begin. The outside to inside spread eagle with hands aloft is almost tossed off, not melancholy or pensive but entirely
relaxed, an almost shrug of “Ah, see what I can do?” — the calmness and surety of the edges a juxtaposition to the acrobatic feat that just occurred. The step sequence, with the hands drawing the eyes open, is meant to invoke the classic “mad genius” archetype, and the
speed of the initial two thirds or so of the pattern is an artist throwing paint onto canvas and accidentally creating a masterpiece, a writer grabbing a pen and scribbling a note that’s pure poetry. The deceleration of speed in the last third, with the arms languid and the hand brushed past the back of the head, the twizzles that are done with such ease that they’re almost a shrug... it’s an artist’s manifesto, a virtuoso showing off without meaning to.
Oh. Does this amuse you? I can do this as well. But Ballade is not a melancholy piece or programme — it’s a swaggering one, much closer to PW than Otonal. (And both Ballade 3.0 and PW have that belt-touch moment.)
The jumps in Otonal are, yes, the same as in Ballade, and even come in the same order. That’s about as similar as they are, in my opinion. Even the way the jumps are distributed is different, and it serves an actual purpose: whereas the jumps in Ballade were buried almost as long as possible (to heighten the tension for the audience, to remind us that we’re watching a master at work and he will give us only what he wants to, when he wants to), but in Otonal, the 4S and 3A draw on the melancholy and sparseness of the music, almost literally “traveling” backward through memories. As the music builds, we have the spins, fingers drawing out each note, and then as it swells: the step sequence, running forward with abandon (hydroblade to one foot Axel, y’all), the melancholy of nostalgia not diminished but accepted, giving way to catharsis. The
build of the two programmes is different in structure and the mood each invokes is wildly different — I find Otonal to be wistful, more delicate, a much slower burn and one that makes wonderful use of “negative space” in the first half, while Ballade 3.0 is beautiful, but not melancholy. Ballade leaves me awed and feeling like a tightened bowstring afterward, whereas Otonal is more the sense of rereading a well-loved poem.
Also, yes. I know that was pretentious as all get out. Sorry.
Layouts being similar was inevitable up until this season, due to all jumps in the backhalf being rewarded with the 10% BV bonus and the simple fact that X number of quads meant Y distribution, especially in the free skate. Every 3-4 quad guy was doing Quad 1, Quad 2, triple in the front half, then Quad 3 and Quad 4 to start the second half. Because of how the math worked, Yuzuru’s layout was what it was (sing along, we all know the words!) — but if you think Seimei and Hope & Legacy are the same programme outside of sharing a similar basic structure, we need to talk. I’m actually agnostic on front- and back- loading since either is an entirely valid artistic choice, but in terms of points, only one of those two was rewarded. (The second half bonus really did need to be altered, as too many programmes were clearly designed around points first and performance second, not organically choreographed with the jumps distributed to fulfill both artistic vision and what a skater was physically capable of.)
Yuzuru does perform a one-handed hydroblade and an Ina Bauer in most of his recent choreographic sequences. Yes, that’s repetitive. Is it more or less repetitive than Kwan’s signature spiral? I kind of feel like this is one of those “heads I win, tails you lose” issues, as if he took out the hydroblade (or incorporated it as a transition, as he’s doing this season, rather than making it A Moment in the choreo sequence), there would be complaints, because people expect to see moves skaters are known for. If he does the hydroblade, then it’s “repetitive.” I feel like it’s a signature element and not a sign of lack of choreo ideas (see: hydroblade as spin entrance), and it isn’t like he performs those signature elements off the music (I love you, Yuna, but that 2A entry did not need to be in every programme and sometimes was just flat-out not a natural fit with the music).
But, yes, he repeats blue top/black pants in the short programme. I’ll give people that. [emoji23]
What's missing?
- Some real dance actually (standard/latin/modern dance...)
Hope & Legacy is modern. Enough to qualify as checking that bullet, maybe not, but the choreography draws from modern dance. PW could arguably count as well.
- Other unused music styles: R&B/Soul, Jazz, Hardrock/Metal, Folk, Epic Orchestral, Bollywood...
oh lord I love Yuzu but let’s leave Metallica to Kolyada, since he kills it, and not go the awkward cultural appropriation route of some of these other paths... (I’m Arab — bellydancing on ice has gotten very, very old)
- Comedy or parody (I would really like to see him skate a parody of himself tbh... [emoji23])
LGC is easily my least favourite programme of his but I’m pretty sure it was done
somewhat tongue in cheek. Which is part of why it never worked for me — some people aren’t good at that kind of performance/humour. Boyang is someone who can be a bit silly but never actually make
himself into the the joke, which is an incredibly thin tightrope to walk. If you’re too serious and/or competitive, trying to go for humour can give you the worst of both worlds: no laughter, just an aura or Well That Was Awkward, and everyone (performer and audience) feeling vaguely embarrassed. Don’t see comedy working for Yuzu (well, not intentional comedy). I... am a hyper-competitive jerkwad myself and I cannot get out of my own way enough to rock out like Boyang or Brezina. Does not work. There are no tapes or anything. *whistles along*
(Also, sorry for ranting at you about the difference between Ballade and Otonal. I’ve just read too many remarks about how they’re the same and now the comments in here about repetition... I think Yuzu has a strong and diverse body of work, but that cause and effect are being mixed up at times — hard for any of these guys to offer much new in their spins given how spin levels work, for example.)
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